Sains Malaysiana 47(11)(2018): 2589–2600

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2018-4711-01

 

Water Quality Influences on Fish Occurrence in Peat Swamp Forest and Its Converted Areas in North Selangor, Malaysia

(Pengaruh Kualiti Air ke atas Keterdapatan Ikan di Hutan Paya Gambut dan Kawasan Tukaran di Utara Selangor, Malaysia)

HUSSEIN ALIU SULE^1,2, AHMAD ISMAIL¹, MOHAMMAD NOOR AZMAI AMAL^1*, SYAIZWAN ZAHMIR ZULKIFLI¹, MOHD FAUZUL AIDIL MOHD ROSELI¹ & SHAMARINA SHOHAIMI¹

 

¹Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

 

²Department of Integrated Science, School of Science, Kogi State College of Education, PMB 1033 Ankpa, Nigeria

 

Received: 9 October 2016/Accepted: 20 July 2018

 

ABSTRACT

Tropical peat swamp forest (PSF) is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. However, the impacts of anthropogenic activities in PSF and its conversion area towards fish biodiversity are less understood. This study investigates the influences of water physico-chemical parameters on fish occurrences in peat swamp, paddy field and oil palm plantation in the North Selangor peat swamp forest (NSPSF), Selangor, Malaysia. Fish and water samples were collected from four sites located in the peat swamps, while two sites were located in the paddy field and oil palm plantation areas. Multivariate analyses were used to determine the associations between water qualities and fish occurrences in the three habitats. A total of 1,382 individual fish, belonging to 10 families, 15 genera and 20 species were collected. The family Cyprinidae had the highest representatives, followed by Bagridae and Osphronemidae. The most abundant species was Barbonymus schwanefeldii (Bleeker 1854), while the least abundant was Wallago leerii Bleeker, 1851. The paddy field and oil palm plantation area recorded significantly higher fish diversity and richness relative to peat swamp (p<0.05). The water physico-chemical parameters, such as pH, DO, NH₃-N, PO₄, SO₄, and Cl₂  showed no significant difference between paddy field and oil palm plantation (p>0.05), but was significantly different from the peat swamp (p<0.05). However, no water quality parameter was consistently observed to be associated with fish occurrences in all of the three habitats, but water temperature, NH₃-N, Cl₂, SO₄, and EC were at least associated with fish occurrences in two habitats studied. This study confirmed that each habitat possess different water quality parameters associated with fish occurrences. Understanding all these ecological aspects could help future management and conservation of NSPSF.

 

Keywords: Fish occurrences; oil palm plantation; paddy field; peat swamp forest; water physico-chemical

 

ABSTRAK

Hutan paya gambut tropika (PSF) ialah salah satu ekosistem yang semakin terancam di dunia. Walau bagaimanapun, kesan daripada aktiviti antropogenik dalam PSF dan kawasan tukaran terhadap kepelbagaian biologi ikan masih kurang difahami. Penyelidikan ini mengkaji tentang pengaruh parameter fiziko-kimia air terhadap keterdapatan ikan di paya gambut, sawah padi dan ladang kelapa sawit di Hutan Paya Gambut Utara Selangor (NSPSF), Selangor, Malaysia. Sampel ikan dan air telah diambil dari empat tapak yang terletak di paya gambut, dua tapak masing-masing terletak di kawasan sawah padi dan ladang kelapa sawit. Analisis multivariat telah digunakan untuk menentukan kaitan antara kualiti air dan keterdapatan ikan di tiga habitat. Sebanyak 1,382 individu ikan, milik 10 famili, 15 genus dan 20 spesies telah dikumpul. Famili Cyprinidae mempunyai wakil yang tertinggi, diikuti oleh Bagridae dan Osphronemidae. Spesies paling banyak adalah Barbonymus schwanefeldii (Bleeker 1854), manakala spesies paling sedikit adalah Wallago leerii Bleeker, 1851. Kawasan sawah padi dan ladang kelapa sawit mencatatkan kepelbagaian ikan jauh lebih tinggi dan kaya berbanding dengan paya gambut (p<0.05). Parameter fisiko-kimia air seperti pH, DO, NH₃-N, PO₄ dan SO₄ dan Cl₂ tidak menunjukkan perbezaan yang signifikan antara sawah padi dan ladang kelapa sawit (p>0.05), tetapi berbeza secara ketara daripada paya gambut (p<0.05). Walau bagaimanapun, tiada parameter kualiti air diperhatikan secara konsisten boleh dikaitkan dengan keterdapatan ikan dalam kesemua tiga habitat, tetapi suhu air, NH₃-N, Cl₂, SO₄ dan EC sekurang-kurangnya dikaitkan dengan keterdapatan ikan dalam dua habitat yang dikaji. Kajian ini mengesahkan bahawa setiap habitat mempunyai parameter kualiti air yang berbeza yang berkait rapat dengan keterdapatan ikan. Memahami kesemua aspek ekologi akan membantu masa depan pengurusan dan pemuliharaan NSPSF.

 

Kata kunci: Fiziko-kimia air; hutan paya gambut; keterdapatan ikan; ladang kelapa sawit; sawah padi

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*Corresponding author; email: mnamal@upm.edu.my