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The effects of pond management on the benthic community and shorebirds at Sungei Buloh Nature Park, Singapore
Author
Wang, Luan Keng
Supervisor
Lim, Shirley S. L.
Abstract
Migratory shorebirds flying southwards to escape the harsh winter may make use of one of the routes, the Asian-Australian Flyway. Successful migration requires that the birds make regular feeding stops, such as at the mudflats of coastal Malaysia and Singapore. I studied one such feeding site in Singapore, at the Sungei Buloh Nature Park, to investigate the effects of artificial manipulation of mudflats on the quantity of the birds' food supply.
Benthic samples from four transects in differently-managed disused prawn ponds of Sungei Buloh Nature Park were investigated. Family diversity, abundance and biomass of macroinvertebrates in each station were recorded at monthly intervals for 14 months. A higher family diversity in all the stations was observed in the non-migratory season. Temporal variation was only observed in the two transects where removal of vegetation took place, resulting in a decrease in family abundance and biomass. Ponds subjected to tidal influence, and with vegetation intact, were richest in terms of number of families, the highest abundance and biomass of benthic macroinvertebrates. The transect in which the pond was managed, and vegetation removed, had the poorest benthic macrofaunal diversity, abundance and biomass.
Shorebirds were observed to feed mostly in the tidal pond without any vegetation, and roost mainly in the managed pond without vegetation. To increase the attractiveness of the disused prawn ponds to shorebirds, a management strategy is proposed, including altering the present water management regime and removing mangrove seedlings and grasses from all the tidal ponds.
Benthic samples from four transects in differently-managed disused prawn ponds of Sungei Buloh Nature Park were investigated. Family diversity, abundance and biomass of macroinvertebrates in each station were recorded at monthly intervals for 14 months. A higher family diversity in all the stations was observed in the non-migratory season. Temporal variation was only observed in the two transects where removal of vegetation took place, resulting in a decrease in family abundance and biomass. Ponds subjected to tidal influence, and with vegetation intact, were richest in terms of number of families, the highest abundance and biomass of benthic macroinvertebrates. The transect in which the pond was managed, and vegetation removed, had the poorest benthic macrofaunal diversity, abundance and biomass.
Shorebirds were observed to feed mostly in the tidal pond without any vegetation, and roost mainly in the managed pond without vegetation. To increase the attractiveness of the disused prawn ponds to shorebirds, a management strategy is proposed, including altering the present water management regime and removing mangrove seedlings and grasses from all the tidal ponds.
Date Issued
1997
Call Number
QH90.8.B46 Wan
Date Submitted
1997