Online first articles

This study tracked seasonal changes in macrophyte communities in two freshwater lakes in Ranchi, India: Bundu Lake, which shows marked seasonal fluctuation, and Ratu Maharaja Lake, which remains comparatively stable. Field surveys were conducted from October 2023 to April 2025, covering the pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon periods. Using 1 m² quadrats, we recorded 87 macrophyte species. Species diversity, including alpha diversity, beta diversity, and its components, importance value index (IVI), relative IVI, evenness, dominance, rank‒abundance curves (RACs), and spatial distribution, was analysed using standard ecological indices. All computations were performed in R (v4.4.0). Ratu Maharaja Lake supported more species (50–68) and a balanced mix of emergent, submerged, and rooted floating plants. Bundu Lake had fewer species (36–51) and showed minimal seasonal turnover, with free-floating species dominating. Bundu Lake was dominated by nestedness, reflecting species loss and recolonization, whereas Ratu Maharaja Lake showed higher turnover, indicating active species replacement across seasons. Over 63% of the species changed their ranking between seasons, suggesting that fluctuating water levels strongly influence community stability. The species distribution was relatively stable in Ratu Maharaja Lake but clumped and variable in Bundu Lake. These findings provide a baseline for biodiversity monitoring and show how hydrological stability supports wetland resilience. They also offer a useful reference for predicting how communities may respond to future climate and human pressures.