Abstract
Although many significant policies and legislation have been put forth by the Chinese government aiming toward “ecological civilization” for the aquatic environment, in practice, the situation is still undesirable. A pioneering multi-year study has since been conducted on the East Tiaoxi River (a major tributary of the renowned Yangtze River), focusing on fish distribution, influencing factors and habitat requirements, and river health as well. This revealed certain key species, hotspot protection areas, negative impacts of local anthropogenic activities, and inappropriate perceptions and practices of conservation and restoration. We found that not all fish species were equally conserved and that the supposedly ecological engineering measures were initiated without regard for ecological integrity. Our exemplary study appreciates scientific basis and truly ecological notion, and urgently advocates comprehensive and continuous basin-scale scientific investigation of fish biodiversity, and “ecological river”-oriented conservation and restoration action for the Yangtze River Basin and broader areas of China.
Highlights
The number and biodiversity of fish are the most significant indicators of the health of a waterbody.In China, there are more than 1100 species of freshwater fish, 70% of which inhabit the rivers [1,2]. the total number is notable among worldwide statistics, the biodiversity has been continuously declining with increasing anthropogenic and economic development
In addition addition to to common common adverse effects such as from water pollution and ship disturbance, we found the impact adverse effects such as from water pollution and ship disturbance, we found the impact of of local local privatised stone mining to be non-negligible
China has fundamentally changed as conservation and restoration gain top priority, some measures policies in China has fundamentally changed as conservation and restoration gain top priority, some have beenhave taken as essential, such as asuch
Summary
The number and biodiversity of fish are the most significant indicators of the health of a waterbody.In China, there are more than 1100 species of freshwater fish, 70% of which inhabit the rivers [1,2]. the total number is notable among worldwide statistics, the biodiversity has been continuously declining with increasing anthropogenic and economic development. In China, there are more than 1100 species of freshwater fish, 70% of which inhabit the rivers [1,2]. The loss of biodiversity greatly exceeds the world average [4]. It is the adverse anthropogenic impacts on the freshwater ecosystem that must first be to blame. Both notorious industrialisation and urbanisation are major hindrances to sustainable development in China. Against the background of abrupt population expansion, many irrational activities associated with urbanisation have led to deterioration of the aquatic environment, such as unsustainable exploitation of water resources, improper river modification, pollutant discharge and exotic species invasion
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