Priority habitats for the conservation of large river fish in the Ganges river basin

• 1. Three classes of habitat used by groups of fish species classified as conservation and management priorities were developed for the Gerua River (also known as the Girwa River, Karnali River) in the Ganges river basin. This river is large (mean annual discharge ca 1500 m³ s^?1, up to 900 m wide), surrounded by protected lands of India and Nepal, and upstream of major diversions and river alterations.
• 2. Fish and habitat sampling was conducted at 45 sites from 2000 to 2003. Data were analysed for 2172 fish of 14 species. Species and life stages found occupying a statistically distinct subset of the river habitats were grouped to identify classes of river habitat for conservation.
• 3. Most species and life‐stage groups specialized on specific habitat conditions revealed by multivariate analyses of variance and a principal component analysis. The most numerous and diverse group (six species, 15 life stages) was associated with deep depositional habitats with sandy substrate. Two species covering three life stages were primarily oriented to erosional habitat marked by fast current velocity with pebble and cobble substrate. A third group of three species of adults and juveniles were intermediate in habitat use.
• 4. River conservation for fish faunas should maintain both erosional and depositional channel habitats with depths, substrates, and current velocity inclusive of the ranges reported. The erosional and depositional nature of the key habitats requires that rivers be maintained with flows capable of channel‐forming functions.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vegetation fractional coverage change in a typical oasis region in Tarim River Watershed based on remote sensing

Vegetation fractional coverage(VFC) is an important index to describe and evaluate the ecological system.The vegetation index is widely used to monitor vegetation coverage in the field of remote sensing(RS).In this paper,the author conducted a case study of the delta oasis of Weigan and Kuqa rivers,which is a typical saline area in the Tarim River Watershed.The current study was based on the TM/ETM+ images of 1989,2001,and 2006,and supported by Geographic Information System(GIS) spatial analysis,vegetation index,and dimidiate pixel model.In addition,VBSI(vegetation,bare soil and shadow indices) suitable for TM/ETM+ images,constructed with FCD(forest canopy density) model principle and put forward by ITTO(International Tropical Timber Organization),was used,and it was applied to estimate the VFC.The estimation accuracy was later proven to be up to 83.52%.Further,the study analyzed and appraised the changes in vegetation patterns and revealed a pattern of spatial change in the vegetation coverage of the study area by producing the map of VFC levels in the delta oasis.Forest,grassland,and farmland were the three main land-use types with high and extremely-high coverage,and they played an important role in maintaining the vegetation.The forest area determined the changes of the coverage area,whereas the other two land types affected the directions of change.Therefore,planting trees,protecting grasslands,reclaiming farmlands,and controlling unused lands should be included in a long-term program because of their importance in keeping regional vegetation coverage.Finally,the dynamic variation of VFC in the study area was evaluated according to the quantity and spatial distribution rendered by plant cover digital images to deeply analyze the reason behind the variation.     

Food resources and cyprinid diet in permanent and temporary Mediterranean rivers with natural and regulated flow

This study addresses the differences in food availability, diet and feeding activity of the Iberian barbel, between permanent and temporary nonregulated rivers, and the effect of flow regulation on feeding parameters. A total of 267 adult barbels were seasonally collected in four nonregulated and regulated rivers from permanent and temporary basins, and their gut content was analysed. Locally available food sources were evaluated across sites and seasons. Barbels from the permanent nonregulated river exhibit a more variable and diversified diet in which invertebrates assumed a large importance, especially during high flows. Barbels from the temporary nonregulated river presented a more uniform diet composed of plant material and detritus, particularly in drought seasons. Flow regulation affected different flow components in both systems, but the effects on food resources and barbels' diet were similar, resulting in an intra‐annual stabilisation of resource availability and fish diet, with a higher consumption of plants and detritus. Changes in fish diet and feeding activity in both nonregulated and regulated rivers were strongly associated with the seasonal variability of streamflow components, particularly between low‐ and high‐flow periods, and with the reduction in flow variability in the case of dam regulation. Results from this study can be used to improve guidelines for flow requirement implementation.     

Influence of the Flood-Control-Projects on the Hydrodynamic State of the Rivers Confluence in Chongqing

Though the Flood-Control-Projects along Yantze River and Jialing River in Chongqing may well improve the urban traffic and construction,it may change the river hydrodynamic characters.There may be two consequences,one is to reduce the size of cross section and the other is to change the river shape,such as the curvature radius.The phenomena of the local backwater and velocity variety are obvious,which result in some problems for the navigation: sediment,transport and so on.In this paper, the study object is the Flood-Control-Projects and Yangtse River and Jialing River,and the aim is to study the influence of the Flood-Control-Projects on the hydrodynamic state of the two rivers.Using the numerical technique,with the two rivers hydrodynamic model the flow field's change of river after completion of Flood-Control-Projects is simulated and the reasons caused by the change are analyzed.     

The significance of meandering channel morphology on the diversity and abundance of macroinvertebrates in a lowland river in Japan

• 1. Many rivers and streams across the world have been channelized for various purposes. Channel cross‐sections of meandering rivers are asymmetrical and have cross‐sectional diversity in their physical environment; cross‐sections of a channelized river are typically trapezoidal and have little cross‐sectional diversity, both in physical and ecological conditions. Several programmes to restore stream meanders have been undertaken to improve river ecosystems degraded by channelization. However, the association between diversification in the physical environment due to meander restoration and the macroinvertebrate community structure is poorly known.
• 2. This study of a lowland river in Japan assessed how the cross‐sectional diversity of the physical environment changed with restoration of a meander in a channelized river, and how the macroinvertebrate communities responded to the changes in physical habitat variation. Comparisons were made between the macroinvertebrate communities of a channelized reach, the restored meandering reach, and a natural meandering reach.
• 3. Natural meandering and restored meandering reaches showed higher cross‐sectional diversity in physical variables and total taxon richness across a reach than did the channelized reach. Almost all taxa observed in the natural and restored meandering reaches were concentrated in the shallowest marginal habitats near the banks. Shear velocity increasing with water depth had a negative association with macroinvertebrate density and richness.
• 4. This study demonstrated that the shallow river bed along the inside of bends formed point bars that provided a highly stable substrate, a suitable habitat for macroinvertebrates in a lowland river. It is concluded that meander restoration could be an effective strategy for in‐stream habitat restoration in lowland meandering rivers.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

青海高原区域水电密集开发对河流区段生态影响分析

青海处在青藏高原生态脆弱地区,水电工程建设对河流区段生态因子,如地质、水文气候、生物、人文地理环境等产生影响。黄河干流已建、在建和规划建设的水电站共３１座,总装机１９７０．３５万ＫＷ,比理论蕴藏值扩大３０４．３５万ＫＷ。从河流水能蕴藏量、电站规模、河流原生态的优劣区别、流域区系和生态承受力、开发区段局部影响力等方面分析,青海部分河流水电建设的密集度排序为：隆务河＞大通河＞黑河＞湟水河＞格尔木河＞黄河;对河流生态影响的综合程度评价排序为：隆务河＞大通河＞黄河＞湟水河＞黑河＞格尔木河。依青海部分河流 的水电密集开发建设现状,分析评价由此对河流区段局部生态造成的影响程度,并提出对策。     

江河养殖船结构及改进的研究

养殖船主尺度（ｍ）为Ｌ＝３１．３０－４０，５０，Ｂ＝５．５０－７．００，Ｈ＝１．３０－１．７０，Ｔ＝１．０５－１．４４；船型系数为α＝０．９５－０．９９，β＝０．９９－１．００，δ＝０．８５－０．９０。船型与非动力驳船最为接近。养鱼舱面积为９０ｍ＾２－１８０ｍ＾２，水体交换利用金属网或船壳凿孔。养殖船具有向大尺度，高造价和废旧船舶利用以及简易化，低成本演变的趋势。安装减流阻渣设施和改进网箱设置方法     

三江源地区天然牧草气候生产力评估

选用河南、甘德、同德、玉树、曲麻莱、五道梁和玛多7个气象台站的1971～2004年的气象资料,对三江源地区的气候条件进行了分析,应用综合数学模型建立了三江源地区的天然草场植物气候生产力评估模型。结果表明：三江源地区气候生产力总体上呈下降的趋势,气候生产潜力较大。在较小范围内,海拔高度和气候生产力呈反比关系,海拔每上升100m气候生产力约降低1200～1425kg/ha,同时水分也是三江源地区天然牧草气候生产力的制约因素之一。     

江河源区退化草地鼠害的治理研究

针对江河源区草场退化、高原鼠兔危害严重的状况,采用了翻耕、耙耱、撒播、轻耙、镇压等一系列治理措施.结果表明,这种以生态工程为主的治理措施,不仅使草场植被在短期内得到恢复,而且害鼠种群数量也得到了有效控制;同时,为防止鼠兔数量回升、减少扩散、播种牧草幼苗免遭啃食和挖掘破坏,在不同处理区又采取了以药物防治为辅的控制措施.在现场药效试验和大面积灭鼠中,0.075%敌鼠钠盐、0.1%C型肉毒杀鼠素和0.1%D型肉毒杀鼠素毒饵对鼠兔均具有良好灭效,且不污染环境,无二次中毒,对保护天敌、发挥生物控制危害具有一定意义.因此,在退化草场鼠害治理中,综合分析各组分之间的相互关系,有针对性地进行治理,才能收到良好效果,从而达到综合治理的目的.     

三江源地区高寒草地群落特征研究

选择三江源区针茅草原和高山嵩草草甸6处典型样地为研究对象,采用样方调查法,分析了该地区高寒草地群落特征。结果表明:1)达日县和曲麻莱县高寒草甸物种丰富度较高,分别为20种和15种;兴海县、玛多县和唐古拉山乡草地物种丰富度较低,均为8种,杂多县物种数最低,仅有5种(P0.05)。2)达日县和曲麻莱县物种多样性最高,分别为2.74和2.27;唐古拉山乡和杂多县最低,约为1.5;兴海县和玛多县针茅草原物种多样性均为1.87左右。唐古拉山乡和曲麻莱县均匀度指数稍低,分别为0.76和0.84,其余各县均匀度指数均较高。多样性指数与物种数极显著相关。3)聚类分析发现杂多县和曲麻莱县高山草甸首先被归为一类,接着将唐古拉山乡合为一类;然后依次是兴海县短花针茅草原和达日县高寒草甸,玛多县紫花针茅草原在最后被聚合为一类。