Fish Biodiversity and Water Quality of Tropical Forest Streams Adjacent to the Western Boundary of Kinabalu Park, Sabah

A study on the fish biodiversity and water quality of tropical forest streams adjacent to Kinabalu Park, Sabah, revealed that fish diversity and abundance decrease with elevation, while water quality remains generally good but is threatened by domestic impacts downstream. The three most abundant fish species were Tor tambra (34.4%), Barbodes sealei (19.5%), and Lobocheilos ovalis (12.4%). Tor tambra exhibited poor to fair condition, indicating potential health issues. Water quality metrics such as turbidity, orthophosphate, and ammoniacal nitrogen were higher near Podos village, with ammoniacal nitrogen classified as Class III by Malaysian standards. The study highlights the need for regular water quality monitoring in downstream rivers to mitigate domestic impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem integrity.

Soo, C., Mahsol, H., Jainih, L., Fikri, A., Chen, C., Kamal, N.,. (2022). Fish Biodiversity and Water Quality of Tropical Forest Streams Adjacent to the Western Boundary of Kinabalu Park, Sabah. Journal of Tropical Life Science, 12(2), 261–268. https://doi.org/10.11594/jtls.12.02.12