Arin Ngamniyom’s research while affiliated with Srinakharinwirot University and other places

This study aimed to assess natural resource needs in the Khow Noi-Khow Pradoo non-hunting area (KNKPNHA) to understand the importance of using these natural resources. The assessment was based on local resource funds combined with the quality standards set by environmental agencies. The methodology involved collecting data through group interviews with academics and local stakeholders, along with individual interviews with villagers living in communities around KNKPNHA. Semi-structured interviews, check-lists, questionnaires, and the analysis of conceptual framing were used. KNKPNHA covers an area of 13516.8 hectares. The main land cover types in the area are mixed deciduous forest (major) and deciduous forest (minor). The primary occupation of villagers in KNKPNHA is the collection of wild edible plants from the forest, and is the next most important occupation is tourist services. The villagers can be classified into three categories: (1) those who hold land and utilize the forest; (2) distant has influence on understanding of space application regulations and services; and (3) those whose household income is related to their condition. It was found that villagers in KNKPNHA rely on wild edible plants from the forest. However, the results of the study show that perceptions of the importance of collecting fuel and herbal medicine from the forest is decreasing. Future research should investigate resource use behavior, including conservation management, with the participation of locals in the KNKPNHA and help communities to monitor and safeguard resources alongside government personnel.

This study examined the soil elements and properties of an area becoming an artificial wetland and compared them with those of an agricultural area. The study site is an artificial wetland in Nakhon Nayok Province, Thailand. Its soil properties and element content were compared with a nearby agricultural area using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results of the study found this artificial wetland to be within the soil acidity zone of central Thailand, with an average soil pH above 3.99 ± 0.49 and a topsoil organic matter average of 17090 ± 2685 mg kg-1, with aluminium (Al) and iron (Fe) as the major soil minerals. Compared to the agricultural area, the soil properties of the artificial wetland had slightly lower topsoil pH but significantly lower pH in the soil layer 100 cm deep in the agricultural area, and the EC in the artificial wetland was higher than in the agricultural area. However, there are three distinct patterns in the elemental composition of the artificial wetland: (1) A lower-quantity soil surface that improves with depth, (2) a high-quantity of topsoil that worsens with depth, and (3) highly variable soil quality below 50-100 cm. In the soil, the organic carbon in artificial wetlands has a ratio of 1:0.17:0.51 to reference area 1 and reference area 2, indicating that wetlands can store carbon in the soil. The element content of the topsoil and 50 cm soil layer is potentially influenced by land use and beneficial microbial activity, and the soil 100-150 cm layer has an element quantity shared with its parent soil. In this study, we sought to understand the physics and chemical composition of soil in an area transitioning to an artificial wetland over approximately 30 years.

Siriwattanarat R, Wongroj W, Ngamniyom A, Vilasri V, Chungthanawong S, Punnarak P. 2024. Fish diversity and environmental factors at the Don Hoi Lot Ramsar Site, Thailand. Biodiversitas 25: 1394-1403. The Don Hoi Lot mudflat, recognized as a Ramsar site, is a globally acclaimed wetland located in the Khlong Khon Sub-district of Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand. This research aims to study fish diversity and environmental variables at the Don Hoi Lot Ramsar Site; fish samples were collected using cast nets (mesh size 1.5 cm and 2.5 cm) and gill nets (mesh size of ¾ inch, 1.5 inches, and 2 inches) by local fisheries from four sampling stations which represented upstream (KK1), midstream (KK2), downstream (KK3), and estuary (KK4) zones in Khlong Khon Bay during January to April 2023. A total of 1,389 fish specimens were collected, representing 36 species belonging to 26 families. Higher diversity in number of species (28-35 species), Shannon index (2.90-2.98), and species richness (10.40-13.11) were found at downstream and estuary stations, while the lowest number of fish species (three species), Shannon index (0.75), and species richness (0.68) were recorded at the upstream station. Similarly, the higher relative abundance of fish (84-173 specimens) was observed at downstream and estuary stations, and the lowest relative abundance (29-50 specimens) was also reported at the upstream station. The blackchin tilapia (Sarotherodon melanotheron Rüppell 1852) was the dominant species at the Don Hoi Lot Ramsar Site during the study periods, followed by the Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus Peters 1852)). Principal component analysis (PCA) further revealed that altitude, temperature, pH, salinity, transparency, ammonia, phosphate and silicate had significant relationships within fish assemblages, whereas nitrite and nitrate were less important in this study. Nonetheless, the rapid expansion of the blackchin cichlid population has had an adverse impact on native fish populations, which could pose a real threat to fish diversity and population, and other aquatic organisms.

Since 2015, porcine cysticercosis has been under-reported in Myanmar, even though the country was known to be endemic. This study aimed to figure out the seroprevalence of porcine cysticercosis and risk factors relating to pigs' infection by administering questionnaires to the farm owners. We bled a total of 330 pigs to collect the sera sample before slaughter at the Ywar Thar Gyi slaughter, the major abattoir in Yangon, Myanmar. The monoclonal antibody-based B158/B60 Ag-ELISA technique was used since it has shown high diagnostic values. The presence of Taenia spp. cyst was also assessed by meat inspection of six different muscles. We also investigated the distribution of cysts in slaughtered pigs. Of 330 blood samples, 14.24% of pigs were tested as seropositive. However, 12.12% of pigs were examined for the presence of cysticerci by the meat inspection method. The comparison between seroprevalence and prevalence by meat inspection was made using a 2x2 matrix table. Regarding cyst distribution, 95.0% (38/40) observed cysticerci on the ventral surface of the tongue muscle, and we found the remaining two positive samples inside the heart muscle. Results have shown that husbandry practice (OR=5.1; 95% CI=2.9-8.5) and deworming practice (OR=4.1; 95%CI=2.5-7.5) had a significant association (P<0.05) with the presence of infection in slaughter pigs. This study indicates the presence of cysticercosis in slaughtered pigs, and the results could assist the need for further studies for the intervention of effective control strategies.