Activity 3

Activity 3: Effect of biofertilizer application and cultivation practices on water quality, phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish diversity
This activity would evaluate the differences in the concentrations of N, P, and other heavy metals in an aquatic body within a farming community where chemical N and P fertilizer application is a normal practice as compared to the use of a biofertilizer such as mycorrhizal fungal inoculum to enhance phosphorus acquisition and the incoporation of a leguminous cover crop to protect the soil surface and supply N. Biomass densities and diversity of plankton and fish will be corellated with changes in water quality in terms of N, P and heavy metal concentrations due to cultvation practices. A completely randomized design will be used with the following treatments: (a)forest cover, (b) cleared forest, (c) cleared forest with chemical fertilizer, (d) cleared forest with biofertilizer (mycorrhizal inoculum and organic manure) application. Sorenson's similarity index will be used to measure the plankton diversities between the water bodies.