ABSTRACT
The present macroecological study aims to understand the diversity and distribution patterns of zooplankton and zoobenthos species along the elevational gradients in the Himalaya. We compiled taxonomic and distribution data for species, as well as data for water quality from different rivers in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh (Indian Himalaya), Nepal, and Bhutan, spanning elevational gradients from 100 m to 5000 m. We used Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) with a Gaussian error distribution to analyze the relationships between species and generic diversity in zooplankton and zoobenthos, and various environmental variables. The most significant and important environmental factor(s) driving the diversity and distribution patterns of zooplankton and zoobenthos species were determined using the least Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) and the highest percentage of deviance explained (D2 ) criteria. The results indicated that water temperature is the primary environmental driver of diversity and distribution patterns for both zooplankton and zoobenthos along the elevational gradients in the Himalaya.
