RIVER ECOLOGICAL STUDY: BUILDING THE KNOWLEDGE BASE FOR VARIETY OF ASSESSMENTS SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE IN NEPAL
Main Article Content
Abstract
Climate change is now universally acknowledged to be taking place across the globe. It is generally presumed that the impacts of climate change would be more severe in the country like Nepal due to its location, physiography, poverty and lack of preparedness to cope with the changes. The last reason is mainly associated with knowledge, information and ability to use technologies based on science.
The main objective of this research is to analyze and evaluate the effects of climate change by taking fish as an indicator. However, an even more important outcome is to prepare a solid foundation of fish-based information, which could be used in the future as a reference for a variety of purposes including the study of climate change. Two sets of examples, one in the tributaries of a glacial river and another in the tributary of a rain -fed river are compared in terms of fish ecological attributes to test for effects of climate change. In addition to fish-based information, this research also studies physico-chemical parameters and benthic fauna so as to build up an ecological profile of the rivers.
Article Details
How to Cite
JHA, B. R. et al.
RIVER ECOLOGICAL STUDY: BUILDING THE KNOWLEDGE BASE FOR VARIETY OF ASSESSMENTS SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE IN NEPAL.
Journal of Mountain Area Research, [S.l.], v. 1, p. 28-39, aug. 2016.
ISSN 2518-850X.
Available at: <https://journal.kiu.edu.pk/index.php/JMAR/article/view/10>. Date accessed: 18 apr. 2024.
doi: https://doi.org/10.53874/jmar.v1i0.10.
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Miscellaneous
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Papers accepted for publication become copyright of the Editorial Office, Journal of Mountain Area Research, Karakoram International University Gilgit, Gilgit-15100, Pakistan and authors will be asked to sign a copyright transfer agreement. Articles cannot be published until a signed copyright transfer agreement form has been received.
The work published in this journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
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F.S. Beamish, & S. Tongunui, Habitat characteristics of the Cyprinidae in small rivers in Central Thailand. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 76 (2006) 237-253.
J. Shrestha, D. Singh, T. Saund, Fish diversity of Tamor River and its major tributaries of Eastern Himalayan Region of Nepal. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology, 10 (2009) 219-223.
H. Das and A Dutta, Effects of industrial effluents on ecology of a wetland of Nalbari District, Assam with special reference to Ichthyofauna, An International Quarterly Journal of Environmental Sciences, 1 (2012) 147-153.
R. Roy, M. Bahadur, S. Barat, Comparative study of antibiotic resistance profile of Enterebacteriaceae bacterial isolates from the gut of intestinal air-breathing fish, Lephidocephalichthys guntea and its habitat, International Journal of Science and Research, 4 (2013) 2565-2569.
T. Crail, J. Gottgens, A. Krause, Fish community response to evolving channel complexity in an agricultural headwater system. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 66 (2011) 295-302.
D. Infante, J, Allan, S. Linke, Relationship of fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages to environmental factors: Implications for community concordance, Hydrobiologia, 623 (2009) 87-103.
H. Nesemann and S. Sharma, Distribution of aquatic Molluscs (Gastropoda, Bivalvia) in Nepal. Poll Res., 24 (2005) 839-842
P. Sharma, Effects of multiple stressors influencing River Andhi Khola and the response of macroinvertebrates Ph. D. Thesis, Kathmandu University, Nepal (2014).
A. B. Shrestha, C.P. Wake, P.A. Mayewski, and J.E. Dibb. Maximum temperature Trends in the Himalaya and its vicinity: An analysis based on Temperature Records from Nepal for the Period of 1971-94. Journal of Climate. American Meteorological Society, 12 (1999) 2775-2786.
S. Khanal, Effects of Human Disturbances in Nepalese Rivers on the Benthic Invertebrate Fauna .Ph.D. Thesis, University of Agricultural Sciences (BOKU). Vienna, Austria, (2001)
K.G. Rajbanshi, A general bibliography on fish and fisheries of Nepal, Royal Nepal Academy, (1982).
K.G Rajbanshi, Zoogeographical distribution and the status of cold water fishes of Nepal, Proceeding of symposium on cold water fish
species in the Trans-Himalayan region, Kathmandu, Nepal (2001).
P.K. Talwar and A.G. Jhingran, Inland fishes of India and adjacent countries, vol. 1, Oxford and IBH Publishing Company Pvt. Ltd.,
(1991)
T.K. Shrestha. Resource ecology of the Himalayan waters, Curriculum Development Center, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal, (1990)
J. Shrestha, Fishes, fishing implements and methods of Nepal, Smt. M.D. Gupta, Lalitpur colony, Lashkar (Gwalior), India, (1994).
J. Shrestha, Coldwater fish and fisheries in Nepal. In Petr, T. (Eds),: Fish and fisheries at higher altitudes. Asia. FAO Fish. Tech. Pap. No. 385. FAO, Rome, (1999) 13-40.
D.B. Swar, The status of cold water fish and fisheries in Nepal and prospects of their utilization for poverty reduction, Directorate of fisheries development, Central fisheries building, Balaju, Kathmandu, Nepal, (2001).
J. Shrestha, Taxonomic revision of fishes of Nepal, in Jha P.K. et al., (Ed.), Environment and Agriculture: Biodiversity, Agriculture and Pollution in South Asia, p171-180, Ecological Society (ECOS), Kathmandu, Nepal (2001).
B. R. Jha, Fish ecological studies and its application in assessing ecological integrity of rivers in Nepal. Ph. D. Thesis, Kathmandu University, Nepal. Agricultural University (BOKU), Vienna, Austria, (2006).
M. Wipfli, J. Richardson, R. Naiman, Ecological linkages between headwaters and downstream ecosystems: Transport of organic matter, invertebrates, and wood down headwater channels. American Water Resources Association, 43 (2007) 72-85.
L. Silveri, Plecoptera in Trentino: Distribution and Ecology. Ph.D. thesis, University of Parma. Italy, (2008)
J. Meyer, D. Strayer, J. Wallace, S. Eggert, G. Helfman, N. Leonard, The contribution of headwater streams to biodiversity in river networks. American Water Resources Association, 43 (2007) 86-103.
D. Jacobsen, A. Milner, L. Brown, O. Dangles, Biodiversity under threat in glacier-fed river systems, Nature Climate Change, 2 (2012) 361-364.
M. Callanan, J. Baars, M. Kelly-Quinn, Macroinvertebrate communities of Irish headwater streams: contribution to catchment biodiversity. Biology And Environment: Proceedings Of The Royal Irish Academy, 114B (2014) 143-162.
R. Tachamo-Shah, S. Sharma, P. Hasse, S. Jahnig, S. Pauls, The climate sensitive zone along an altitudinal gradient in central Himalayan rivers: A useful concept to monitor climate change impacts in mountain regions. Climate Change, 132 (2015) 265-278.
R. Storey, S. Parkyn, M, Neale, T. Wilding, G, Croker, Biodiversity values of small headwater streams in contrasting land uses in the Auckland region. New Zealand Journal Of Marine And Freshwater Research, 45 (2011) 231-248.
J. Olafsson, G. Gislason, H. Aoalsteinsson, Icelandic running waters; anthropological impact and their ecological status. TemaNord, 266 (2002) 86-88.
C.M. Sharma and B.R. Jha, Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Fish Assemblage in Indrawati Sub-Basin. WWF, Nepal (Agreement # WL47) (2012).
F. Day, Fishes of India being a natural history of the fishes known to inhabit the seas and freshwaters of India, Burma and Ceylon, Vols. I and II. Today and Tomorrow book Agency, New Delhi. (1878).
K.C Jayaram, The Fresh Water Fishes of Indian Region. Narendra Publishing House, Delhi, India (1999).
M. Barbour, J. Gerritsen, B. Snyder, J. Stribling, Rapid Bioassessment Protocols for Use in Streams and Wadeable Rivers: Periphyton, Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Fish. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water (1999).
R. Merritt and W. Cummins, An introduction to the aquatic insects of North America. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt (1996).
G. Wolfman, I. Sivec, A. Schmidt-Klobe, Key to Plecoptera. Regional Capacity Building Workshop on Macroinvertebrates’ Taxonomy and Systematics for evaluating the Ecological Status of Rivers in the Hindukush-Himalayan (HKH) Region, 29th August to 9th September,2006, Kathmandu University, Nepal (2006).
A. Hartmann, Field Key for selected benthic invertebrates from HKH Region. Draft version. February 2007. Trichoptera (2007).
F.S. Beamish, & S. Tongunui, Habitat characteristics of the Cyprinidae in small rivers in Central Thailand. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 76 (2006) 237-253.
J. Shrestha, D. Singh, T. Saund, Fish diversity of Tamor River and its major tributaries of Eastern Himalayan Region of Nepal. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology, 10 (2009) 219-223.
H. Das and A Dutta, Effects of industrial effluents on ecology of a wetland of Nalbari District, Assam with special reference to Ichthyofauna, An International Quarterly Journal of Environmental Sciences, 1 (2012) 147-153.
R. Roy, M. Bahadur, S. Barat, Comparative study of antibiotic resistance profile of Enterebacteriaceae bacterial isolates from the gut of intestinal air-breathing fish, Lephidocephalichthys guntea and its habitat, International Journal of Science and Research, 4 (2013) 2565-2569.
T. Crail, J. Gottgens, A. Krause, Fish community response to evolving channel complexity in an agricultural headwater system. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 66 (2011) 295-302.
D. Infante, J, Allan, S. Linke, Relationship of fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages to environmental factors: Implications for community concordance, Hydrobiologia, 623 (2009) 87-103.
H. Nesemann and S. Sharma, Distribution of aquatic Molluscs (Gastropoda, Bivalvia) in Nepal. Poll Res., 24 (2005) 839-842
P. Sharma, Effects of multiple stressors influencing River Andhi Khola and the response of macroinvertebrates Ph. D. Thesis, Kathmandu University, Nepal (2014).