Factors driving temporospatial heterogeneity of fish community health in Jinan City, China

Abstract

Jinan City is the first pilot city for the construction of a hydroecological civilisation in China. Fifty-eight representative river sampling stations were selected through field trips and surveys, and fish were sampled in the spring, summer, and autumn of 2015. An index of fish biological integrity in Jinan City was constructed and to evaluate the hydroecological health of rivers. Canonical correlation analysis was used to select key driving factors that affect the health of the fish community. The results show that the key physical factor affecting water quality was turbidity, the key chemical factor affecting water quality was chemical oxygen demand (COD) and the key hydrological factor affecting water quality was discharge. Of all the driving factors, COD had the greatest effect on the health of the fish community, followed by discharge and turbidity. Macropodus chinensis Bloch was sensitive to changes in COD; Saurogobio dumerili Bleeker and Pseudolaubuca engraulis Nichols were sensitive to the hydrological factors of discharge and flow velocity; and Saurogobio gymnocheilus Lo and Squaliobarbus ourriculus Richardson were sensitive only to discharge. COD and discharge had a strong effect on fish survival, whereas turbidity affected fish survival but was not a major factor affecting the spatial distribution of river health. The findings can provide a reference for aquatic ecological rehabilitation in developing countries.