Abstract
Selecting sites for river restoration projects or performing ex post evaluation must be done in ecoregions with comparable biological integrity. Moreover, to evaluate the integrity of a river ecosystem that varies from the headwater to downstream regions, adjustments of the ecoregion according to the longitudinal change in biota must be made. We defined regions where biota are identical according to the direction of change along the stream path as “segment-based ecoregions.” We delineated segment-based ecoregions using fish fauna data for two ecoregions in Japan: the northeast Kyushu, and south Kyushu. The northeast Kyushu ecoregion was divided into three segment-based ecoregions, and south Kyushu ecoregion into five segment-based ecoregions. Classifying fish fauna within the same ecoregion enables classification by differences in the longitudinal change in the stream path rather than by differences in watersheds. Specific topographic regions such as the amphitheater areas of the south Kyushu ecoregion was classified as independent segment-based ecoregions. We further defined indicator fish species for each segment-based ecoregion. Indicator fish species reflected the fish fauna of each ecoregion in the midstream area, such as migratory Gobiidae of the south Kyushu ecoregion. Applying the segment-based ecoregion concept helps compare the biological integrity of fish fauna depending on a common environmental type between watersheds.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.