APPLICATION OF THE RIVER CONTINUUM CONCEPT ON SINGAPORE RIVERS
JACQUELINE SIM MEI-LIN
JACQUELINE SIM MEI-LIN
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Abstract
The River Continuum Concept (RCC) was first developed in a temperate country by Vannote et al., 1980. The RCC describes that along the long profile of the river, there are distinct biological niches created by the physical environments in a natural surrounding. The invertebrates that inhabit these niches are fashioned to capitalise on the inefficiencies of the upstream communities to minimise energy loss within the lotic system. Together they form the River Ecosystem. The RCC proposes that the Concept provides a predictable working framework for the biological feature in the lotic system. The RCC thus sets out various implications on the stability, structure, and function of the river system. This concept has contributed greatly to the growing research field in Stream Ecology. The RCC has been tested several times with varying degrees of success in various temperate countries. However, it has not been tested in a tropical environment let alone an urbanised one. As we progress, many rivers are facing an alteration of their natural environment. It is increasingly important to take into consideration these changes, as they are becoming a common occurrence in urban areas. This research project attempts to apply the RCC on modified rivers in Singapore. The results did appear to coincide with the RCC, but there were distinct differences that the RCC was unable to explain.
Keywords
River Continuum Concept, biological niches, river ecosystem, lotic system, urbanised, modified rivers, tropical environment
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Date
1998
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