Sains Malaysiana 43(5)(2014): 667–674

Seasonal Abundance and Diversity of Aquatic Insects in Rivers in Gunung Jerai

Forest Reserve, Malaysia

(Kelimpahan Bermusim dan Kepelbagaian Serangga Akuatik di Sungai-Sungai di Hutan Simpan Gunung Jerai, Malaysia)

SUHAILA A.H.*, CHE SALMAH M.R. & NURUL HUDA A.

School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia

Diserahkan: 6 Disember 2012/Diterima: 9 September 2013

ABSTRACT

Seasonal changes in Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) community was studied at rivers in Gunung Jerai Forest Reserve, Kedah, Malaysia. The rivers were visited monthly from September 2007 to August 2008 to sample aquatic insects using D-pond nets. More EPT were found in the wet season (10664 individuals) compared with the dry season (6599 individuals). In all rivers, ephemeropteran populations was highest during the wet season (z=-2.465, p=0.014). Meanwhile, the plecopteran population was low and almost constant throughout seasons in all rivers (z=-2.280, p=0.023). Trichopterans exhibited the highest peak of abundance in the dry season (z=-6.096, p=0.00). Concomitantly, higher diversity was recorded in the dry season (29 taxa) compared with 25 taxa recorded in wet season from all rivers. Tupah River had the most diverse EPT assemblage during the dry season. In wet season, the abundance of ephemeropterans genera such as Baetis, Platybaetis, Campsoneuria and Thalerosphyrus increased tremendously especially in Teroi River.

Keywords: EPT; seasonal fluctuation; temporal distribution

ABSTRAK

Kelimpahan bermusim bagi komuniti Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera dan Trichoptera (EPT) telah dikaji di sungai-sungai di Hutan Simpan Gunung Jerai, Kedah, Malaysia. Sungai yang dipilih telah dilawati setiap bulan dari September 2007 hingga Ogos 2008 untuk menyampel serangga akuatik menggunakan jaring akuatik berbentuk D. Lebih banyak EPT ditemui pada musim hujan (10664 individu) berbanding pada musim kering (6599 individu). Di dalam semua sungai, bilangan Ephemeroptera adalah tertinggi semasa musim hujan (z=-2,465, p=0,014). Sementara itu, bilangan Plecoptera adalah rendah dan hampir malar sepanjang musim di semua sungai (z=-2,280, p=0,023). Trichoptera menunjukkan bilangan tertinggi pada musim kering (z=-6,096, p=0.00). Kepelbagaian spesies yang lebih tinggi dicatatkan pada musim kemarau (29 taksa) berbanding hanya 25 taksa yang dicatatkan pada musim hujan di semua sungai. Sungai Tupah mempunyai himpunan EPT yang pelbagai semasa musim kering. Pada musim hujan, terdapat banyak genus Ephemeroptera seperti Baetis, Platybaetis, Campsoneuria dan Thalerosphyrus dengan bilangan yang meningkat terutamanya di Sungai Teroi.

Kata kunci: EPT; fluktuasi bermusim; kelimpahan mengikut masa

RUJUKAN

Álvarez-Cabria, M., Barquin, J. & Antonio, J.J. 2010. Spatial and seasonal variability of macroinvertebrate metrics: Do macroinvertebrate communities track river health?. Ecological Indicators 10: 370-379.

Ameilia, Z.S. 2000. Komposisi dan Kepelbagaian Serangga Akuatik di 16 sungai di Lembangan Sungai Kerian (LSK) dan Kaitannya terhadap Kualiti Air Sungai., MSc. thesis. Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang (Unpublished).

Bishop, J.E. 1973. Limnology of small Malayan river, Sungai Gombak. The Hague. Netherlands: Dr Junk W. Publishers.

Bispo, P.C. & Oliveira, L.G. 2007. Diversity and structure of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (Insecta) assemblages from riffles in mountain streams of Central Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 24: 283-293.

Bispo, P.C., Oliveira, L.G., Bini, L.M. & Sausa, K.G. 2006. Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera assemblages from riffles in mountain streams of central Brazil: Environmental factors influencing the distribution and abundance of immatures. Brazilian Journal of Biology 66: 611-622.

Bispo, P.C., Oliveira, L.G., Crisci-Bispo, V.L. & Sousa, K.G. 2004. Environmental factors influencing distribution and abundance of trichopterans in Central Brazilian mountain streams. Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 39: 233-237.

Bright, G.R. 1982. Secondary benthic production in a tropical island stream. Limnology Oceanography 27: 472-480.

Brittain, J.E. 2008. Mayflies, biodiversity and climate change. In The International Advances in the Ecology, Zoogeography and Systematics of Mayflies and Stoneflies, edited by Hauer, F.R., Stanford, J.A. & Newell, R.L. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California. University of California Press. DOI:10.1525/california/9780520098688.003.0001.

Buss, D.F., Baptista, D.F., Nessimian, J.L. & Egler, M. 2004. Substrate specificity, environmental degradation and disturbance structuring macroinvertebrate assemblages in neotropical streams. Hydrobiologia 518: 179-188.

Che Salmah, M.R., Amelia, Z.S. & Abu Hassan, A. 2001. Preliminary distribution of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) in Kerian River Basin, Perak, Malaysia. Pertanika Journal Tropical Agriculture and Science 24: 101-107.

Dahlgren, R., van Nieuwenhuyse, E. & Litton, G. 2004. Transparency tube provides reliable water quality measurements. California Agriculture 58: 149-153.

Denlinger, D.L. 1980. Seasonal and annual variation of insect abundance in the Nairobi National Park, Kenya. Biotropica 12: 100-106.

Dudgeon, D. 1997. Life histories, secondary production and microdistribution of hydropsychid caddisflies (Trichoptera) in a tropical forest stream. Journal of Zoology 243: 191-210.

Dudgeon, D. 2008. Tropical Stream Ecology. California: Elsevier Inc.

Edmunds, G.F. 1972. Biogeography and evolution of Ephemeroptera. Annual Review of Entomology 17: 21-42.

Feminella, J.W. & Hawkins, C.P. 1995. Interactions between stream herbivores and periphyton: A quantitative analysis of past experiments. Journal of North American Benthological Society 14: 465-509.

Fjellheim, A., Harvardstun, J. & Raddum, G.G. 1993. Effects of increased discharge on benthic invertebrates in a regulated river. River Research and Applications 8: 179-187.

Flannagan, J.F., Cobb, D.G. & Friesen, M.K. 1990. The relationship between some physical factors and mayflies emerging from South Duck River and Cowan Creek, Manitoba. In Mayflies and Stoneflies, edited by Campbell, I.C. Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Flecker, A.S. & Feifarek, B. 1994. Disturbance and temporal variability of invertebrate assemblages in two Andean streams. Freshwater Biology 31: 131-142.

Flint, O.S. 1991. Studies of neotropical caddisflies, XLV: The taxonomy, phenology and faunistics of the Trichoptera of Antioquia, Colombia. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 52: 1-113.

Gopal, B. 2002. Conserving biodiversity in Asian wetlands: issues and approaches. In The Asian Wetlands: Bringing Partnerships into Good Wetland Practices, edited by Ali Ahyaudin, Che Salmah Md Rawi, Mashhor Mansor, Reiko Nakamura, Sundari Ramakrishna & Taej Mundkur. Pulau Pinang, Malaysia: Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Hawkins, C.P. & Sedell, J.R. 1981. Longitudinal and seasonal-changes in functional-organization of macroinvertebrate communities in 4 Oregon streams. Ecology 62: 387-397.

Hynes, H.B.N. 1976. Biology of Plecoptera. Annual Review of Entomology 21: 135-153.

Hynes, H.B.N. 1970. The Ecology of Running Waters. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press.

Jacobsen, D. & Encalada, A. 1998. The macroinvertebrate fauna of Ecuadorian high-land streams in wet and dry season. Archives fur Hydrobiology 142: 53-70.

Jongkar ak Grinang. 2000. Kepelbagaian serangga akuatik di sungai-sungai kawasan hutan tadahan empangan Temenggor, Perak. MSc Tesis. Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang. (Unpublished).

Konrad, C.P., Brasher, A.M.D. & May, T. 2008. Assessing streamflow characteristics as limiting factors on benthic invertebrate assemblages in streams across the western United States. Freshwater Biology 53: 1983-1998.

McCormick, P.V. 1996. Resource competition and species coexistence in freshwater algal assemblages. In Algal Ecology–Freshwater Benthic Ecosystems, edited by Stevenson, R.J., Bothwell, M.L. & Lowe, R.L. New York: Academic Press.

Merritt, R.W., Cummins, K.W. & Berg, M.B. 2008. An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America. 4th ed. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.

Oliveira, L.G. & Froehlich, C.G. 1997. The Trichoptera (Insecta) fauna of a Cerrado stream in Southeastern Brazil. Naturalia 22: 183-197.

Owen, D.F. & Owen, J. 1974. Species diversity in temperate and tropical Ichneumonidae. Nature 249: 583-584.

Payne, A.I. 1986. The Ecology of Tropical Lakes and Rivers. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons.

Rami´rez, A. & Pringle, C.M. 2001. Spatial and temporal patterns of invertebrate drift in streams draining a Neotropical landscape. Freshwater Biology 46: 47–62.

Rice, S.P. & Greenwood, M.T. 2001. Macroinvertebrate community changes at coarse sediment recruitment points along two gravel bed rivers. Water Resources Research 37: 2793-2803.

Robinson, C.T. & Minshall, G.W. 1986. Effects of disturbance frequency on stream benthic community structure in relation to canopy cover and season. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 5: 237-248.

Scarsbrook, M.R. & Townsend, C.R. 1993. Stream community structure in relation to spatial and temporal variation: A habitat template study of two contrasting New Zealand streams. Freshwater Biology 29: 395-410.

Scrimgeour, G.J. & Winterbourn, M.J. 1989. Effects of floods on epilithon and benthic macroinvertebrate populations in an unstable New Zealand river. Hydrobiologia 171: 33-44.

Silveira, M.P., Buss, D.F., Nessimian, J.L. & Baptista, D.F. 2006. Spatial and temporal distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates in a southeastern Brazilian River. Brazilian Journal of Biology 66: 623-632.

Suhaila Abdul Hamid, Che Salmah, M.R., Hamady, D., Abu Hassan, A., Tomomitsu, S., Fumio, M. & Michael, B. 2011. Seasonal changes in mayfly communities and abundance in relation to water physico-chemistry in two rivers at different elevations in northern Malaysia. Wetland Science 9(3): 240-250.

Suhaila, A.H. & Che Salmah, M.R. 2010. Influence of substrate, embeddedness and canopy cover on the abundance and diversity of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) in tropical rivers. Aquatic Insects 33: 281-292.

Suren, A.M. & Jowett, I.G. 2006. Effects of floods versus low flows on invertebrates in a New Zealand gravel-bed river. Freshwater Biology 51: 2207-2227.

Van Schaik, C.P.V., Terborgh, J.W. & Wright, S.J. 1993. The phenology of tropical forests: Adaptative significance and consequences for primary consumers. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 24: 353-377.

Wolda, H. & Flowers, W. 1985. Seasonality and diversity of mayfly adults (Ephemeroptera) in a ‘non-seasonal’ tropical environment. Biotropica 17: 330-335.

Wolda, H. 1979. Seasonality parameters for insect populations. Research Population and Ecology 20: 247-256.

Wolda, H. 1978. Seasonal fluctuations in rainfall, food and abundance of tropical insects. Journal of Animal Ecology 47: 369-381.

*Pengarang untuk surat-menyurat; email: ahsuhaila@usm.my