Community structure of phytoplankton in the surface and thermocline layers of Sangihe and Talaud waters, Indonesia

Sriwijayanti LA, Djumanto, Setiawan RY, Firdaus MR, Fitriya N, Sugeha HY. 2019. Community structure of phytoplankton in the surface and thermocline layers of Sangihe and Talaud waters, Indonesia. Bonorowo Wetlands 9: 51-58. The aim of this study was to determine the species dominance and distribution, and community structure of phytoplankton in the surface and thermocline layers of Sangihe and Talaud waters Indonesia. Phytoplankton samples were collected at the Sangihe-Talaud waters in October 2018 at 14 research stations. Water samples were collected at 5 m (surface) and thermoclines layers using rosette sampler equipped with Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) recorder. Samples were concentrated to 40 ml using hand plankton net (mesh size 20 µm), then preserved with 4% formaldehyde. Phytoplankton species were identified using a guidebook based on morphological character traits. The cell count of each species of plankton was calculated using a Sedgwick rafter counting cell chamber. The result showed that there were 4 classes of phytoplankton (Bacillariophyceae, Dinophyceae, Cyanophyceae, and Raphydophyceae) which consisted of 59 species in the surface and 56 species in the thermocline, respectively. The abundance of phytoplankton at surface ranged from 77,333-4,024,000 cell m-3, meanwhile in the thermocline layer 8,000-542,222 cell m-3. The average of phytoplankton diversity of the surface was 0.82 and the thermocline was 1.71. The surface layer was dominated by Leptocylindrus danicus (8.92 x 106 cell m-3), Trichodesmium erythareum (5.83 x 106 cell m-3), and Detonula converfacea (0.62 x 106 cell m-3). The thermocline layer was dominated by Chaetoceros affinis (2.74 x 105 cell m-3), Thalassionema nitzchioides (2.21 x 105 cell m-3), and Chaertoceros dichaeta (1.38 x 105 cell m-3). The low phytoplankton abundance was found at the stations 12 and 13 caused by higher salinity concentration. The highest phytoplankton abundance was found in the stations with warmer temperatures, both in the surface and in the thermocline. The shallow depth thermocline layer (75-100 m) has a higher abundance than the deeper thermocline layer (110-150 m). Temperature was the environmental parameter that has the greatest influence on the abundance and species of phytoplankton, the phytoplankton in the surface layer reached 10 times more abundant than the thermocline layer.

Fish as bioindicators of habitat degradation in coastal lagoons of Ghana

Eugenia BB, Armah AK, Dankwa HR. 2018. Fish as bioindicators of habitat degradation in coastal lagoons of Ghana. Bonorowo Wetlands 2: 9-26. Lagoons habitat forms an integral part of the marine fishing industry and provides essential spawning and nursery grounds for many fishes. Fish act as biological indicators of water quality and changes by summarizing information regarding their environment. Two lagoons, Laloi and Oyibi in the and Greater Accra and Central Regions of Ghana were studied to determine the ecological status using the Estuarine Fish Community Index (EFCI). Metrics assigned were the species diversity, nursery function, trophic integrity, and species abundance and composition. Water samples were obtained at the riverine, middle, and seaward portions during both high and low tides at each site. Fisherfolks were hired to fish at each of the sites. There are no significant differences between sites as measured by diversity indices. Multivariate analysis showed a considerable similarity between sites regarding species composition. This study identified eighteen species, including both finfish and shellfish. Two most abundant species during the study was the flathead grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) and the black-chinned tilapia (Sarotherodon melanotheron). Mugil cephalus dominated catches in the Laloi lagoon, whereas Sarotherodon melanotheron were dominant in the Oyibi Lagoon. The most dominant species collected for the Laloi lagoon were S. melanotheron, Lutjanus fulgens, and Eucinostomus melanopterus. Caranx hippos, L. fulgens, and M. cephalus constituted a significant part of fishes caught in the Oyibi lagoon. The carangid, Caranx hippos contributed primarily of the biomass of fishes collected for both lagoons. In the rainy season, total fish abundance was higher than the dry season. Chlorophyll-a concentrations and condition factor of S. melanotheron were highest at both lagoons. Total organic carbon was high in the Oyibi lagoon; hence, the high numbers of S. melanotheron recorded. Tides were an essential factor affecting physicochemical parameters. Oyibi displayed a moderate site rating, suggesting that it was under mild stress with some stress factors identified were garbage dumping, defecation, land-use changes, and increased human pressure. Meanwhile, Laloi Lagoon had a poor site rating, suggesting that it was under severe stress. The principal strains identified were overfishing, garbage dumping, mangrove degradation, and increased human settlements along the sides of the lagoon. The multi-metric index described served an effective method which reflects the status of lagoon fish communities and the overall ecosystem conditions.

Inventory of mangroves in Katunggan Coastal Eco-Park, Sultan Kudarat Province, the Philippines

Mangaoang CC, Flores AB. 2019. Inventory of mangroves in Katunggan Coastal Eco-Park, Sultan Kudarat Province, the Philippines. Bonorowo Wetlands 9: 59-64. The coastal wetlands of the Philippines are dominated by mangrove ecosystem and are experiencing different forms of threats particularly anthropogenic activities. The local government unit of Lebak in the Province of Sultan Kudarat and non-government organizations envision of rehabilitating and conserving mangrove forests, but no research has been done. Thus, this study was conducted to document different species of mangrove which will serve as a baseline in developing conservation and rehabilitation strategies. Purposive sampling was done and morphological characteristics of each species were examined for identification. A total of 29 mangrove species belonging to 14 families were identified. Three of which are threatened species including Ceriops zippeliana, Avicennia rumphiana and Camptostemon philippinensis. It was also noted that the local community is aware of the importance of mangroves but not all have concern on the conservation and protection policies being implemented by the government. Despite the decreasing status of Philippine mangroves, local exploitation and anthropogenic pressures, such as aquaculture, are still uncontrolled. Therefore, the presence of threatened species implies that the area needs to be prioritized in terms of conservation and rehabilitation activities with joint effort of both the government and local communities to save and protect this mangrove ecosystem.

Impact assessment of Komadugu-Yobe Basin Wetlands Development Initiative Project on farmers livelihood in Jigawa State, Nigeria

Umar B, Akpoko JG, Musa MW. 2018. Impact assessment of Komadugu-Yobe Basin Wetlands Development Initiative Project on farmers livelihood in Jigawa State, Nigeria. Bonorowo Wetlands 2: 1-8. This study assessed the impact of the Komadugu-Yobe Wetlands Development Initiative project on income, agricultural production, and standard of living of the people. Primary data were obtained by the use of a structured questionnaire that was administered to 456 respondents comprising the project participants and non-participants. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and Chow test were used to analyze the data collected. The findings on the socio-economic variables revealed that the mean age of the participants was 36 years and participants were younger in terms of age distribution, the participants were relatively more educated than the nonparticipants, the participants were also organized in to viable associations under the project, and the average years of farming experience of participants was 15 years while the nonparticipants had about 14 years. It was also found that the majority (85.5) of the participants have not benefitted from credit facilities. The logistic regression analysis shows that the socio-economic characteristics such as age (0.022**), level of education (0.000*), farm size (0.018*), Household size (0.224*), membership of cooperatives (0.022*), and access to credit (0.023**) were the most essential variables that predicted farmer‘s participation in the project. The results of the Chow test show that the F-calculated values on income, crop output, and living standard were higher than the F-tabulated values. It has been concluded that the Komadugu-Yobe Basin Wetlands Development Initiative project had a positive impact on the participants of the project. It is recommended that the project should register more participants as the activities of the project had impacted positively on the lives of the participants, to provide more employment opportunities for the youth in the area. Access to loan happened to be a factor that militates against the enhancement of crop production in the study area. It is recommended that farmers in the study area be linked with financial institutions or government agencies by the project to access loan to boost crop production in the area. Extension activities which play a significant role in extending information to farmers should be revived by the Government as the ratio of an extension agent to farmers is very low, when extension problems are solved, crop production in the area would be enhanced.

Social capital role in the utilization of mangrove ecosystem service for ecotourism on Kutai National Park, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Sulistyorini IS, Poedjirahajoe E, Faida LRW, Purwanto RH. 2018. Social capital role in the utilization of mangrove ecosystem service for ecotourism on Kutai National Park, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Bonorowo Wetlands 2: 61-68. Social capital has an important role in mangrove ecosystem preservation. Changes to mangrove ecosystem services can affect elements of social capital. Ecotourism is one of the alternatives that can be developed in the mangrove area in the National Park. The purpose of the study was to give an overview of the correlation between several elements of social capital in supporting ecotourism in mangrove areas. This study was conducted in five villages in East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan, namely Singa Geweh, Sangkima, Teluk Singkama, Teluk Pandan and Kandolo. There were 530 respondents from the five villages involved as informants or resource persons. The data were analyzed by Sequal Equation Modeling Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) method with SmartPLS. Based on the initial assessment by the scoring method, five social capital, i.e., trust, networking, community involvement, social norm and concern to mangrove had low criteria to support ecotourism in Kutai National Park (KNP) mangrove area. According to SEM-PLS analysis of the social capital variables, community involvement, social norms and trust had negative effect on the ecotourism. Trust and community involvement were relatively low in the four villages (Singa Geweh, Sangkima, Teluk Singkama, and Kandolo). They were associated with social norms. On the other hand, concern to mangrove, education and income levels and networking had positive effect and power to support ecosystem service of mangrove for ecotourism.

Environmental and socioeconomic impact of cage aquaculture at Kpeve Tornu section of the Volta Lake, Ghana

Mensah VF, Yemoh T, Ofori BD. 2018. Environmental and socioeconomic impact of cage aquaculture at Kpeve Tornu section of the Volta Lake. Bonorowo Wetlands 2: 84-95. Sufficient data on the financial viability of cage aquaculture in Ghana is limited, and only little is also known of the effects of fish farming on the Volta Lake on fishing communities. This study, therefore, sought to investigate these relevant issues at Kpeve Tornu, a fishing society in Afadjato South District in the Volta Region. Laboratory analysis of physicochemical parameters suggested that there were no significant differences between water quality parameters from four fish farms and two control locations. A cost-benefit analysis performed on five cages of volume 360 cubic meters each was 1.34 in the first production cycle, whereas a gross margin of 104.41 percent in the second production cycle suggesting that cage aquaculture industry in Ghana was financially viable. The cage aquaculture industry also impacted positively on the livelihoods of the people of Kpeve Tornu in regions of recruitment, poverty alleviation, trade, and food security. Cage fish farm owners did not comply fully with aquaculture rules. Aquaculture rules were effective on fingerlings and aquaculture related chemicals producers, but the rules on fish farmers needed a review because there were no definitions for intensive and semi-intensive fish farming in the aquaculture rules of Ghana.

Short Communication: Diversity of mosquitoes in Central Java, Indonesia that act as new vector in various tropical diseases

Khariri. 2018. Short Communication: Diversity of new mosquitoes in Central Java Province that can act as vector in various tropical diseases. Bonorowo Wetlands 2: 71-74. There are many diseases which are transmitted by mosquitoes as vectors. The presence of mosquitoes is widespread throughout the world including in Indonesia with an estimated 3100 species from 34 genera. Vector control is the main thing to do in addition to treatment in patients. Morphological identification of mosquitoes aims to identify the character and number of species so that it becomes a picture of diversity in an area. Data collection was carried out by collecting data from the 2015 Special Research Report on Vector and Reservoir Diseases (Rikhus Vektora) in Central Java Province. The data obtained were analyzed descriptively. Mosquito samples in Rikhus Vektora in 2015 in Central Java Province were collected from 3 different ecosystems, namely forest (H), non-forest (NH) and beach (P). The location of the ecosystem includes near settlements (DP) and far from settlements (JP). Mosquito samples were successfully identified as many as 29,071 tails consisting of 5 genera and 37 species. From Pekalongan, a sample of mosquitoes consisting of 5 genera and 19 species was obtained. As many as 4 species of mosquitoes are species that have never been identified and reported circulation in Pekalongan. Identification of mosquitoes collected in Purworejo has 5 genera and 23 species. Mosquito samples from Pati were identified as having 5 genera and 22 species.

The potential contribution of peri-urban wetlands to livelihood of local communities in Shinyanga Municipality, Tanzania

Yusuph M, Munishi PKT. 2018. The potential contribution of peri-urban wetlands to the livelihood of local communities in Shinyanga Municipality, Tanzania. Bonorowo Wetlands 2: 75-83. The study took place in Shinyanga Municipality, Tanzania to assess the potential contribution of peri-urban wetlands to the livelihood of nearby communities. The specific objectives were to examine the participation of the suburban wetland ecosystems to natural capital-(food production/food security), evaluate the involvement of periurban wetlands ecosystem to financial capital-(household income) and assess the advantages received by farmer groups/associations formed around the utilization of wetlands (social capital). Information was acquired through households and farmer's group/associations questionnaires, focus group discussion as well as field observations. Data were analyzed by employing descriptive and inferential statistics by applying correlation and t-test. As many as 79.2% of the wetland nearby communities rely on the wetlands for food. The major food crops were paddy, fruits, vegetables, and sweet potatoes. The average production levels of cereals, vegetables and fruits were prominently higher in wetlands compared to uplands. In the case of household income wetland cultivation (paddy, vegetables, maize, and fruits) brought about statistically higher household annual mean income of Tshs 2,335,852/year (US$ 1,168) compared to Tshs 197,475/year (US$ 99) produced by upland cultivation. The results further suggested that 70% of the farmer groups/associations established around wetland utilization accessed loans/credit to support agricultural production as an advantage from being members. Sustainable use of peri-urban wetlands in Shinyanga Municipality produces substantial livelihoods to adjacent communities. Conservation of such wetland ecosystems is indispensable for continued contribution to livelihoods while ensuring environmental protection. Further studies are necessary to unravel the nature of social capital associated with utilization of wetland ecosystems.

Effect of habitat disturbance on distribution and abundance of Papyrus endemic birds in Sio Port Swamp, Western Kenya

Wanyonyi SN, Mwangi EM, Gichuki N. 2018. Effect of habitat disturbance on distribution and abundance of Papyrus endemic birds in Sio Port Swamp, Western Kenya. Bonorowo Wetlands 2: 49-60. Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) swamps are found patchily around the shores of Lake Victoria mainly along river inflows. The objective of this study was to investigate the distinct forms of habitat disturbance and their implications on the distribution and abundance of papyrus endemic birds. Data on bird counts, habitat quality, and types of disturbance were collected for six months, from October 2013 to March 2014. Total bird counts were established using Timed Species Count (TSC) and playback call technique at every fixed point. The researcher waited for 1 minute, calls of the study species were played to elicit a response of the secretive papyrus endemic birds. The number of each bird's species seen or heard within a radius of 25 meters was recorded for the next 9 minutes before transferring to the next point count. Habitat quality such as height, density, and level of maturity was determined in 1 m2 plots along transverse transects. Opportunistic observations were made to establish forms of disturbance present during vegetation and bird surveys. Papyrus endemic birds were highly distributed in sites with pure papyrus (55.58%) than in places with mixed plants (44.42%). The abundance of three endemic birds, White-winged Swamp-warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, and Northern Brown-throated Weaver, was significantly different in mixed and pure papyrus sites. However, the abundance of Greater Swamp-warbler was not significantly different in mixed and pure papyrus sites in Sio Port Swamp during the study period. Forms of habitat disturbance established were vegetation clearing and invasion by terrestrial and aquatic plants. As many as 76.47% of papyrus vegetation were young and regenerated (0-2 m high), 19.65% were immature papyruses (2-4 m) whereas 3.88% were tall mature papyruses (4-6 m high). The abundance of papyrus endemic birds was positively and significantly correlated with the density of vegetation in height ranging from 4-6 m. Thus, any change in papyrus density changed the abundance of papyrus endemic birds. Advance management of papyrus clearing is necessary for the long-term conservation of biodiversity.

Assessing the impacts of climate variability and climate change on biodiversity in Lake Nakuru, Kenya

Wambui MB, Opere A, Githaiga MJ, Karanja FK. 2017. Assessing the impacts of climate variability and climate change on biodiversity in Lake Nakuru, Kenya. Bonorowo Wetlands 1: 13-24. This study evaluates the impacts of the raised water levels and the flooding of Lake Nakuru and its surrounding areas on biodiversity, specifically, the phytoplankton and lesser flamingo communities, due to climate change and climate variability. The study was to review and analyze noticed climatic records from 2000 to 2014. Several methods were used to ascertain the past and current trends of climatic parameters (temperature, rainfall and evaporation), and also the physicochemical characteristics of Lake Nakuru (conductivity, phytoplankton, lesser flamingos and the lake depth). These included time series analysis, and trend analysis, so the Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to show a relationship between the alterations in lake conductivity to alterations in population estimates of the lesser flamingos and the phytoplankton. Data set extracted from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) (IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) Atlas subset) models were subjected to time series analysis method where the future climate scenarios of near surface temperature, rainfall and evaporation were plotted for the period 2017 to 2100 (projection) for RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 relative to the baseline period 1971 to 2000 in Lake Nakuru were analysed. The results were used to evaluate the impact of climate change on the lesser flamingos and phytoplankton abundance. It was noticed that there was a raise in the mean annual rainfall during the study period (2009 to 2014) which brought the increment in the lake’s surface area from a low area of 31.8 km² in January 2010 to a high of 54.7 km² in Sept 2013, indicating an increment of 22.9 km² (71.92% surface area increment). Mean conductivity of the lake also lessened leading to the loss of phytoplankton on which flamingos feed making them to migrate. A strong positive correlation between conductivity and the lesser flamingo population was noticed signifying that low conductivity affects the growth of phytoplankton and since the lesser flamingos depend on the phytoplankton for their feed, this subsequently revealed that the phytoplankton density could be a notable predictor of the lesser flamingo occurrence in Lake Nakuru. There was also a strong positive correlation noticed between phytoplankton and the lesser flamingo population which confirms that feed availability is a key determining factor of the lesser flamingo distribution in the lake. It is projected that there would be an increment in temperatures, rainfall and evaporation for the period 2017 to 2100 under RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 relative to the baseline period 1971 to 2000 obtained from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) multi-model ensemble. As a result, it is expected that the lake will further increment in surface area and depth by the year 2100 due to increased rainfall thereby affecting the populations of the lesser flamingos and phytoplankton, as the physicochemical factors of the lake will alter as well during the projected period.