Egg drift and hatching success in European river lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis: is egg deposition in gravel vital to spawning success?

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Potential for reintroduction of lake sturgeon in five northern Lake Michigan tributaries: a habitat suitability perspective

• 1. Conservation and rehabilitation efforts for lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens throughout the Great Lakes include the re‐establishment of self‐sustaining stocks in systems where they have been extirpated.
• 2. Information on the suitability of potential lake sturgeon habitat in tributaries is important for determining their capacity to support lake sturgeon stocking and to develop system‐specific rehabilitation strategies.
• 3. Geo‐referenced habitat information characterizing substrate composition, water depth, and stream gradient were applied to a life‐stage specific lake sturgeon habitat suitability index in a geographic information system to produce spatially explicit models of life‐stage specific habitat characteristics in five northern Lake Michigan tributaries from which lake sturgeon have been extirpated.
• 4. Habitat models indicated that high quality lake sturgeon spawning and staging habitat comprised 0 to 23% and 0 to 9% of the available habitat, respectively, whereas high quality juvenile lake sturgeon habitat was relatively ubiquitous throughout each river and comprised 39 to 99%.
• 5. Comparison of these data to lake sturgeon habitat availability in Lake Michigan tributaries currently supporting populations indicated that spawning and staging habitats may limit the ability of these systems to support spawning. Efforts to re‐establish lake sturgeon populations in these systems should consider the creation of spawning and staging habitat to increase reproductive and recruitment potential prior to the initiation of stocking efforts.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluating the impacts of small impoundments on stream salamanders

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Modelling functional fish habitat connectivity in rivers: A case study for prioritizing restoration actions targeting brown trout

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The relationships between spawning horseshoe crabs and egg densities: Recommendations for the assessment of populations and habitat suitability

1. Horseshoe crab population sizes and trends have been previously studied using surveys of spawning adults and counts of eggs from surface (top 5 cm) and deep (20 cm) sediment samples. The correlations between surface and deep eggs were studied at two locations, Delaware Bay and Jamaica Bay, USA, and the correlations between egg densities and spawning counts were examined in Jamaica Bay.
2. There were significantly higher densities of eggs in deep sediments than in surface sediments. Only about 10% of the variability in surface egg density was explained by deep egg density. The numerical patterns between surface and deep eggs were similar between Delaware Bay and Jamaica Bay and across sampling dates.
3. Nearly 20% of the deep samples in the combined data from Delaware Bay and Jamaica Bay with an egg density of ≥100,000 m⁻² had zero surface eggs. Therefore, the use of surface eggs as an indicator of habitat suitability and spawning intensity may seriously underestimate the importance of a beach for spawning horseshoe crabs.
4. When paired with nearest survey date, Jamaica Bay spawning indices did not predict deep or surface egg densities. This may be related to a temporal mismatch between survey methods, the extreme overdispersion (patchiness) of the eggs, and/or the dynamics of egg distribution after exhumation.
5. Both egg density and spawning surveys can provide useful data on habitat suitability for horseshoe crabs and can offer excellent opportunities for student and citizen scientist engagement. More labour is required for egg surveys than spawning surveys because of the time required to sample, sort, and enumerate the eggs.

     

Combining ex situ and in situ methods to improve water quality testing for the conservation of aquatic species

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Habitat suitability analysis for lacustrine brown trout (Salmo trutta) in Lake Walchensee,Germany: implications for the conservation of an endangered flagship species

• 1. The lacustrine brown trout (Salmo trutta) is endangered and of high conservation importance. In the only spawning habitat of the population in the Bavarian Lake Walchensee, the River Obernach, a substantial decrease in spawning runs has been reported. In this study, the present ecological state of the spawning stream was analysed with the objective of identifying life‐stage specific limitations to successful recruitment attributable to deficiencies in (i) spawning migration, (ii) spawning habitat quality, and (iii) habitat quality for juveniles.
• 2. Structural stream analysis showed that discharge and several migration barriers — particularly near the river outlet into the lake — prevent successful spawning migrations at normal water levels. Migration barriers are probably the main limiting factor for reproduction of lacustrine brown trout, whereas structural variability of the Obernach meets the habitat requirements of both spawners and juveniles.
• 3. Spawning site quality was suitable for trout, as indicated by stream substratum texture and high exchange rates between free‐flowing water and the interstitial zone in physico‐chemical parameters (redox potential, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and conductivity).
• 4. Analyses of fish community structure revealed dominance of lithophilic species, in particular of riverine brown trout (Salmo trutta). Its density and intact demographic population structure suggest that spawning and juvenile habitat quality for salmonids is not limiting. Recapture of stocked lacustrine trout juveniles also indicates habitat suitability for the juvenile stage.
• 5. In conclusion, the results show that the methodology used in this study is suitable for the identification of life‐stage specific habitat deficiencies in lacustrine brown trout and other fish species. Availability of habitat data throughout the species' distribution range is a first crucial step for the development of an effective recovery plan. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

Mesohabitat associations of the threatened San Marcos salamander (Eurycea nana) across its geographic range

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Need for speed: Preference for fast‐flowing water by the endangered semi‐aquatic Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) in two contrasting streams

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Conservation implications of establishment success of the Critically Endangered Twee River redfin ‘Pseudobarbus’ erubescens (Skelton, ) in an artificial impoundment in South Africa

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Earthquake‐induced habitat migration in a riparian spawning fish has implications for conservation management

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Connectivity,habitat, and flow regime influence fish assemblage structure: Implications for environmental water management in a perennial river of the wet–dry tropics of northern Australia

1. Environmental water management seeks to balance competing demands between the water needed to sustain human populations and their economic activities and that required to sustain functioning freshwater ecosystems and the species they support. It must be predicated on an understanding of the environmental, hydrological, and biological factors that determine the distribution and abundance of aquatic species.
2. The Daly River of the wet–dry tropics of northern Australia consists of a perennially flowing main stem and large tributaries, as well as many small to large naturally intermittent tributaries, and associated off‐channel wetlands. Increased groundwater abstraction to support irrigated agriculture during the dry season threatens to reduce dry‐season flows that maintain perenniality and persistence of freshwater fishes.
3. Fish assemblages were surveyed at 55 locations during the dry season over a 2‐year period with the goal of establishing the key landscape‐scale and local‐scale (i.e. habitat) drivers of fish species distribution.
4. Longitudinal (upstream/downstream) and lateral (river/floodplain) gradients in assemblage structure were observed with the latter dependent on the position in the river landscape. Underlying these gradients, stream flow intermittency influenced assemblage composition, species richness, and body size distributions. Natural constraints to dispersal were identified and their influence on assemblage structure was also dependent on position within the catchment.
5. Eight distinct assemblage types were identified, defined by differences in the abundance of species within five groups differing in functional traits describing body size, spawning requirements, and dispersal capacity. These functional groups largely comprised species widely distributed in northern Australia.
6. The results of the study are discussed with reference to the environmental flow needs of the Daly River and other rivers of northern Australia. The findings may also be applied to environmental flow management in savannah rivers elsewhere.

     

Diet composition of the Italian crested newt (Triturus carnifex) in structurally different artificial ponds based on stomach contents and stable isotope analyses

1. In order to evaluate the effects of ecological disturbances, such as climate change, human‐induced habitat modification, or species introduction, and in order to adopt appropriate management policies for their conservation, knowledge of the trophic ecology of protected or threatened species is crucial. The Italian crested newt, Triturus carnifex (Laurenti, 1768), is listed in annexes II and IV of the European Habitats Directive. For this species, changes in water quality and habitat loss represent major threats, potentially impairing its breeding and feeding activities.
2. Artificial aquatic habitats, such as cattle‐drinking pools, represent valuable refuges and suitable breeding sites for T. carnifex. The aim of this study was to determine the food niche of the Italian crested newt in these habitats, evaluating its prey selection strategy in relation to a range of environmental conditions and differing availability of resources. Stomach contents (indicative of short‐term diet) and δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N signatures of tails (indicative of medium‐term diet) of adult newts from three artificial ponds in central Italy, where traditional silvo‐pastoral activities are still important, were determined. Potential prey were also sampled and processed for stable isotope analysis.
3. Triturus carnifex, similar to other newt species, is an opportunistic predator, feeding on a wide variety of prey that includes terrestrial and aquatic macroinvertebrates. In particular, the opportunistic use of temporally available small zooplankton was identified from stomach contents analysis. Conversely, stable isotope analysis highlighted the consumption of larger, soft‐bodied prey that the stomach‐contents‐based approach underestimated. These included terrestrial oligochaetes, which turned out to be the most important and energy‐rich food source in the medium term.
4. These results emphasize the usefulness of combined approaches for studying the trophic ecology of salamanders and also highlight the importance of the integrated management of aquatic breeding habitats and neighbouring terrestrial habitats, as sources of food, for newt conservation.

     

Signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) predation upon Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) eggs

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Conservation of newt guilds in an agricultural landscape of Belgium: the importance of aquatic and terrestrial habitats

• 1. Amphibians are declining worldwide in response to local and global pressures. Pond‐breeding species are particularly vulnerable to environmental change because they rely on two components of the landscape: aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Agricultural practices are changing rapidly at world and local scales. As a consequence, farm ponds and their surrounding terrestrial landscapes will probably be affected.
• 2. This study investigated the main habitat determinants for the occurrence of four species of newts (genus Triturus) inhabiting the Pays de Herve, a rural area in Belgium. Newt occurrence was determined for 258 ponds and the effect of habitat on distribution determinants was evaluated using generalized linear models.
• 3. Newts were found in 42% of the ponds. Contrary to expectations, the distribution of newts was not positively associated with a high density of ponds. However, a low occurrence of newts and the low water depth of many ponds suggest a low quality of habitats. Proximity to forest, deep water, and an absence of fish in ponds are factors that significantly favour newts, but terrestrial habitat requirements vary among species.
• 4. These results indicate the necessity of maintaining both forest and meadow patches in close proximity to ponds inhabited by newts, and of controlling fish introduction in those ponds. These findings stress the importance of conservation and management of terrestrial and aquatic habitats for maintaining amphibian diversity.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water levels in a highland lake control the quantity and quality of spawning habitat for a littoral‐spawning galaxiid fish

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Predicting use of habitat patches by spawning horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) along a complex coastline with field surveys and geospatial analyses

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A simple method for assessing minimum flows in regulated rivers: the case of sea lamprey reproduction

• 1. The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is an anadromous species that occurs in some large Iberian rivers, such as the Tagus, and their tributaries. The sea lamprey populations of the River Tagus are threatened by habitat loss and overexploitation, which means that conservation measures, including maintenance of the spawning grounds, are urgent. Habitat loss is mainly due to hydroelectric and flood‐control dams that have affected the migration and spawning habitats of anadromous species. The main objective of this study was to use a simple, cost‐effective method to assess a minimum instream flow for the regulated River Tagus. The method used was based on the wetted perimeter–discharge relationship, but accounted for the habitat requirements of spawning sea lampreys.
• 2. In 1998, a habitat survey was conducted along a 30 km segment of the River Tagus downstream from Belver Dam (the first impassable obstacle for fish movements), a stretch that includes potential habitats for spawning sea lampreys. Four spawning areas were identified, and in each one a representative reach was selected along which to collect elevation and geo‐positional data. For a range of flows from 0 to 50 m³ s^?1, hydraulic modelling and studies of spawning habitat availability were conducted, both for each reach and for the total wetted area of the four reaches.
• 3. The availability of spawning habitat was limited by flow. Results showed that the present minimum flow downstream from Belver Dam (8 m³ s^?1) is insufficient to ensure suitable habitat conditions in a significant part of the segment studied; gains in wetted usable area were more substantial with discharges of up to 20 m³ s^?1, and thus a minimum flow of 10–20 m³ s^?1 was recommended. Potential spawning habitat could be improved by increasing instream flow to at least 50 m³ s^?1. The impacts of the Belver release regime on anadromous species are discussed and a more ‘ecologically oriented’ form of water management is suggested

. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lethal effect of filamentous algal blooms on Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) eggs in the Baltic Sea

1. During this study, the effects of epiphytic filamentous algae on the survival of demersal spawned fish eggs were investigated in one of the most important spawning grounds of herring in the western Baltic Sea, which is subject to intense and ongoing eutrophication.
2. In coastal marine ecosystems all over the world, eutrophication is a primary water quality issue, often resulting in mass developments of bloom‐forming algae. Macro‐algal blooms have immense ecological effects, as they alter the structure and the function of an ecosystem. Numerous fish species are affected, as they depend on those coastal areas for spawning and as juvenile habitats.
3. A comparison of the survival of herring eggs on two natural spawning beds re‐vealed an immense impact of a filamentous algal bloom. The mortality rate reached nearly 100% in the area with massive occurrence of filamentous brown algae.
4. Hypothesizing that the presence of filamentous algae facilitates herring egg mortality, field and laboratory experiments were conducted and revealed particular effects of distinct algal species. The survival rate of artificially spawned eggs on algal substrates and control substrates was compared. Whereas filamentous forms of the green alga Ulva intestinalis induced no immediate effect, significantly higher egg mortality was documented in experiments with the filamentous brown alga Pylaiella littoralis.
5. Considering the ecological and economical importance of herring and other coastal spawners on the one hand and the persisting and increasing effects of eutrophication and climate change on the other hand, the results of our study clearly underpin the necessity to increase global efforts to reduce nutrient loads in coastal waters.