This project, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is aiming to establish baseline data in the aquatic ecological aspects of the Kopin-Chi River and one of its tributary, Fong-shan irrigation channel. Coupled with the results of previous surveys related to its environments and ecology, attempts were also made to determine the dominant species of the river, and to evaluate the current status of the aquatic environments. In conclusion, the species compositions of phytoplankton, macrobenthos, fish and birds are varied and relatively diversified in the estuary and the Dashu damp area, though their abundances are rather limited; In the damp area, Varicorhinus alticorpus were significant dominant fish species and second dominant fish species during the dry and wet season, respectively, representing appropriate bio-indicators under current status of the river quality. In the estuary, Nematolosa come and Liza macrolepis are suggested as representative fish species for further bio-monitoring. For the macrobenthos community, Perna viridis and Exppalaemon modestus are dominant species in the damp area during the dry and wet season, respectively. In the estuary, Perna viridis is significantly dominant species either in the dry season or in the wet season. Based on the results of GI and TDI analyses, it appears that the river water in areas of the damp and the channel are still eutrophicated at present. Furthermore, the results of K-dominance analyses on the inveterbrate community also suggest that the river around the Dashu damp area is still under threatens of environmental impact. Similarly, the estuary area also shows environmental impact in the dry season, although it is less reflected during the wet season. All in all, the diversity of biotic communities along the Kopin-Chi River might explain the effect of pollution control in recent years, and further ecological monitoring is encouraged for a better understanding to the ecological recovery, providing an ecological basis for further pollution remedy sche

Kopin-Chi,Fong-shan River,Phytoplankton,Macroflora,Macrobenthos,Fish,Birds