Assessment of Fish and Macroinvertebrates in Streams Associated with Mineral Soil and Peatland in Kuching and Samarahan Divisions, Sarawak
Understanding of carrying capacity of different habitats in supporting species richness of aquatic organisms is crucial for the success of biodiversity conservation programme. Study on habitat carrying capacity and species-habitat specialization is particularly important in Sarawak because many...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
UNIMAS Publisher, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/31485/1/Cover%20page%20july2019.pdf http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/31485/4/Jongkar%20Grinang%201.pdf http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/31485/ |
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| Summary: | Understanding of carrying capacity of different habitats in supporting species richness of aquatic organisms
is crucial for the success of biodiversity conservation programme. Study on habitat carrying capacity and
species-habitat specialization is particularly important in Sarawak because many aquatic habitats (streams,
rivers, lakes and swamps) had been degraded by land use activities. Habitat fragmentation is a common
phenomenon, but assessment of carrying capacity of the habitat complex in supporting aquatic species
richness has not been well studied. The questions rise would be (i) does the streams within fragmented
forest of different soil type supports unique species of aquatic fauna?, (ii) how well does the fragmented
forest represent (in term of aquatic biodiversity) the overall habitat within the plantation?, and (iii) what
size should the forest patches be in order to meet the ecological needs of unique species? This project
aims to (i) assess species richness of fish and macroinvetebrates in streams associated with mineral soil
and peatland, (ii) assess the carrying capacity of the two habitats in supporting species richness of fish
and macroinvertebrates (especially rare/endemic species), and (iii) determine environmental parameters
that significantly influent community structure of the fauna. Thirteen physico-chemical parameters are
measured in 18 streams. The 18 streams are habitats to more than 120 species of aquatic fauna include fish,
crustaceans, mollusks and aquatic insects. The significant findings include discovery of a new semiterrestrial
vampire crab, Geosesarma larsi (Image 1) and a blind gudgeon fish, Pogoneleotris heterolepis (Image 2). |
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