The Mekong: Biophysical Environment of an International River Basin (Aquatic Ecology)

cOVER......Page 1
Frontmatter......Page 2
Copyright......Page 3
Dedication......Page 4
Preface......Page 5
Significance of the Mekong River......Page 7
Geography and Biological Resources......Page 8
History of the Mekong Basin......Page 10
Managing the Mekong......Page 12
References......Page 16
The Geology of the Lower Mekong River......Page 18
Introduction and Context......Page 116
Perspective......Page 20
Lowland Forest Vegetation in the Lower Mekong Basin......Page 21
Regional Tectonic Context......Page 22
Regional Geological Context of the Lower Mekong Basin......Page 23
The Present and Former Courses of the Upper Mekong River......Page 25
The Modern River: China Border to Vientiane......Page 26
The Modern River: Vientiane to Southern Laos......Page 27
The Modern River: Cambodia to the Delta......Page 28
References......Page 30
Introduction......Page 34
General......Page 36
Alignment of the Headwaters......Page 40
Mekong Schistosomiasis Is Not Limited to the Mekong River......Page 42
Integration of the Drainage Net......Page 44
Landforms in the Mekong Basin......Page 45
Phosphorus (Eutrophication)......Page 307
Mountains of Northern Lao PDR and Thailand......Page 47
Mekong Lowland......Page 49
Korat Upland......Page 50
The Delta......Page 51
Basin Geomorphic Processes and the River......Page 52
Acknowledgments......Page 54
References......Page 334
Introduction......Page 57
The General Hydrology of the Mekong Basin......Page 58
Flooding in the Mekong River......Page 61
The Global Context of Mekong River Hydrology......Page 65
Average Annual Discharge on the Mekong: A Global Comparison......Page 66
Flooding on the Mekong: A Global Comparison......Page 67
Historical Changes in Hydrology......Page 70
Effects of Deforestation......Page 71
Effects of Hydropower Dams......Page 73
Lao Wetlands......Page 155
Climate Change and the Monsoon......Page 76
Hydrological Change in the Mekong River: A Summary......Page 77
The Challenge of Management......Page 410
References......Page 78
Introduction......Page 81
Physiography and Geology......Page 82
The Proto-Mekong River......Page 85
Fish Species Diversity and Endemism......Page 166
Zone 2: Bedrock Single-Thread Channel: Chiang Saen to Vientiane......Page 86
Zone 3: Alluvial Single-Thread or Divided Channel: Vientiane to Mun River Confluence......Page 89
Zone 4: Bedrock Anastomosed Channels......Page 92
Zone 5: Alluvial Meandering/Anastomosed Channels......Page 94
Zone 5: Tonlé Sap Lake and River System......Page 95
Zone 6: Alluvial Deltaic Channels......Page 97
Riverine Wetlands......Page 99
Soil Erosion and Delivery to the River System......Page 102
Planform Adjustments and Bank Stability of the Mekong River......Page 103
Long-Term Variations in Water Levels......Page 349
Sediment Load and Sedimentation......Page 106
References......Page 110
Historical Perspective......Page 201
The Availability and Reliability of Sediment Data for the Mekong......Page 120
Key Features of the Sediment Regime of the Mekong River......Page 128
Water Quality Data......Page 302
Intraannual Variability in Sediment Transport......Page 132
The Nature of the Suspended Sediment Load......Page 135
Changes in the Lake and Floodplain......Page 136
The Changing Sediment Load of the Lower Mekong River......Page 140
Conclusion......Page 143
Management of Tonle Sap Lake......Page 144
Vegetation in the Mekong Basin......Page 146
Introducton......Page 200
Forest Vegetation of the Upper Mekong Basin......Page 147
Semievergreen Forest......Page 149
Hydropower Development......Page 340
Discussion......Page 152
Lower Montane Forests......Page 153
Montane Conifer Forests......Page 154
Tonle Sap Wetlands......Page 156
Gallery Forests and Riverine Wetlands......Page 158
Habitats and Yield......Page 214
Land-Use Dynamics in the Mekong Watershed......Page 160
References......Page 161
Fish Diversity in the Mekong River Basin......Page 164
General......Page 165
Diversity and Fishing Pressure......Page 204
Mekong Mainstream and Major Tributaries......Page 170
Estuary......Page 171
Individual Tributary Basins......Page 172
The Critically Endangered Status of the Mekong Dolphin Population......Page 174
Floodplains and Other Wetlands......Page 175
Spatial Variation......Page 176
Reservoirs......Page 177
White Fish......Page 178
Gray Fish......Page 180
Feeding Guilds......Page 181
Genetic Diversity......Page 182
Research......Page 183
Socioeconomic Value of Fish Biodiversity......Page 184
Major Drivers of Biodiversity Loss......Page 186
Navigation......Page 187
Agricultural Development......Page 188
Industry......Page 189
Aquaculture and Culture-Based Fisheries Enhancements......Page 190
Fishing......Page 191
Climate Change......Page 192
Basin Planning to Sustain Ecosystem Services......Page 193
Protecting Endangered Species......Page 194
Migrations......Page 205
Participation......Page 206
Fishing Gears and Methods......Page 207
An Australian Origin for the Asian Pomatiopsidae?......Page 208
Fisheries in the Real Economy......Page 209
LMB Fisheries Yield......Page 210
The Value of LMB Fisheries......Page 212
The Value of Associated Industries......Page 213
Acknowledgments......Page 309
Lowland River-Floodplain Systems and Their Ecology......Page 215
Yield from Floodplain-River Systems......Page 219
The MRC and Mekong Management......Page 412
Rice Fields and Associated Habitats......Page 220
Reservoir Fisheries......Page 222
Water Quality......Page 225
Assessing the Impacts of Dams......Page 228
Mekong Delta and Estuary......Page 230
Upland Fisheries......Page 232
Fisheries in the Upper Mekong Basin in China......Page 234
Aquaculture......Page 237
Aquaculture Yield......Page 239
Management of Fisheries......Page 240
Conclusions......Page 242
Acknowledgments......Page 243
Tonle Sap Lake, the Heart of the Lower Mekong......Page 253
Introduction......Page 389
Overview......Page 336
Climate......Page 337
Where Did Schistosoma mekongi Come from?......Page 257
Limnology of Tonle Sap Lake......Page 259
Fisheries in Tonle Sap Lake......Page 261
Threats to the Lake......Page 264
Changes in the Mekong Basin......Page 266
Global Changes......Page 269
References......Page 271
Mekong Schistosomiasis: Where Did It Come from and Where Is It Going?......Page 275
Mekong Schistosomiasis: A Persistent Public Health Problem......Page 276
The Origin of the Schistosoma japonicum Group......Page 281
The Origins of the Mekong Schistosome: In Yunnan or in Hunan?......Page 286
Historical Biogeography and Demographic History of Neotricula aperta......Page 290
The Distribution of S. mekongi Does not Appear to be Limited by Ecology: Implications for Control Strategies......Page 292
Summary of the Public Health Implications and Directions for Future Work......Page 293
References......Page 294
Introduction......Page 298
Lower Mekong Basin......Page 300
Acknowledgments......Page 400
Existing Dolphin-Watching Tourism......Page 368
Evaluation of the Program......Page 308
Aquatic Life......Page 310
Water Supply for Agricultural Use......Page 311
Nitrogen......Page 312
Human Impact......Page 313
Recommendations......Page 314
PCBs......Page 315
PAHs (Sediment)......Page 316
Toxicity Assessment (Bioassay)......Page 317
Conclusions......Page 318
Acknowledgments and Disclaimer......Page 320
The Development and Application of Biomonitoring in the Lower Mekong River System......Page 322
Poverty Alleviation and Development......Page 404
Design of the Sampling Program......Page 326
Mentoring and Project Development......Page 329
Results......Page 330
Evaluation of the River......Page 331
Evaluation of the Approach......Page 332
Water Resource......Page 338
Data and Methods......Page 343
River System and Runoff Supplement......Page 344
Temporal Variation......Page 345
Runoff and Water Level......Page 348
Influences of Cascade Hydropower Development......Page 350
Information and Technical Capacity......Page 411
Simulating the Influences of Different Cascade Dams......Page 352
Sediment Responses to Mainstream Hydropower Development......Page 354
Trends......Page 358
Influences of Dam Construction......Page 360
References......Page 361
Conserving Dolphins in the Mekong River: The Complex
Challenge of Competing Interests......Page 364
Historical Accounts of Irrawady Dolphins in the Mekong River......Page 367
Dolphin Distribution and Ranging Patterns......Page 369
A Critically Small Population......Page 370
Social Structure......Page 371
Unsustainable Dolphin Mortalities......Page 372
MDCP Conservation Initiatives......Page 374
Dolphins for Development ICDP......Page 377
The Economic, Political, and Social Complexities of Mekong Dolphin Conservation......Page 378
Dam Construction......Page 379
Dolphin-Watching Tourism: A Case Study of Economic Interests Influencing Conservation......Page 380
The Potential for Sustainable Conservation......Page 382
Conclusions......Page 383
Acknowledgments......Page 384
References......Page 385
Modeling Development Impacts......Page 392
Mekong Development Scenarios......Page 393
Predicted Hydrological Consequences of Development......Page 395
Consequences of Hydrological Changes......Page 398
References......Page 401
Introduction......Page 403
Fishery......Page 406
Floodplain Alienation......Page 407
Water Quality......Page 408
Navigation......Page 409
Source of Information and Technical Capacity?......Page 413
Promoting Information Sharing......Page 414
Developing Stakeholder Cooperation......Page 415
Acknowledgments......Page 416
References......Page 417
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W......Page 430
Y......Page 431