Changes In Physical Habitat Research Articles

Comparisons of Twelve Freshwater Mussel Bed Assemblages Quantitatively Sampled at a 15-year Interval in the Buffalo National River, Arkansas, USA

Historically, 23 freshwater mussel species have been documented from the Buffalo National River (BNR), a 246 km, free-flowing river in northern Arkansas. The potential threats to BNR include land use/land cover changes, eutrophication, recreation, physical habitat changes, and various climate change-related effects. Twelve quantitative mussel bed sites were established and then sampled using a stratified random sampling protocol to evaluate the long-term changes between 2006 and 2020–2021 in population and assemblage characteristics. We compared (1) overall mussel bed persistence, sampling confidence levels and study-wide relative abundances, and compared species’ size and size-frequency distributions; (2) 10 overall site assemblage variables using paired t-tests; (3) site-level mean density, richness, and diversity indices using pair-wise Mann–Whitney U statistics; and (4) assemblage composition using Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling. The major findings included the following: (1) sampling efforts based on a targeted 80% confidence level appears relatively robust, (2) BNR mussel assemblage composition and structure were relatively stable (however, small mussel bed persistence is a concern), (3) 7 of 23 sites were outliers based on freshwater mussel composition and habitat characteristics, and (4) assemblage composition changed with three species declining (Actinonaias ligamentina, Lasmigona costata, and Ptychobranchus occidentalis) and four species increasing (Cambarunio hesperus, Cyclonaias tuberculata, Eurynia dilatata, and Venustaconcha pleasii) between monitoring events.

Ecosystem variables importance in the presence and abundance of a globally invasive fish

Changes in physical habitat that are associated with anthropogenic disturbances facilitate the establishment and expansion of non-native species in receiving environments. Here, we evaluated the relative importance of ecosystem variables for the presence and abundance of the invasive fish Poecilia reticulata in Brazil. We collected fish species and assessed environmental variables through an established physical habitat protocol in 220 stream sites located in southeastern and midwestern Brazil. A total of 14,816 P. reticulata individuals were collected in 43 stream sites, and 258 variables that describe the physical characteristics of streams were assessed, including measures of channel morphology, substrate size and type, habitat complexity and cover, riparian vegetation cover and structure, and human influence. Dimensionality reduction methods were employed to limit redundancy, resulting in a smaller set of the most relevant environmental variables. Subsequently, we used random forest models to assess the relative importance of these variables in determining the presence and abundance of P. reticulata. The presence of this invasive fish was primarily explained by human disturbance variables related to urbanization (total impact, pavement, artificial structure areal cover, riparian canopy cover, electrical conductivity, mean thalweg depth, and sand), whereas channel morphology (mean bank full height) and fish cover variables (natural fish cover, and aquatic macrophyte areal cover) were important predictors of its abundance. Identifying which ecosystem variables are favorable to the establishment of non-native species is an important step in preventing future biological invasions, as well as managing those that already occur.

Factors that shape the elevational patterns of plant diversity in the Yatsugatake Mountains, Japan.

Elevation is involved in determining plant diversity in montane ecosystems. This study examined whether the distribution of plants in the Yatsugatake Mountains, central Japan, substantiated hypotheses associated with an elevational diversity gradient. Species richness of trees, shrubs, herbs, ferns, and bryophytes was investigated in study plots established at 200‐m elevational intervals from 1,800 to 2,800 m. The changes in plant diversity (alpha and beta diversities, plant functional types, and elevational ranges) with elevation were analyzed in relation to climatic factors and elevational diversity gradient hypotheses, that is, mass effect, mid‐domain effect, and Rapoport's elevational rule. In addition, the elevational patterns of dominance of plant functional types were also analyzed. A comparison of alpha and beta diversities revealed that different plant groups responded variably to elevation; the alpha diversity of trees and ferns decreased, that of herbs increased, whereas the alpha diversity of shrubs and bryophytes showed a U‐shaped relationship and a hump‐shaped pattern. The beta diversity of shrubs, herbs, and bryophytes increased above the subalpine–alpine ecotone. In accordance with these changes, the dominance of evergreen shrubs and graminoids increased above this ecotone, whereas that of evergreen trees and liverworts decreased. None of the plant groups showed a wide elevational range at higher elevations. These elevational patterns of plant groups were explained by climatic factors, and not by elevational diversity gradient hypotheses. Of note, the changes in the dominance of plant groups with elevation can be attributed to plant–plant interactions via competition for light and the changes in physical habitat. These interactions could alter the elevational diversity gradient shaped by climatic factors.

Consistent but secondary influence of hydropeaking on stream fish assemblages in space and time

Hydropeaking corresponds to rapid artificial discharge variations, designed to address sub-daily peaks in electricity demand. It generates rapid changes in physical habitat (e.g., flow velocity and water depth) with potential impacts on stream assemblages. For assessing the generality of hydropeaking effects on fish assemblages, we present an original combination of spatial (among 45 reaches, including six groups of nearby reaches) and temporal (over 3-17 years) analyses of these effects. Our analyses involved descriptions of natural and artificial hydraulic variations in reaches, obtained after translating hourly discharge data into hydraulics. We found that the influence of hydropeaking was secondary compared to well-known spatial variations in fish assemblage structure along longitudinal gradients, and negative influences of floods on annual densities. However, the spatial and temporal analyses consistently suggested that hydropeaking may disfavour fish species typical of medium-sized streams relative to species of headwater streams (Salmo trutta, Phoxinus phoxinus, Cottus gobio). The magnitude of hydropeaking effects observed here, as well as an apparent weaker effect of ramping rates than the frequency of hydropeaks, may be due to lower ramping rates in our data set than in other studies.

Experimental Quantification of Piscivore Density and Habitat Effects on Survival of Juvenile Chinook Salmon in a Tidal Freshwater Estuary

Introduction of non-native piscivores has been implicated in the decline of native Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha via predation during juvenile life stages. However, isolating effects of predation on Chinook Salmon survival is complicated by changes in physical habitat that are often concomitant with non-native piscivore establishment. We performed two field experiments with enclosures deployed in tidal freshwater habitat to quantify effects of non-native Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides density and habitat type on the survival and movement behavior of juvenile Chinook Salmon. In experiment one, bass densities were doubled and quadrupled across treatment levels with a baseline value of field-observed densities. In experiment two, three habitat types (dock, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), and open water) were tested while bass density was held at the medium (doubled) value. Juvenile Chinook Salmon implanted with passive integrated transponders were released into the enclosures to assess their survival and movement through the treatments over multiple trials. Mark-recapture models indicated that the survival of juvenile Chinook Salmon was reduced in the medium bass density, but not the high-density treatment, when compared to the lowest density value suggesting relationships may be non-linear. The SAV treatment had a well-supported negative effect on juvenile Chinook Salmon survival relative to a dock or open water. Residence time was positively related to bass density. Relationships with a habitat were not consistently different. These results suggest that restoration strategies targeting non-native SAV control could reduce predation on juvenile Chinook Salmon by Largemouth Bass. However, piscivore density manipulation may only be effective over a narrow range of densities.

Functional response of fish assemblage to multiple stressors in a highly regulated Mediterranean river system

Mediterranean rivers are characterised by strong environmental constrains and species-poor, highly endemic fish fauna. In Europe, these systems are exposed to multiple stressors due to extensive human activities. Studies on the effects of some stressors on riverine fish are available but complex responses of fish assemblages to interplay of flow alteration with physical habitat changes and invasive species have not been evaluated up to date. This study analysed the response of functional diversity of fish assemblages to multiple stressors in the Segura River system in the southern Spain. Fish assemblages were sampled in 16 sites in two consecutive periods (2009–2010 and 2013–2015). Subsequently, we assessed the responses of functional specialisation, originality and entropy (based on nine functional traits and abundances) as well as species richness and abundance to interplay of flow regime alteration and ecological status, fragmentation as well as non-native species abundance across spatial and temporal scales. The governing role of flow regime in structuring fish assemblage was superimposed on physical habitat changes, water quality deterioration and fragmentation as well as the presence of non-native fish species. We found an increase of species richness and abundance but decrease of functional specialisation and originality in river reaches with high level of base flow and more stable hydrological conditions. Opposite pattern was observed in reaches with severe reduction of base flow and marked inversion in the seasonal pattern of high and low flows. We postulate that the use of tools that consider the functional identity of the species as method to assess the effects of environmental alterations on fish biodiversity could improve conservation measures for Mediterranean fish fauna. Furthermore, design flows that mimic natural flow regime patterns characteristic for Mediterranean rivers are a promising tool to provide environmental conditions that would favour native fish within the assemblage and benefit their conservation.

Small hydropower dam alters the taxonomic composition of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in a neotropical river

AbstractHydropower dams substantially modify lotic ecosystems. Most studies regarding their ecological impacts are based on large dams and provide little information about the far more abundant effects of small hydropower dams. Our aim was to characterize the ecological effects of a small hydropower dam and run‐of‐the‐river reservoir on the structure of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in the Pandeiros River located in the neotropical savanna of Brazil. We tested the hypothesis that benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in sites directly affected by the dam and reservoir would show a different taxonomic structure compared with those in free‐flowing sites. We expected to find sensitive native species associated with the free‐flowing sites, whereas resistant and non‐native invasive taxa were expected in impounded sites. We also explored associations between the presence of native and non‐native invasive taxa to each habitat type. We found that the structure of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages was significantly different between free‐flowing and impounded sites. Also, we found that the dam and reservoir facilitated colonization of non‐native invasive species (Corbicula fluminea and Melanoides tuberculata) because only in those sites they were found in high abundance, in contrast to the free‐flowing sites. Although the environmental conditions imposed by the impoundment altered the structure of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, the effects were limited to sites closest to the dam. Our results highlight the necessity of understanding physical habitat changes caused by the presence and management of run‐of‐the‐river dams and reservoirs.

Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) nursery habitats: evaluation of habitat quality and broad-scale habitat identification

Coastal habitats are threatened worldwide by habitat loss and degradation. These habitats play a crucial role as fish nurseries. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine the impact of habitat degradation for many species because data are lacking on early life history metrics including growth (0.07 ± 0.04 SE mm/day in this study), survival (apparent annual survival 0.007 (95% CI: 0.001–0.033 in this study), emigration (27% in this study) and the spatial extent and condition of these habitats. The juvenile life stage of Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus), an economically important species in the Caribbean, sub-tropical and tropical Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico, depends upon wetlands and marshes. A mark-recapture study designed to measure juvenile tarpon growth in an altered mangrove habitat in Florida (USA) found that juvenile tarpon exhibited slow growth and emigrated at small sizes. The low scores on these metrics, in combination with a broad knowledge gap on the extent and condition of juvenile tarpon habitats in Florida, caused concern about the conservation prospects for tarpon and the fishery it supports. To provide information necessary to formulating an effective conservation plan for tarpon, we used citizen science to identify juvenile tarpon habitats and to characterize them as natural or altered (a first-level measure of direct, physical habitat change). A comparison of angler reports and habitat assessments with scientific field assessments showed that using anglers is an efficient and effective means of identifying juvenile tarpon habitats and providing a first-level assessment of habitat condition. This study provides a baseline for ongoing and future habitat conservation and restoration efforts for juvenile tarpon and other species that also use these habitats as nurseries.

Analysis of Physical Habitat Change for Target Fish Induced by Extended Floodplain

ABSTRACT Hong, I.; Kim, J.S.; Kim, K.H.; Shin, H.S., and Jeon, H.S. 2018. Analysis of physical habitat change for target fish induced by extended floodplain. In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 86–90. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Flood protection structures such as levees and dams are being built continuously to prevent floods and they cause many rivers to lose inundated river areas. These losses slow down the natural development process and also reduce the weighted usable area of fish. In particular, fish requiring periodic floods and floodplains are seriously affected by flow regulation and floodplain reduction. Therefore many species of fish have gone extinct due to environmental changes and instability of river ecosystems. In order to protect and maintain the habitat environment of fish in aquatic ecosystem, proper habitat of fish m...

Metrics derived from fish assemblages as indicators of environmental degradation in Cerrado streams

The development of effective monitoring tools depends on finding sensitive metrics that are capable of detecting the most important environmental impacts at a given region. We assessed if metrics derived from stream fish assemblages reflect physical habitat degradation and changes in land cover. We sampled the ichthyofauna and environmental characteristics of 16 stream sites of first and second order in the Upper Tocantins River basin. The streams were classified according to their environmental characteristics into reference (n = 5), intermediate (n = 4), and impacted (n = 7). A total of 4,079 individuals in five orders, 12 families, and 30 species were collected. Of the 20 metrics tested, eight were non-collinear and were tested for their performance in discriminating among groups of streams. Three metrics were sensitive to the gradient of degradation: Berger-Parker dominance index, percentage of characiform fish, and percentage of rheophilic individuals. Some commonly used metrics did not reflect the disturbances and many others were redundant with those that did. These results indicate that the metrics derived from fish assemblages may be informative for identifying the conservation status of streams, with the potential to be used in biomonitoring.

Fish assemblages in agricultural drains are resilient to habitat change caused by drain maintenance

A better understanding of how human activities affect biodiversity can be important for effective resource management. We tested how excavation (maintenance) of agricultural drains (ditches) altered fish assemblages. Uncertainty regarding the effects of drain maintenance on fish assemblages has been a source of tension between landowners, drain superintendents, and fishery managers. Fish assemblages in eight southwestern Ontario drains were sampled repeatedly from before to 2 years after drain maintenance using a replicated before–after, control–impact (BACI) design. Relative to reference sites, we found no evidence for short- or long-term decreases in the number of species and total abundance of fishes following drain maintenance, nor any consistent change in assemblage composition, despite clear changes in physical habitat. The fish assemblages in drains were resilient to drain maintenance and did not show changes expected to concern fishery managers. Our findings provide fishery managers with the information needed to manage drain maintenance more effectively under the Fish Protection Program of the Fisheries Act and to develop drain maintenance practices that balance the needs of agriculture with the protection of fish biodiversity.

MoRPh: a citizen science tool for monitoring and appraising physical habitat changes in rivers

AbstractThe MoRPh survey is designed to enable citizen scientists to monitor physical habitat mosaics and human pressures within short (up to 40 m) river reaches called modules. MoRPh underpins a multiscale Modular River Survey, providing local information, which when collected across 10 contiguous modules, delivers a MultiMoRPh river sub‐reach survey up to 400 m in length. This, in turn, contributes to a HydroMoRPh assessment of reaches extending to tens of kilometres of river length, based on secondary data sources. A 6‐month trial on chalk streams, demonstrates that indices calculated from MoRPh surveys can detect notable differences in hydraulic, sediment, physical and vegetation habitat characteristics across this single river type. Further tests will evaluate applicability to other river types and ability to detect temporal changes. Development of aggregate indices for MultiMoRPh sub‐reaches will aid interpretation of contemporary morphological dynamics, complementing longer term changes extracted at the reach scale by a HydroMoRPh analysis.

안정하도 설계에 따른 물리적 교란개선 평가와 서식적합도 분석

본 연구는 원주천을 대상으로 하천시설물의 최적 설계를 위한 안정하도 평가와 물리적 교란개선 평가를 수행하였다. 안정하도 설계를 위한 구간별 안정경사를 분석하였으며, 안정경사를 만족하기 위한 하천시설물의 개선 시나리오를 도출하였다. 그에 따라 각 시나리오에 대한 물리적 교란개선 평가를 통해 안정하도 설계와 물리적 교란개선을 위한 최적의 시나리오를 선정하였다. 아울러 안정하도 설계와 물리적 교란개선을 위한 하천시설물의 개선 시 물리 서식처의 변화를 분석하였다. 원주천의 하천 환경조사와 어류의 군집특성을 이용하여 수중 생태계를 대표할 수 있는 복원 목표어종으로 참갈겨니를 선택하였다. 참갈겨니의 서식적합지수를 사용한 서식적합도 분석은 PHABSIM 모형을 이용하였다. 예측 평가를 수행한 결과 서식적합도와 가중가용면적은 소폭 감소하는 것으로 나타났으나, 하천시설물의 개선에 따른 영향은 아닌 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 원주천의 물리적 건전성과 안정성을 제고할 수 있는 하천시설물의 배치 방안을 제시하였으며, 그에 따른 물리 서식처의 변화는 영향이 없는 것을 확인하였다. This study conducted the evaluations of stable channel and physical disturbance improvement for optimal construction of river structures by focusing on Wonju River. A stable slope was analyzed sectionally for stable channel design, and in order to satisfy the stable slope, river structure improvement scenarios were deduced. Accordingly, through physical disturbance improvement evaluation for each scenario, the study extracted the optimal scenario for stable channel design and physical disturbance improvements. The changes in physical habitat were analyzed when river structure improvements were made for stable channel design and physical disturbance improvement. Zacco koreanus, an indicator fish of the soundness of the aquatic ecosystem, was selected as a restoration target species by investigating the community characteristics of fish fauna and river environments in the Wonju River. The habitat suitability was investigated by the PHABSIM model with the habitat suitability index of Zacco koreanus. The results of the prediction evaluation showed a slight decrease in habitat suitability and weighted usable area. However, it was not influenced by the improvements in the river structure. The study suggested river structure arrangement methods that can improve physical soundness and safety of Wonju River, and confirmed that there were no effects to the changes in the physical habitat.

Effects of reduced‐impact logging on physical habitat and fish assemblages in streams of Eastern Amazonia

Summary Reduced‐impact logging (RIL) has been considered as the main activity of forestry management in the Amazon. However, little is known of the effects of RIL on the region's ecosystems or in their biodiversity, and such information would be useful to inform forest management. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the effects of RIL on physical habitat and fish assemblages in Eastern Amazonia streams. We predicted that changes caused by RIL affect stream habitat, leading to a loss of diversity and changes in species composition with a predominance of generalist species. We sampled 13 streams in basins dominated by native vegetation without evidence of logging activity (unlogged areas) and 23 in areas that had been logged at different times between 2001 and 2011. Stream physical habitat structure was characterized using a standardized protocol, and the abundance, richness and composition of fish assemblages were assessed. Biotic and abiotic data were compared between unlogged and logged areas, and among streams in areas with different logging years. The relationship between the stream habitat structure and fish assemblages was assessed using a distance‐based linear model using a forward procedure, followed by application of the Akaike information criterion. Variations in tree canopy cover, channel morphology, water temperature and dissolved oxygen and conductivity accounted for most of the differences in habitat characteristics between unlogged and logged areas. A total of 53 fish species was collected, belonging to 20 families and 6 orders. Fish abundances did not vary consistently between streams in unlogged areas and those that had undergone RIL, and showed minor evidence of species‐specific changes in response to logging years. Likewise, there were no obvious differences in species richness, composition and biomass between logged and unlogged sites, regardless of logging years. RIL in Eastern Amazonia is performed in compliance with technical guidelines, but this practice has resulted in changes in stream physical habitat. Nonetheless, in the headwater streams that we sampled, the effects of RIL on fish assemblages were minor.

A novel apparatus for evaluating contaminant effects on feeding activity and heart rate in Daphnia spp.

Cladoceran are animals of significant importance to freshwater bodies such that changes in their populations may result in drastic shifts in the food web. Numerous studies have investigated the effects of toxicants, and the effects of chemical and physical habitat changes to these animals. Most of these studies investigated more general endpoints such as mortality, reproduction, growth, and food consumption over time, and less frequently examined molecular endpoints such as enzyme activity or gene expression. However, behavioral and physiological endpoints that link the organism and molecular level endpoints are scarce. In this study, we designed an apparatus that allows for the simultaneous investigation of three essential behavioral and physiological endpoints in Daphnia, including ventilation, food uptake rate, and heart rate. Using our apparatus, we studied the effect of cadmium (Cd), suspended particles, and food on the beating rate of thoracic limbs and the frequency of mandible rolling in Daphnia magna. We also studied the effect of temperature on the heart and thoracic limb beat frequency. The results show that both Cd and suspended particles reduce the activity of mandibles and thoracic limbs. Thoracic limb movements and heart rate increased gradually with temperature. Our toxicity tests show that changes in feeding, ventilation, and heart rate are easily detected using this method.

Nonmotorized recreation and motorized recreation in shrub-steppe habitats affects behavior and reproduction of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos).

Different forms of outdoor recreation have different spatiotemporal activity patterns that may have interactive or cumulative effects on wildlife through human disturbance, physical habitat change, or both. In western North America, shrub‐steppe habitats near urban areas are popular sites for motorized recreation and nonmotorized recreation and can provide important habitat for protected species, including golden eagles. Our objective was to determine whether recreation use (i.e., number of recreationists) or recreation features (e.g., trails or campsites) predicted golden eagle territory occupancy, egg‐laying, or the probability a breeding attempt resulted in ≥1 offspring (nest survival). We monitored egg‐laying, hatching and fledging success, eagle behavior, and recreation activity within 23 eagle territories near Boise, Idaho, USA. Territories with more off‐road vehicle (ORV) use were less likely to be occupied than territories with less ORV use (β = −1.6, 85% CI: −2.8 to −0.8). At occupied territories, early season pedestrian use (β = −1.6, 85% CI: −3.8 to −0.2) and other nonmotorized use (β = −3.6, 85% CI: −10.7 to −0.3) reduced the probability of egg‐laying. At territories where eagles laid eggs, short, interval‐specific peaks in ORV use were associated with decreased nest survival (β = −0.5, 85% CI: −0.8 to −0.2). Pedestrians, who often arrived near eagle nests via motorized vehicles, were associated with reduced nest attendance (β = −11.9, 85% CI: −19.2 to −4.5), an important predictor of nest survival. Multiple forms of recreation may have cumulative effects on local populations by reducing occupancy at otherwise suitable territories, decreasing breeding attempts, and causing nesting failure. Seasonal no‐stopping zones for motorized vehicles may be an alternative to trail closures for managing disturbance. This study demonstrates the importance of considering human disturbance across different parts of the annual cycle, particularly where multiple forms of recreation have varying spatiotemporal use patterns that create human–wildlife interactions.

Population response of the invasive crayfish Orconectes virilis (Hagen, 1870) (Decapoda: Astacoidea: Cambaridae) to restoration: what are the consequences of changes in predatory regulation and physical habitat in Fossil Creek, Arizona, USA?

We examined the response of a population of an invading non-indigenous crayfish, Orconectes virilis (Hagen, 1870), to a stream restoration project in travertine-forming Fossil Creek, Arizona, USA. Restoration included the re-establishment of the natural flow regime after the decommissioning of a dam and removal of non-native predatory fishes. The goal was to determine if changes in the dominant predatory fishes or changes in physical habitat variables, including substrate modification and base flow influence changes in crayfish abundance. We predicted that increased and unregulated flows and velocities would not generally decrease crayfish abundance, and that the removal of non-native fishes would increase the number of crayfish while local substrate modification by travertine deposition, a form of limestone which fills in interstitial spaces, would decrease the number of crayfish. Consistent with our predictions, there were not generalized decreases in crayfish abundance throughout the river following restoration. More detailed observations of different reaches, however, indicates that fish species and density exert some regulation over crayfish numbers. Crayfish abundance decreased following restoration where exotic fishes remain but slightly increased in numbers where they were removed. Areas in the river with increased travertine deposition had the largest declines following restoration. These observations suggest that crayfish abundance in this system is limited by substrate modification by travertine and to a lesser extent by regulation of fish predation.

Fish Assemblages, Habitat Conditions, and Grazing Effects in Rolling Prairie and Badlands Streams of the Northern Great Plains

Fish sampling was conducted over a two-year period (May to August, 2004 and 2005) in seven streams traversing the Little Missouri River National Grassland and Theodore Roosevelt National Park, western North Dakota. Fish communities of the two stream types in the region (rolling prairie and badlands) differed significantly despite their close geographic proximity, overlapping by only 18% in species composition and having only 8 of the 21 total fish species in common. As summer progressed, rolling prairie streams showed an increase in total fish density while total fish density in badland streams decreased. Badland and rolling prairie stream fish communities responded differently to the physical habitat variables of pool surface area, volume, mean depth, maximum depth, and width-to-depth ratio. Fish in badland streams appeared to be more susceptible to rapid physical habitat changes associated with late summer dewatering, while the more stable flows of rolling prairie streams prevented significant isolation...

What is the impact on fish recruitment of anthropogenic physical and structural habitat change in shallow nearshore areas in temperate systems? A systematic review protocol

Abstract Background Shallow nearshore marine ecosystems are changing at an increasing rate due to a range of human activities such as urbanisation and commercial development. The growing numbers of constructions and other physical and structural alterations of the shoreline often take place in nursery and spawning habitats of many fish and other aquatic species. Several coastal fish populations have seen marked declines in abundance and diversity during the past two decades. A systematic review on the topic would clarify if anthropogenic physical and structural changes of near-shore areas have effects on fish recruitment and which these effects are. Methods The review will examine how various physical and structural anthropogenic changes of nearshore fish habitats affect fish recruitment. Relevant studies include small- and large-scale field studies in marine and brackish systems or large lakes in temperate regions of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Relevant studies may be based on comparisons between undisturbed and disturbed areas, before and after disturbance, or both. Relevant outcomes include measures of recruitment defined as abundance of juveniles of nearshore fish communities. Searches will be made for peer-reviewed and grey literature in English, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, German, Swedish and Spanish. All fish species and species groups will be considered in this review. Included relevant studies will be subject to a critical appraisal that will assess study validity. From relevant included studies, we will extract information on study characteristics, measured outcomes, exposure, comparators, effect modifiers and critical appraisal. Data synthesis will contain narrative and summary findings of each included study of sufficient quality. Meta-analysis may be possible in cases where studies report similar types of outcomes.

Pools, channel form, and sediment storage in wood-restored streams: Potential effects on downstream reservoirs

Large wood (LW, or pieces of dead wood longer than 1m and thicker than 10cm in diameter) is a key element in forested streams, but its abundance has decreased worldwide as a result of snagging and clearing of riparian forests. Therefore, many restoration projects introduce LW into stream channels to enhance geomorphology, biotic communities, and ecosystem functioning. Because LW enhances the retention of organic matter and sediments, its restoration can reduce siltation in receiving reservoirs, although so far little information on this subject is available. We studied the effects of restoring the natural loading of LW in four streams in the Aiako Harria Natural Park (the Basque Country, Spain) in pool abundance, channel form, and storage of organic matter and sediments. In all reaches log jams induced the formation of new geomorphic features and changes in physical habitat, especially an increase in the number and size of pools and in the formation of gravel bars and organic deposits. The storage of organic matter increased 5- to 88-fold and streambed level rose 7±4 to 21±4cm on average, resulting in the storage of 35.2±19.7 to 711±375m3 (733–1400m3ha−1y−1) of sediment per reach. Extrapolation of these results to the entire drainage basin suggests that basinwide restoration of LW loading would enhance the retention potential of stream channels by 66,817±27,804m3 (1075m3ha−1y−1) of sediment and by 361t (5.32Tha−1y−1) of organic matter, which represents 60% of the estimated annual inputs of sediments to the downstream Añarbe Reservoir and almost twice as much as the annual input of organic matter to the entire river network. Therefore, basinwide restoration of LW loading is a potentially important tool to manage catchments that feed reservoirs, where retention of sediments and organic matter can be considered important ecosystem services as they reduce reservoir siltation.