Wild Water Buffalo Bubalus arnee in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal: status, population and conservation importance

The Asiatic Wild Water Buffalo Bubalus arnee is an endangered species restricted to South and Southeast Asia. Nepal’s only population survives in the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve which is located on the floodplain of the Koshi River, a tributary of Ganga. This species is under threat due to high anthropogenic pressure ranging from habitat deterioration to hybridization with domestic buffalo. Yet, the population has grown from 63 in 1976 to 219 in 2009, despite the decline in the calf/cow ratio. The present study conducted in 2009 used the block count method. The count showed the presence of a backcrossed population of 74 in addition to the total of 219 individuals. At present, a number of conservation and livelihood interventions have been undertaken to safeguard the biodiversity, particularly the wild buffalo population in the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. The community-based sustainable management approach benefiting both conservation and livelihood of local people is necessary to ensure the long term conservation of the species.

Full paper here..

Phylogeographic Analysis Elucidates the Influence of the Ice Ages on the Disjunct Distribution of Relict Dragonflies in Asia

Unusual biogeographic patterns of closely related groups reflect events in the past, and molecular analyses can help to elucidate these events. While ample research on the origin of disjunct distributions of different organism groups in the Western Paleartic has been conducted, such studies are rare for Eastern Palearctic organisms. In this paper we present a phylogeographic analysis of the disjunct distribution pattern of the extant species of the strongly cool-adapted Epiophlebia dragonflies from Asia. We investigated sequences of the usually more conserved 18 S rDNA and 28 S rDNA genes and the more variable sequences of ITS1, ITS2 and CO2 of all three currently recognised Epiophlebia species and of a sample of other odonatan species. In all genes investigated the degrees of similarity between species of Epiophlebia are very high and resemble those otherwise found between different populations of the same species in Odonata. This indicates that substantial gene transfer between these populations occurred in the comparatively recent past. Our analyses imply a wide distribution of the ancestor of extant Epiophlebia in Southeast Asia during the last ice age, when suitable habitats were more common. During the following warming phase, its range contracted, resulting in the current disjunct distribution. Given the strong sensitivity of these species to climatic parameters, the current trend to increasing global temperatures will further reduce acceptable habitats and seriously threaten the existences of these last representatives of an ancient group of Odonata.

Full paper here

Diversity and Community Assemblage of Littoral Zone Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Jagadishpur Reservoir

Abstract: 

Littoral benthic macroinvertebrates diversity and community assemblage of Jagadishpur Reservoir were studied during post-monsoon (2008) and pre-monsoon (2009) seasons. Altogether twelve sites in the littoral zone of the reservoir were sampled for benthic macroinvertebrates by using a kick-and-sweep method with a standard handnet. At each site, benthic macroinvertebrate samples were taken from different possible substrate types. The environmental variables of each site were collected based on Lentic Ecosystem Field Protocol during sampling. Biological metrics were used to describe the diversity and composition of benthic macroinvertebrates. The relationship between benthic macroinvertebrates assemblage and substrate types were examined by using principal component analysis. Cluster analyses were performed to describe the similarity among samples. In total, 50 taxa, belonging to 15 orders were recorded for littoral zone of the reservoir. The recorded higher number of taxa (family level) belonged to order Heteroptera (water bugs) and Diptera (flies), and class Mollusca. Mollusca for post-monsoon and Diptera (particularly Chironomidae) for pre-monsoon shared the highest proportion in the total density. Shannon diversity index (H’) for post-monsoon was 1.82±0.46 and for pre-monsoon was 1.38±0.53 and was significantly different between seasons (p=0.01). Principal component analysis revealed that increase in taxa numbers were positively correlated to soft substrates while negatively correlated to non-soft substrates in littoral zone of the reservoir. Cluster analyses discriminated the sites into two main groups for both seasons. The study concludes that benthic macroinvertebrates diversity is highly influenced by substrate types, water level fluctuation, and human accessibility to the reservoir. Therefore, in order to stabilize benthic macroinvertebrates diversity and their abundance, it is essential to maintain surface water level, stabilize bank substrate and minimize human pressure.

Keywords: Benthic macroinvertebrates, aquatic biodiversity, littoral zone, reservoir, substrates

Citation: Shah, D.N., Shah, R.D.T and Pradhan, B. 2011. Diversity and Community Assemblage of Littoral Zone Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Jagadishpur Reservoir. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology 12: 211-220

pdf file available here

Aquatic Invertebrates of the Ganga River System (Mollusca, Annelida, Crustacea [in part])

Authors:

Hasko Nesemann, Subodh Sharma, Gopal Sharma, Sanjay Nath Khanal, Bandana Pradhan, Deep Narayan Shah, Ram Devi Tachamo

The book contains 227 species which were collected and studied by the authors during the last decade. They are illustrated with 748 figures from freshwater, brackish water and semiaquatic habitats with 76 plates including 12 colored plates. The Mollusca are altogether represented with 108 species, 49 Bivalvia and 59 Gastropoda.  The Annelida were recorded with 6 Polychaeta, 70 Oligochaeta and 33 Hirudinida. The Crustacea are included with 10 examples of Branchiopoda, Mysidacea, Amphipoda, Isopoda and few Decapoda crabs. 19 new invertebrate species are described. The work may be used for identification of species with the help of figures. Instead of using only text descriptions, one can simply compare the invertebrates with the figures to get a first result with the pictorial catalogue. Ecological assessment approach is described with the application of different indices.

The book covers the territory of Nepal, northern India, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

ISBN 978-99946-2-674-8, Hardcover, 263 pp. A4-size,
published 10th July 2007, Kathmandu, Nepal.

For more click here

Water Quality Assessment and Associated Stressing Factors of the Seti River Basin, Pokhara Sub Metropolitan City

The ASSESS-HKH Field Screening Methodology was carried out to assess the ecological river water quality status of nineteen small to medium sized rivers of the Seti River basin within Pokhara sub-metropolitan city during the lean flow period in March 2007. Multi habitat qualitative samplings for forty-six sites were conducted with 100 m stretch in each study river section. Five river water quality classes; class I (high), class II (good), class III (moderate), class IV (poor) and class V (bad) have been used to describe the effect of organic degradable pollution (saprobic approach). The response of benthic macroinvertebrates varied with organic pollution, sediment extraction and river crossings. The Harpan and Orlan (inlets) and Boksira (outlet) rivers of Phewa lake have water quality class III (moderately polluted) except Phirke river (outlet) which has class V. Most of the rivers outside the municipal boundaries have been identified as Class II indicating good water quality. The whole stretches of the Phusre and the Seti Rivers are still in good ecological condition. A total of 19 stressing factors have been identified along the river stretches, which have been grouped into five broad groups i.e., solid waste, effluent factors, activities and facilities, hydro-morphological degradation and ecological disturbances, and sanitation activity. The results are visualized by a colored water quality map which indicates the present ecological status of the Seti River basin. This map serves as an easy readable tool to identify hot spots and to show where immediate action is required. It also attracts the attention of the decision makers and enables timely measures to be taken for improving the deteriorating water quality of the rivers.

For full article click here

ABSTRACT

MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS OF EPIOPHLEBIA LAIDLAWI TILLYARD LARVAE, WITH NOTES ON THE HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPECIES IN NEPAL (“ANISOZYGOPTERA”: EPIOPHLEBIIDAE)

Based on 78 specimens recorded from 14 forest streams at the elevations between 1800 and 2850 m a.s.l. in central Nepal, 9 larval instars are described and illustrated. E. laidlawi is for the first time documented from the Sim and Indrawati watersheds. The habitats are described and clearly indicated that the sp. is widespread but has a restricted range. The protection of the habitats is essential for its conservation.

To read more: click here

Cite this article as:

Nesemann, H., R.D. Tachamo Shah, D.N. Shah and S. SHARMA, 2011. MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS OF EPIOPHLEBIA LAIDLAWI TILLYARD LARVAE, WITH NOTES ON THE HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPECIES IN NEPAL (“ANISOZYGOPTERA”: EPIOPHLEBIIDAE). Odontologica 40: 191-202.

Development of a macroinvertebrate-based Nepal Lake Biotic Index (NLBI): an applied method for assessing the ecological quality of lakes and reservoirs in Nepal

Abstract: In Nepal, the impairment status of lakes and reservoirs has generally been measured and classified based on nutrient concentrations and physico-chemical parameters, typically with no direct measurement of biological communities. In response to the recent focus on the bioassessment of lakes and reservoirs, the macroinvertebrate-based Nepal Lake Biotic Index (NLBI) has been developed. Benthic samples were collected from reference and impaired lakes during 2006 and 2009 from two ecological zones: Terai-Siwaliks and Mid-Hills. We used a tolerance score based on a ten-point scoring system ranging from very pollution sensitive to very pollution tolerant taxa to calculate the NLBI. In reference to the transformation scale, the calculated NLBI describes the lake water quality as high, good, fair, poor and bad. Candidate metrics of richness measures and tolerance measures discriminated well between the reference and impaired lakes (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.01). The relationships between the biological metrics and the environmental variables were also established with the lake water quality class (LWQC). Further, the validation of the NLBI performance was done by assessing nine lakes/reservoirs from both the zones. Thus, the index presented here provides an effective method to measure the ecological condition of lakes and reservoirs in Nepal.

Keywords: freshwater ecosystem; lakes; reservoir; ecological assessment; lake biotic index; hydrology; Nepal.

Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Shah, R.D.T., Shah, D.N. and Nesemann, H. (2011) ‘Development of a macroinvertebrate-based Nepal Lake Biotic Index (NLBI): an applied method for assessing the ecological quality of lakes and reservoirs in Nepal’, Int. J. Hydrology Science and Technology, Vol. 1, Nos. 1/2, pp.125–146.

Full text here..