Diversity and Species Composition of Subaerial Algae in Kuvempu University Campus, Shimoga, Karnataka, India

The sub aerial algae on barks of the trees of dry deciduous forests of the Kuvempu University has been studied for their systematics, species composition and diversity. A total of six trees, flame of the forest (Butea monosperma); rose wood (Dalbergia latifolia,); mountain persimmon (Diaspyros montana); nandhi (Legestroemia lanceolata); Indian ash tree (Lannae coromandelica) and flowering murdals (Terminalia paniculata) are selected to collect algal samples. The trees of flowering murdals (Terminalia paniculata) are also selected from different locations namely open undisturbed, shaded undisturbed and open disturbed areas to compare the subaerial algal flora. A total of 56 taxa are recorded. Of the 56 taxa, 53 belong to Cyanophyceae, 2 belongs to Chlorophyceae and the remaining one taxa belongs to Bacillariophyceae. The members of the blue green algae are dominant in all the bark samples. Among the blue green algae, chroococcales are dominant except in the bark samples of mountain persimmon (Diaspyros montana) in which members of nostocales are dominant. The members of green algae Trentepohlia sp. and Printzina effusa are recorded only in the bark samples of rose wood (Dalbergia latifolia) and flowering murdals (Terininalia paniculata) respectively. Only the bark samples of nandhi (Legestroemia lanceolata) harboured the diatoms. Further, the comparative study of algal samples of flowering murdals (Terminalia paniculata) reveal that the members of chroococcales are dominant at all the sites namely open undisturbed, shaded undisturbed and open disturbed areas respectively. Of the 10 taxa of algae, Chroococcus minutus, Chroococcus minor, Chroococcus tenax and Calothrix marchica are observed at all the sampling sites. The green algal taxon, Printzina effusa is present only in the samples of shaded undisturbed area. The average abundance data reveal that the diversity of taxa is highest at shaded undisturbed area which is followed by either open undisturbed or open disturbed area respectively. The systematics along with dominance of algal taxa is given. The study is in the agreement with the majority of the earlier investigators who reported dominance of cyanophyceae or blue green algae in the sub aerial algal flora of the tropical regions.