How do dams affect freshwater fish distributions in Japan? Statistical analysis of native and nonnative species with various life histories

Abstract

AbstractWe examined the effects of dams on freshwater fish species based on data collected during 1990–2004 from 200 drainage systems in Japan. Of the 76 fish species examined, the occurrence of 20 species within Petromyzontidae, Cyprinidae, Cobitididae, Salmonidae, Cottidae, and Gobiidae was negatively affected by the presence of dams located in the downstream reaches of fish survey sites, whereas the occurrence of 12 species within Cyprinidae, Adrianichthyidae, Centrarchidae, and Gobiidae was positively associated with the presence of dams. A significantly higher proportion of the fishes with a negative damming effect were diadromous species as compared to the fishes with a positive damming effect. Conversely, the latter group had a significantly higher proportion of nonnative species than the former. A significant interaction existed between the effects of damming and the effects of elevation on family‐specific species richness. Families dominated by native migratory species showed a greater reduction in the number of species above dams at lower elevations, whereas families represented primarily by nonnative species had higher species richness above dams at higher elevations, except for Centrarchidae, which was always higher in species richness above dams regardless of elevation. Based on our findings, dams in Japan have adversely affected native freshwater fishes by blocking their migration routes, favoring nonnative fishes, or altering existing habitats.