|
There are many
articles written on Brahmaputra; Here is an abstract of a recent
article by Sanchita Boruah of Dibrugarh Universty.
Rajen Barua
Sanchita Boruah1  and S.P. Biswas1
| (1) |
Department of Life Sciences, Dibrugarh
University, Assam, 786 004, India |
Abstract The Brahmaputra changes its
course and pattern along with its current flow very frequently especially in its
upper stretches and this has a strong bearing on its hydrobiology. The
hydro-geological pattern of the Brahmaputra has resulted in a possible zonation
of the river into five major types of fish habitat. Altogether 167 fish species
have been recorded from the upper Brahmaputra of which about 30 percent may be
considered as ornamental varieties. Again, according to their seasonal
availability, the fish fauna has been grouped into four principal categories.
Among all the hydrological factors, flood impulse is probably the strongest
factor that regulates other limnological conditions and faunal distribution.
Usually, there are three or four high floods between May and October and fish
migration is intimately related to this flood regime. During the dry season
fishing is mostly restricted to near the confluents of tributaries or channels
and also at river meanders. However, large-scale felling of trees in the
catchment areas and construction of embankments along the river banks have
altered the riverine ecosystem drastically, as a result of which, the river has
become heavily silted and the connecting channels of the floodplain lakes are
also dammed. Consequently, fishes and other megafauna are deprived of adequate
water cover, food supply and breeding grounds. An ecohydrological approach has
been advocated for habitat restoration.
ecohydrology - River
Brahmaputra - fish assemblage - habitat
distribution - flood
regime
|
_______________________________________________
assam mailing list
assam@assamnet.org
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
