Effects of water quality in oil palm production landscapes on tropical waterbirds in Peninsular Malaysia

摘要: Oil palm expansion is a major driver of habitat loss in the tropics. Although number studies have evaluated consequences for terrestrial biodiversity, effects on wetland habitats and fauna are less well described. This study aims to determine conservation value flood-control drainage channels oil smallholdings waterbirds. We also measured water quality (water temperature; pH; dissolved oxygen, DO; total solids, TDS; salinity; depth; conductivity; turbidity) characteristics (vegetation cover channel width) relationship between waterbird species richness, quality, characteristics. Birds were surveyed along 25 line transects within peat swamp- mangrove-converted smallholdings. Data collected seven March December 2013. recorded 1111 waterbirds from eight resident species. Both mangrove forest- swamp-converted had similar diversity. Waterbird richness increased with increasing DO decreased depth, temperature, conductivity. The most parsimonious predictive model (minimum quasi Akaike information criterion = 476.48) explained 52.39 % variation richness. Our data indicate that even man-made aquatic habitats, such as channels, can be important some However, considering relatively small increase successful strategy conserving will require protection intact wetlands supported by better management