Biodiversity of Plankton Communities in Inland Waters along the Tenasserim Range, Southern Thailand

Abstract

Freshwater plankton diversity and environmental parameters were investigated along the Tenasserim Range in May 2007 and 2008. This area is recognized as the backbone of Thailand because it extends from the northern to the southern border of Thailand and Myanmar. Twenty-nine sampling stations were established in 14 inland waters, which were composed of 8 rivers, 5 reservoirs and 1 wetland in Phet Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chumphon provinces. The plankton samples were collected using a filtering technique and a 20 μm plankton mesh net. In total, 161 species of phytoplankton, 84 species of zooplankton and 4 larval stages were found. The dominant phytoplankton species, measured in terms of the frequency of occurrence, were: Oscillatoria sp., Synedra ulna, Eudorina elegans, Aulacoseira granulata, Gyrosigma spencerii, Navicula sp. and Peridiopsis sp. Moreover, three species of zooplankton (Difflugia lebes, Polyarthra sp. and Arcella vulgaris) and two larval stages (copepod nauplius and copepodid larvae) were abundant in this study. The results revealed the specific species composition of the plankton communities between the river and reservoir ecosystems and indicated that these communities could potentially provide support for pelagic production. Further investigation of the annual cycle of the plankton community is required for the development of a biodiversity conservation plan in the future.