Abstract
The Nee Soon Swamp Forest (NSSF) (87 ha) in Singapore houses a rich diversity of fauna and is the only area of primary freshwater swamp left on that island. The current study investigates the diversity and population changes of the freshwater decapod fauna of the NSSF with the aim of facilitating future conservation actions. Surveys were carried out by hand sampling and trap sampling from February 2013 to May 2014 in 12 sites in the NSSF that represent different microhabitats from the outskirts to the lower, middle, and upper reaches of the streams draining the swamp forest. Stream water parameters (temperature, pH, DO, and TDS) and stream profile characters (substrates, cross section, canopy cover, and riparian vegetation) were recorded. Species richness and Shannon-Wiener’s index (H′) were calculated and compared for all sites over 10 sampling cycles. The length-frequency relationships of species of freshwater shrimps (Caridina malayensis, Macrobrachium malayanum, M. sundaicum, M. platycheles) and freshwater crabs (Parathelphusa maculata and P. reticulata) were investigated. The highest species diversity was found to occur in the middle and lower reaches of the stream, followed by the upper reaches of the stream, then the outskirts of the swamp. The distribution patterns of the freshwater decapods of the NSSF are discussed and their conservation status is updated.
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