Individual Presentation or Panel Title
Morphology and Niche Partitioning of Fish Assemblage in the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve: A Case Study of the Prek Toal Core Area
Abstract
A morphological approach provides vital information on community structure and ecological adjustments among different species that occupy the same habitat. The coexistence of competing species in a diverse community results in niche partitioning in order to increase stabilization. Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve, one of the world’s most productive inland wetlands, is a tropical river ecosystem so dynamic that it supports high biodiversity, especially fish population. This study tests the relationship between morphology and niche partitioning to understand the coexistence of diverse fish assemblages in the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve. Base on 31 morphological variables and ecological data from 27 fish species, this study applies principal component analysis and cluster analysis to examine the influence of morphology on the ecological niches of the fish assemblage. The results of the study demonstrate that the diversifications in morphological characters directly determine niche partitioning of the fish assemblage in the Prek Toal core area of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve.
Location
Moody Lobby
Start Date
30-4-2016 3:30 PM
End Date
30-4-2016 4:20 PM
Keywords
ecomorphology, morphometrics, multivariate analysis, niche partitioning
Morphology and Niche Partitioning of Fish Assemblage in the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve: A Case Study of the Prek Toal Core Area
Moody Lobby
A morphological approach provides vital information on community structure and ecological adjustments among different species that occupy the same habitat. The coexistence of competing species in a diverse community results in niche partitioning in order to increase stabilization. Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve, one of the world’s most productive inland wetlands, is a tropical river ecosystem so dynamic that it supports high biodiversity, especially fish population. This study tests the relationship between morphology and niche partitioning to understand the coexistence of diverse fish assemblages in the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve. Base on 31 morphological variables and ecological data from 27 fish species, this study applies principal component analysis and cluster analysis to examine the influence of morphology on the ecological niches of the fish assemblage. The results of the study demonstrate that the diversifications in morphological characters directly determine niche partitioning of the fish assemblage in the Prek Toal core area of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve.