Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand.
Ambio. 2013 Nov;42(7):864-76. doi: 10.1007/s13280-013-0424-4. Epub 2013 Jul 23.
The Tonle Sap is the largest wetland in Southeast Asia and one of the world's most productive inland fisheries. The Mekong River inundates the Tonle Sap every year, shaping a mosaic of natural and agricultural habitats. Ongoing hydropower development, however, will dampen the flood pulse that maintains the Tonle Sap. This study established the current underlying relationship among hydrology, vegetation, and human use. We found that vegetation is strongly influenced by flood duration; however, this relationship was heavily distorted by fire, grazing, and rice cultivation. The expected flood pulse alteration will result in higher water levels during the dry season, permanently inundating existing forests. The reduction of the maximum flood extent will facilitate agricultural expansion into natural habitats. This study is the most comprehensive field survey of the Tonle Sap to date, and it provides fundamental knowledge needed to understand the underlying processes that maintain this important wetland.
洞里萨湖是东南亚最大的湿地，也是世界上生产力最高的内陆渔业之一。湄公河每年都会淹没洞里萨湖，形成一个由自然和农业栖息地组成的镶嵌体。然而，正在进行的水电开发将削弱维持洞里萨湖的洪水脉冲。本研究确立了目前水文、植被和人类利用之间的基本关系。我们发现，植被强烈地受到洪水持续时间的影响；然而，这种关系受到火灾、放牧和水稻种植的严重扭曲。预期的洪水脉冲变化将导致旱季水位升高，永久性淹没现有森林。最大洪水范围的减少将为农业向自然栖息地扩张提供便利。本研究是迄今为止对洞里萨湖最全面的实地调查，为理解维持这一重要湿地的基本过程提供了必要的基础知识。
