The effects of ecoregions and local environmental characteristics on spatial patterns in boreal riverine fish assemblages

The conservation, management and monitoring of aquatic resources should benefit from understanding their spatial structuring. In this paper, we used the reference condition approach (RCA) to test if the variability in biotic communities, riverine fish assemblages in the present case, is better controlled with a spatial delineation based on ecoregions or by grouping rivers with local catchment characteristics. Electrofishing data from 493 riffles in 99 rivers in Finland were used in the analysis. We completed multivariate analyses (nonmetric multidimensional scaling, multiresponse permutation procedures) to identify differences in fish community composition among groups based on ecoregions or catchment characteristics. We concluded that both regional processes and local environmental characteristics structured fish populations, and bioassessment of freshwaters should be based on regional spatial delineations, supported by local scale characteristics. Spatial delineations like ecoregions should be used to assist the bioassessment to improve the efficiency to detect the human impacts.     

Spatiotemporal patterns of mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) in response to a restoration of longitudinal connectivity

To examine the role of longitudinal connectivity on the spatial and temporal dynamics of mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni), we quantified movement and population dynamics following installation of the Landsburg Dam fishway, Cedar River, WA, USA. Mountain whitefish is widely distributed, poorly studied and not the focus of restoration. Before the fishway, mountain whitefish were not observed above the dam. Here, we focus on snorkel counts collected at reach and mesohabitat (e.g. pools) scales over 11 summers on the 20‐km above‐dam segment following restoration. A camera within the ladder provided number, size and movement timing, thereby informing on behaviour and recolonisation. Segment‐scale abundance increased following fish passage reaching an asymptote in 7 years, and mountain whitefish were detected throughout the main stem in 10 years. Annual movement through the ladder increased over time and was positively correlated with instream abundance and discharge, but negatively correlated with water temperature. About 60% of fish movements occurred in spring and early summer, potentially for foraging opportunities. Reach‐scale abundance peaked between 7 and 10 km from the dam; deep, cool (~10.6 to 11.6°C) conditions characterised these reaches. At the mesohabitat scale, mountain whitefish detection increased with depth and velocity after accounting for distance from the dam. Our results show how restoring longitudinal connectivity allowed this nontarget species to colonise newly available habitat. Their response supports the critical roles of longitudinal connectivity and environmental conditions, that manifest at different spatial scales, in dictating how freshwater fish respond to habitat disturbance.     

Effects of a rock‐ramp fishway on summer fish assemblage in a Lake Huron tributary

The use of nature‐like fishways to increase ecosystem connectivity has increased in recent years, but their effectiveness has rarely been evaluated. A rock ramp was constructed in the Shiawassee River in 2009, and post‐construction effects (2011–2012) were evaluated on the summer fish assemblage by comparing fish assemblage composition to a nearby free‐flowing river and a nearby river with a dam. Patterns of fish species richness, mean catch‐per‐unit‐effort and proportional abundance in reaches upstream and downstream of the rock ramp, dam and comparable sites in the free‐flowing river were evaluated. Overall, species richness by site and proportional abundance in the rock‐ramp river were more similar to the free‐flowing river, while species richness by reach was more similar to the dammed river. These findings suggest that the rock ramp has improved connectivity for the summer fish assemblage, but has not fully restored conditions to the level observed in a free‐flowing river.     

Assemblage patterns of fish functional groups relative to habitat connectivity and conditions in floodplain lakes

Miyazono S, Aycock JN, Miranda LE, Tietjen TE. Assemblage patterns of fish functional groups relative to habitat connectivity and conditions in floodplain lakes.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 578–585. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – We evaluated the influences of habitat connectivity and local environmental factors on the distribution and abundance patterns of fish functional groups in 17 floodplain lakes in the Yazoo River Basin, USA. The results of univariate and multivariate analyses showed that species–environmental relationships varied with the functional groups. Species richness and assemblage structure of periodic strategists showed strong and positive correlations with habitat connectivity. Densities of most equilibrium and opportunistic strategists decreased with habitat connectivity. Densities of certain equilibrium and opportunistic strategists increased with turbidity. Forested wetlands around the lakes were positively related to the densities of periodic and equilibrium strategists. These results suggest that decreases in habitat connectivity, forested wetland buffers and water quality resulting from environmental manipulations may cause local extinction of certain fish taxa and accelerate the dominance of tolerant fishes in floodplain lakes.     

大鹏澳海水鱼类网箱养殖对水环境的影响

根据2001~2002年对大亚湾大鹏澳海水鱼类网箱养殖海域水环境的监测资料,分析讨论了网箱养殖对水环境的影响。结果表明,该海域水环境质量较好,除夏季溶解氧(DO)和春季的硫化物浓度超第二类海水水质标准情况较严重外(超标率均为62.5%),其他水环境因子一般不超标。养殖区DO和叶绿素a(Chla)浓度均显著低于对照区(t-test,P<0.05),而NH4-N和PO4-P浓度则一般高于对照区,其他水环境因子的空间分布差异不大。海水CODMn、BOD5和硫化物主要与网箱养鱼生产季节性强的特点有关;而水温、盐度、透明度、悬浮物、DO和pH的季节变化主要受控于大亚湾亚热带季风气候,NO2-N、NO3-N、DIN、PO4-P和SiO4-Si等营养因子的季节变化主要受降雨和浮游植物的影响,Chla的季节变化则主要受水温和N:P比的影响,与网箱养鱼的关系并不明显。     

Evaluating effects of water withdrawals and impoundments on fish assemblages in southern New England streams,USA

Abstract Balancing aquatic conservation and water supply is becoming a major global issue for urban landscapes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ecological effects of stream‐flow alterations via water withdrawals and impoundments on fish assemblage structure. Electric fishing data were collected at 33 wadeable streams in Connecticut, located in the Southern New England region of USA. Fish sampling was conducted directly downstream of water withdrawals for municipal and agricultural water supply, and study sites differed in potential water withdrawal rates and the presence of impoundments. Regression analysis showed that water withdrawal rate was more important than other natural and anthropogenic factors (e.g. landcover and stream size) in explaining several fish assemblage metrics. Stream sites with high withdrawal rates were generally characterised by lower proportions of fluvial dependent fishes (fish which need flowing water to complete a portion of their life history) and benthic invertivores (fish which feed on bottom‐dwelling stream insects in riffle habitat), and had a greater percent composition of macrohabitat generalists, particularly members of the family Centrarchidae. Some assemblage metrics responded linearly with increasing magnitude of water withdrawals, but others were non‐linear. Results are consistent with ecological theory that alteration of the natural flow regime will impact stream biota.     

Influence of intertidal seascape on the functional structure of fish assemblages: Implications for habitat conservation in estuarine ecosystems

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珠江首次禁渔西江段鱼类资源声学跟踪监测分析

2011年珠江开始实行禁渔期制度。该研究采用 Simrad EY60鱼探仪,分别于2010年5月19日和2011年5月22日对珠江西江段进行了走航式探测。结果显示,珠江禁渔期期间西江段鱼类资源密度增加,2010年和2011年鱼类平均密度分别为0.0513尾·m -3和0.1068尾·m -3,根据渔获物调查数据,推算增幅分别为广东鲂（Megalo-brama terminalis）47.85％、赤眼鳟（Squaliobarbus curriculus）18.54％、鲮（Cirrhina moitorella）10.87％和鳊（Parabra-mis pekinensis）6.25％;两年西江段深水区域鱼类密度均较大,尤其是水底结构为凹形区域,鱼类有明显的聚集现象;浅水区域且底部较平整的水域,鱼类分布分散且密度较低;垂直分布方面,鱼类主要分布4--10 m 中下层水层。珠江禁渔期的实施,在一定程度上保护了鱼类的产卵亲体繁殖,对鱼类资源数量的补充起到了增殖作用,同时在很大程度上护养了鱼类的自然生长,起到了资源增重作用。     

Restoring connectivity for migratory native fish in a New Zealand stream: effectiveness of retrofitting a pipe culvert

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