Quantitative assessment methodology framework of the impact of global climate change on the aquatic habitat of warm-water fish species in rivers

Abstract

Global climate change (GCC), with global warming as the main characteristic, has become a global issue widely concerned by people. GCC impacts the hydrological regime at the watershed scale and affects the hydrodynamic force and the habitat conditions of freshwater ecosystems at the river scale. The impact of GCC on water resources and the water cycle is a research hotspot. However, there are few studies on water environment ecology related to hydrology and the influence of changes in discharge and water temperature on warm-water fish habitats. This study proposes a quantitative assessment methodology framework for predicting and analyzing the impact of GCC on the warm-water fish habitat. This system integrates GCC, downscaling, hydrological, hydrodynamic, water temperature and habitat models and was applied to the middle and lower reaches of the Hanjiang River (MLHR), where there are four major Chinese carps resource reduction problems. The results showed that the calibration and validation of the statistical downscaling model (SDSM) and the hydrological, hydrodynamic, and water temperature models were carried out using the observed meteorological factors, discharge, water level, flow velocity and water temperature data. The change rule of the simulated value was in good agreement with the observed value, and the models and methods used in the quantitative assessment methodology framework were applicable and accurate. The rise of water temperature caused by GCC will ease the problem of low-temperature water in the MLHR, and the weighted usable area (WUA) for spawning of the four major Chinese carps will appear in advance. Meanwhile, the increase in future annual discharge will play a positive role in WUA. In general, the rise in confluence discharge and water temperature caused by GCC will increase WUA, which is beneficial to the spawning ground of four major Chinese carps.