Ecological impacts of small hydropower plants on headwater stream fish: from individual to community effects

Hydroelectricity is increasingly used worldwide as a source of renewable energy, and many mountain ranges have dozens or hundreds of hydropower plants, with many more being under construction or planned. Although the ecological impacts of large dams are relatively well known, the effects of small hydropower plants and their weirs have been much less investigated. We studied the effects of water diversion of small hydropower plants on fish assemblages in the upper Ter river basin (Catalonia, NE Spain), which has headwater reaches with good water quality and no large dams but many of such plants. We studied fish populations and habitat features on control and impacted reaches for water diversion of 16 hydropower plants. In the impacted reaches, there was a significantly lower presence of refuges for fish, poorer habitat quality, more pools and less riffles and macrophytes, and shallower water levels. We also observed higher fish abundance, larger mean fish size and better fish condition in the control than in impacted reaches, although the results were species‐specific. Accordingly, species composition was also affected, with lower relative abundance of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Pyrenean minnow (Phoxinus bigerri) in the impacted reaches and higher presence of stone loach (Barbatula quignardi) and Mediterranean barbel (Barbus meridionalis). Our study highlights the effects of water diversion of small hydropower plants from the individual to the population and community levels but probably underestimates them, urging for further assessment and mitigation of these ecological impacts.     

Salinity and geomorphology drive long‐term changes to local and regional fish assemblage attributes in the lower Pecos River,Texas

River systems throughout arid regions worldwide have been heavily impacted by human activities, resulting in long‐term ecological consequences. The lower Pecos River in the Trans‐Pecos region of Texas is no exception, having undergone anthropogenic changes that include decreased flow, elevated salinity, species loss and species invasion. We compared historical and contemporary fish assemblage attributes from the Pecos River at local (site‐specific) and regional (Trans‐Pecos region) scales across a 24‐year time period. Fish assemblage data were collected in October 1987 and 2011, by seining at 15 sites spanning 430 km of the river in Texas. Additionally, we examined contemporary environmental conditions to determine species–environment relationships. We found that fish assemblages were significantly different between time periods, likely due to increased salinisation in the upper half of the study region. Decreased species richness, species replacement and increases in euryhaline species were documented in the upstream sites. Freshwater springs lower the salinity and maintain flows in the downstream reach, allowing for maintenance of the native fish fauna. Careful management of regional aquifers, irrigation practices and petroleum waste water will be necessary for protecting biodiversity and environmental flows in the lower Pecos 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.     

Environmental assessment of boreal rivers using fish data – a contribution to the Water Framework Directive

Abstract A fish‐based assessment method was developed to estimate the ecological status of boreal rivers. Electric fishing data were collected from 902 rapids, together with information on the land use, channel modification and water chemistry. Discriminant function analysis was used to select fish variables that most correctly classified the undisturbed reference sites and human impacted sites into exact classes. The relationship between the level of human alteration and fish metrics was examined. Five metrics were selected for the index: the number of fish species, proportion of sensitive species, proportion of tolerant species, density of cyprinid individuals and the density of age‐0+ salmonids. The value for each metric (between 0 and 1) was calculated according to a point estimate for classical probability. The index is used to estimate the ecological classification of rivers according to the EU Water Framework Directive.     

连续式真空干燥机在鱼粉加工中应用研究

研究了连续式真空干燥机在鱼粉加工中的工艺过程、工艺结构和工作原理。鱼粉加工中采用连续真空干燥机具有明显的优势,可以减少高温对鱼粉蛋白质的氧化,提高鱼粉蛋白质的含量,提升鱼粉品质,使其在市场竞争中占有优势。     

The rumen ciliates of greater kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros (Pallas) from South Africa and Zimbabwe with a description of one new species

Eighteen species of the family Ophryoscoiecidae, representing three genera, and three species of the family Isotrichidae representing two genera, were found in the rumina of kudu from the Republic of South Africa and Zimbabwe. One new ophryoscolecid Entodinium carinatum is described. Certain aspects of the taxonomy of Diplodinium archon, Entodinium longinucleatum and Entodinium dilobum are discussed     

Extrinsic and intrinsic factors influence daily activity of a Mediterranean cyprinid

Factors shaping individual behavior remain poorly understood for European cyprinids. We examined the effects of extrinsic (temperature and year) and intrinsic factors (body size and shoal size) on the daily activity of chub Squalius torgalensis, a critically endangered cyprinid found in the Torgal stream, Portugal. We quantified chub behaviors while snorkeling, using instantaneous sampling of focal individuals, in spring 2009 and 2010. We used Principal Component Analysis to describe individual behavior and assessed competing models relating individual behavior to explanatory variables using Akaike's Information Criterion. Year had a strong influence on chub behavior, with individuals spending more time drift foraging and orienting in 2009, whereas in 2010 they spent more time benthic foraging and cruising. Shoal size did not influence behaviors in 2009, but in 2010 individuals in small shoals foraged benthically and searched with greater frequency than those in large shoals. Individuals increased cruising and decreased searching as they grew in length, but the opposite trend was observed as temperature increased. Our results indicate that both extrinsic and intrinsic factors influence daily activity of chub, with individual behaviors varying between years, and depending upon shoal size, body size and temperature. This suggests that chub display high levels of individual behavioral flexibility, which may be important for fish inhabiting harsh and highly variable Mediterranean streams. Conservation efforts for this species will benefit by integrating behavioral information into management strategies.     

Detection efficiency and habitat use to inform inventory and monitoring efforts: juvenile coho salmon in the Knik River basin,Alaska

Imperfect detection associated with sampling gear presents challenges for wildlife inventory and monitoring efforts. We examined occupancy dynamics and habitat use of juvenile coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, in shallow lake environments over a summer and early fall season in the Knik River area of south central Alaska using models which control for and estimate sampling gear detection efficiency. In addition, we present statements for the probability that observed absences at a survey site or from a survey area (a collection of sites) are true absences given some amount of sampling effort and analysts' beliefs about site occupancy and sampling gear detection efficiency which can be used to guide inventory and monitoring efforts for juvenile salmon or other wildlife and plant species. Occupancy modelling results demonstrate that minnow traps were effective at sampling juvenile coho in shallow lake environments, with a mean probability of detection across the study period of 0.68 (i.e., probability of detecting the presence of juvenile coho given that they are present at a trap site; SE = 0.03). Juvenile coho salmon migrated into shallow water lakes in late summer and early fall, presumably to seek out overwinter habitat. N‐mixture modelling examination of habitat use demonstrated that once in shallow lake environments, juvenile coho were widely distributed across a range of microhabitats, with some evidence for preference for shallower depths and warmer water temperatures.     

Age-related changes in hematology and plasma chemistry values of hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops X Morone saxatilis)

Hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops X Morone saxatilis ) are an important aquaculture species yet there are few diagnostic tools available to assess their health. Hematology and clinical chemistry analyses are not used extensively in fish medicine due to the lack of reference intervals for various fish species, and because factors such as age can affect blood values. There is little published information regarding age-related changes in blood values of juvenile fish. It is important to evaluate juvenile fish, as this is the time they are raised in aquaculture settings. Determining age-related changes in the blood values of fishes would further develop clinical pathology as a diagnostic tool, enhancing both fish medicine and the aquaculture industry. The results of standard hematology and clinical chemistry analysis were evaluated in juvenile hybrid striped bass at 4, 6, 9, 15, and 19 months of age. Values for PCV and RBC indices were significantly lower, and plasma protein concentration was significantly higher in younger fish. Total WBC and lymphocyte counts were significantly higher in fish at 6 and 9 months of age, while neutrophil and monocyte counts were higher at 6, 9, and 15 months. Eosinophil counts were significantly higher in 9-month-old fish. The majority of hematologic values fell within previously established reference intervals, indicating that only slight modification to the intervals is necessary for evaluating hematologic results of hybrid striped bass at different ages. The following analytes deviated sufficiently from adult reference intervals to warrant separate reference values: plasma protein concentration at 4 months, WBC and lymphocyte counts at 15 and 19 months, and thrombocyte-like-cells at 9 months of age. Values for most biochemical analytes were significantly different among age groups except for creatinine and potassium concentrations. Comparisons with reference intervals were not made for biochemical analytes, because established reference intervals were not available. Age-related changes in hematologic and biochemical values of striped bass were similar to those reported for rainbow trout and mammals.     

Blood chemistry values of juvenile red pacu (Piaractus brachypomus)

Abstract: Blood samples were collected from 29 juvenile red pacu ( Piaractus brachypomus ), ornamental freshwater fish, to establish baseline blood chemistry values. Mean (minimum-maximum) values, obtained by automated bichromatic analysis and ion selective electrode analysis, were as follows: sodium, 150.4 (146–159) mmol/L; potassium, 3.93 (2.7–5.0) mmol/L; chloride, 138.7 (128–150) mmol/L; total CO₂, 7.5 (6–10) mmol/L; albumin, 0.86 (0.5–1.0) g/dL; lactate dehydrogenase, 237.8 (65–692) IU/L; aspartate aminotransferase, 49.1 (0–125) IU/L; creatinine, 0.31 (0.2–0.4) mg/dL; calcium, 10.80 (9.5–12.5) mg/dL; anion gap, 6.89 (1.2–12.5) mmol/L; and phosphorus, 7.29 (4.1–8.9) mg/dL.