An 18-month study (July 2009 – December 2010) was conducted to determine the influence of four dams located in series along the Perak River, in Malaysia: Temengor, Bersia, Kenering and Chenderoh dams. The framework for investigation centered around the Serial Discontinuity Concept (SDC) and the Cascading Reservoir Continuum Concept (CRCC). In addition to reservoir, tailwater and riverine reach characteristics, the interacting influences of tributary streams and watersheds were addressed. Variables included in-situ environmental physical parameters, nutrients, seston concentration and transport, and fish assemblage characteristics. In-situ variables, water and seston samples, were recorded/collected monthly from all four reservoirs, their associated riverine sections, and their primary tributaries. Fish samples were collected by using experimental gill nets in reservoirs. Fish were enumerated taxonomically and total length and weight were measured for the bony-lipped barb, Osteochilus hasselti (Valenciennes, 1842). Hypotheses were tested using analyses of variance with permutations. Relationships were determined using correlation, and multivariate and regression analyses. The integrated influences of discontinuity and cascading on nutrient and seston transport dynamics and fish assemblages (except for relative condition and biomass of O. hasselti) were operative in dynamic juxtaposition along the river’s continuum, and depended on distance between dams and presence and size of tributary streams. However, principal tributaries along the four serial dams in the Perak River appeared to have little spatial influence on their respective system’s nutrient and seston dynamics due to dilution effects of mainstem discharges. Among all tributaries, only the Rui River depicted reversal of the serial discontinuity trend in its system. Even so, its influence on its system was limited. Effects of ecosystem fragmentation along the river’s continuum on in-situ, nutrients and seston transport dynamics, and fish assemblages existed, but not necessarily in line with the SDC nor in line with the CRCC. The dynamics of in-situ, nutrient, seston and fish assemblage parameters were more associated with land use, reservoir surface area and dam discharge. Results from this study generated a hypothesis that submerged woody vegetation in the reservoirs may augment and compensate lost nutrients, thereby minimizing functional impacts of serially-arranged dams.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MSSTATE/oai:scholarsjunction.msstate.edu:td-3952 |
| Date | 11 May 2013 |
| Creators | Hashim, Zarul Hazrin |
| Publisher | Scholars Junction |
| Source Sets | Mississippi State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
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