Fish ladders are generally conceived to reestablish connectivity among critical habitats for migratory species, thus mitigating the impacts of the blockage of migration routes by dams. If this management tool is to be meaningful for conserving fish species, it must provide a fully permeable connection and assure both upward and downward movements. However, because reservoirs have very different hydrodynamics than the original river, it is expected that, at least in the inner area, they may constitute an additional barrier to this movement, especially for descending fish. Thus, the present study sought to determine if migratory fish and their offspring disperse downstream from the dam after ascending a ladder and spawning in the upper reaches of a basin. To achieve this purpose, we evaluated the limitation imposed by lentic areas to the descent of eggs, larvae and adults of migratory species; we also determined the abundance and composition of larvae present in the plankton near the dam, and compared the intensity of the upward and downward movements of adult fish. Samples of ichthyoplankton were taken upriver, inside the reservoir, in the river downstream from the dam, and in the forebay of the Lajeado Dam on the Tocantins River (Luis Eduardo Magalhães Hydroelectric Plant), from October, 1999 through September, 2004. The densities of fish ascending and descending the ladder were determined experimentally on eight occasions, from June, 2004 to March, 2005 Due to difficulties in identifying the true fish origin (up or down) in the environments connected by the fish passage system, the evaluation of the distribution of migratory fish in reservoirs was based on the landings of the commercial fishery conducted along the Itaipu Reservoir during the four years preceding (2001 through 2003) the construction of the lateral channel (fishpassage mechanism). Fish eggs and larvae drifting down the Tocantins River did not appear in samples taken in the lower half of the reservoir; those found in water flowing through the spillways, turbines or fish ladder of Lajeado Dam belonged essentially to non-migratory clupeids that spawn in the inner part of the reservoir. In addition, results showed that in a reservoir with no fish-passage mechanism, migrants select habitats that still maintain riverine characteristics, in the upper parts of the impounded area. The downward movements are negligible compared to those upward, in the experiments conducted in the fish ladder. It is concluded, therefore, that the Lajeado fish ladder, and possibly those at other dams, is essentially a oneway route that promotes upstream movements of migrants, without the necessary return of adults or their offspring. Thus, the low permeability of the connections provided by these management tools can drastically increase the level of environmental impact that they were actually intended to reduce.Escadas de peixes são geralmente concebidas para restabelecer a conectividade entre habitats críticos de espécies migradoras, atenuando os impactos da interceptação...

Although dozens of fish ladders have been constructed at dams of Brazilian reservoirs, there are few studies evaluating their efficiency as a tool for the conservation of Neotropical ichthyofauna, especially for migratory species. Therefore, the present study evaluated the selectivity of the species that entered and ascended the fish ladder located next to Lajeado Dam (Luis Eduardo Magalhães Hydroelectric Power Plant) on the Tocantins River. Samples were taken monthly from November, 2002 through October, 2003, in the resting pools of the ladder, using cast nets, and in the downstream stretch, using gillnets. The selectivity of the ladder in attracting fish was evaluated by comparing the occurrence, relative abundance, dominance and the congruence of abundance ranks of migratory and non-migratory species in the ladder and in the stretch of river immediately downstream. Species richness and fish abundance in the resting pools were used to evaluate selectivity along the ladder. The effects on selectivity by temporal variations in water level downriver and maximum flow velocity in the fish ladder were also analyzed. Out of the 130 species recorded downriver, 62.3% were caught in the ladder, and migratory species were clearly favored. However, more than 2/3 of the catch belonged to only three species (Rhaphiodon vulpinus, Psectrogaster amazonica and Oxydoras niger). Although the majority of the species that entered the ladder were able to reach its top, there was a sharp reduction in abundance of individuals towards the top. Temporal variations in the water level below the dam influenced richness and abundance of fish concentrated downstream and in the ladder, with lower values during periods of low water. In the ladder, a maximum flow velocity of 2.3 m/s, although also selective, proved to be more appropriate for fish ascension than a velocity of 2.8 m/s. It was concluded that the entry and ascension of the fish in the ladder were not congruent with their proportions in the downriver stretch: fish samples in the ladder were clearly dominated by a few species, including some that do not need to be translocated. Thus, selectivity constitutes an important bottleneck to initiatives for translocating fish aimed at conserving their stocks or biodiversity. It is urgent to review the decision-making process for the construction of fish passages and to evaluate the functioning of those already operating.Dezenas de escadas de peixes foram construídas em barragens de reservatórios brasileiros, mas são raros os estudos acerca de suas eficiências como instrumentos de conservação da ictiofauna Neotropical, em especial de espécies migradoras. Neste contexto, o presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a seletividade específica no ingresso e ascensão de peixes na escada localizada junto à barragem de Lajeado (UHE Luis Eduardo Magalhães, rio Tocantins). Amostragens foram realizadas mensalmente de novembro de 2002 a outubro de 2003 nos tanques de descanso da escada, utilizando tarrafas, e no trecho a jusante, utilizando redes de es...

The construction of large dams has changed natural hydrology of many rivers in South America. Considering that little is known about the reorganisation of nonmigratory fish assemblages following an impoundment, we investigated changes caused by the construction of Lajeado Dam on the spatial distribution of nonmigratory fish along the Tocantins River, a large Amazonian river. In particular, we investigated changes in distance decay of community similarity (initial similarity and halving distance) in periods that preceded and followed the construction of the dam. For this study, we analysed data collected over a four‐year period, including seven sites distributed along the Tocantins River (~270 km). Initial similarity showed high values and little variation over the years. Halving distance, on the other hand, changed considerably after impoundment, showing progressive smaller values. In the first 2 years after impoundment, halving distance decreased by more than half of the initial value, indicating changes in distance decay relationships. An ordination analysis nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) indicated substantial changes in assemblage structure between pre‐ and postimpoundment periods, especially in sites close to the dam. In addition, after river regulation, we recorded shifts in species abundance across sites, while numerical dominance increased and local richness decreased in sites near the dam. Our results indicate that the dam changed diversity gradients along the river corridor, increasing the distance decay of assemblage similarity. All these findings evidence that nonmigratory fish assemblages are particularly vulnerable to river regulation.

Millions of fish ascend through fishways in South America every year, but there is no evidence that downstream passage is occurring in large dams. Based on this concern, this study monitored the fish ladder at Lajeado Dam, Tocantins River, a large Amazonian tributary. To investigate the extent of downstream movements through the fishway, ascending and descending movements were quantified between November 2007 and October 2008. Monitoring showed that the ladder is restrictive to many species in both directions, but downstream passage was much more limited: almost all fish captured in the ladder (99.5%) were ascending the facility. Consequently, the numerical ratio between ascending and descending fish (ind./ m 2 ) showed high positive values throughout the year (1508:1 on average); migratory species showed higher ratios. All results showed that downstream passage through the ladder is very limited, and that the facility allows only one-way movements (i.e., upstream). This is the first empirical evidence showing that a ladder is critically deficient for downstream passage of fishes in South America.

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