Droughts, floods and freshwater ecosystems: evaluating climate change impacts and developing adaptation strategies

Aldous, Allison; Fitzsimons, James; Richter, Brian; Bach, Leslie

doi:10.1071/mf09285

Cited by 82 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…3) that loosely correspond to major drainage divisions, hydrological regimes (Haines et al 1988;Kennard et al 2010) and biogeographical provinces of freshwater fish (Unmack 2001). The implications of climate change in the Murray-Darling Basin are considered in more detail by others (Aldous et al 2011;Kingsford et al 2011;Pittock and Finlayson 2011;Balcombe et al 2011;Pratchett et al 2011).…”

Section: Regional Comparisonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change and its implications for Australia's freshwater fish

Morrongiello¹,

Beatty²,

Bennett³

et al. 2011

Mar. Freshwater Res.

155

132

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Abstract. Freshwater environments and their fishes are particularly vulnerable to climate change because the persistence and quality of aquatic habitat depend heavily on climatic and hydrologic regimes. In Australia, projections indicate that the rate and magnitude of climate change will vary across the continent. We review the likely effects of these changes on Australian freshwater fishes across geographic regions encompassing a diversity of habitats and climatic variability. Commonalities in the predicted implications of climate change on fish included habitat loss and fragmentation, surpassing of physiological tolerances and spread of alien species. Existing anthropogenic stressors in more developed regions are likely to compound these impacts because of the already reduced resilience of fish assemblages. Many Australian freshwater fish species are adapted to variable or unpredictable flow conditions and, in some cases, this evolutionary history may confer resistance or resilience to the impacts of climate change. However, the rate and magnitude of projected change will outpace the adaptive capacities of many species. Climate change therefore seriously threatens the persistence of many of Australia's freshwater fish species, especially of those with limited ranges or specific habitat requirements, or of those that are already occurring close to physiological tolerance limits. Human responses to climate change should be proactive and focus on maintaining population resilience through the protection of habitat, mitigation of current anthropogenic stressors, adequate planning and provisioning of environmental flows and the consideration of more interventionist options such as managed translocations.

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Section: Regional Comparisonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change and its implications for Australia's freshwater fish

Morrongiello¹,

Beatty²,

Bennett³

et al. 2011

Mar. Freshwater Res.

155

132

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…van Roosmalen, 2007van Roosmalen, , 2009). Increasing or decreasing precipitation and the resulting increase or decrease in groundwater recharge or discharge may also deteriorate dependent or associated ecosystems and agricultural production (Aldous et al, 2011;Barron et al, 2012;Hinsby et al, 2012;Jeppesen et al, 2009;Olesen et al, 2007;Sonnenborg et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential climate change impacts on the water balance of regional unconfined aquifer systems in south-western Australia

Ali

McFarlane

Varma

et al. 2012

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. This study assesses climate change impacts on water balance components of the regional unconfined aquifer systems in south-western Australia, an area that has experienced a marked decline in rainfall since the mid 1970s and is expected to experience further decline due to global warming. Compared with the historical period of 1975 to 2007, reductions in the mean annual rainfall of between 15 and 18 percent are expected under a dry variant of the 2030 climate which will reduce recharge rates by between 33 and 49 percent relative to that under the historical period climate. Relative to the historical climate, reductions of up to 50 percent in groundwater discharge to the ocean and drainage systems are also expected. Sea-water intrusion is likely in the PeelHarvey Area under the dry future climate and net leakage to confined systems is projected to decrease by up to 35 percent which will cause reduction in pressures in confined systems under current abstraction. The percentage of net annual recharge consumed by groundwater storage, and ocean and drainage discharges is expected to decrease and percentage of net annual recharge consumed by pumping and net leakage to confined systems to increase under median and dry future climates. Climate change is likely to significantly impact various water balance components of the regional unconfined aquifer systems of south-western Australia. We assess the quantitative climate change impact on the different components (the amounts) using the most widely used GCMs in combination with dynamically linked recharge and physically distributed groundwater models.

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“…floods, storms, severe droughts), causing shifts in the timing, frequency, duration and magnitude of hydrological events (Bates et al 2008). Changes in flow dynamics resulting from climate change will therefore profoundly affect riverine habitats and the fishes that depend on them (Walker et al 1995;Meyer et al 1999;Aldous et al 2011). Australia is a large, flat (À15 m to 2229 m asl) continent of 7.6 million km 2 , covering a latitudinal range of 10841 0 S to 43838 0 S, and spanning climatic zones from tropical to temperate, with an immense arid interior and a wide range of habitat types.…”

Section: Effects Of Climate Change On Aquatic Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the high variability of Australian river flows (Walker 1986), together with a lack of collated data, complicate projections in freshwater systems . Climate-change strategies need to be undertaken at the basin-scale, and few river basins have adequate models to guide this management (Aldous et al 2011).…”

Section: Climate Change: Documented Changes and Future Projectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change and Australian marine and freshwater environments, fishes and fisheries: synthesis and options for adaptation

Koehn¹,

Hobday²,

Pratchett³

et al. 2011

Mar. Freshwater Res.

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Abstract. Anthropogenic climate change is already apparent and will have significant, ongoing impacts on Australian fishes and their habitats. Even with immediate actions to reduce greenhouse gases, there will be sustained environmental changes. Therefore, it is necessary to consider appropriate adaptations to minimise detrimental impacts for both fishes and the human populations that utilise them. Climate change will have a range of direct effects on the physiology, fitness, and survivorship of Australia's marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes, but also indirect effects via habitat degradation and changes to ecosystems. Effects will differ across populations, species and ecosystems, with some impacts being complex and causing unexpected outcomes. The range of adaptation options and necessary levels of intervention to maintain populations and ecosystem function will largely depend on the vulnerability of species and habitats. Climate change will also have an impact on people who depend on fishes for food or livelihoods; adapting to a new climate regime will mean trade-offs between biological assets and socioeconomic drivers. Models can be used to help predict trends and set priorities; however, they must be based on the best available science and data, and include fisheries, environmental, socioeconomic and political layers to support management actions for adaptation.

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Droughts, floods and freshwater ecosystems: evaluating climate change impacts and developing adaptation strategies

Cited by 82 publications

References 23 publications

Climate change and its implications for Australia's freshwater fish

Climate change and its implications for Australia's freshwater fish

Potential climate change impacts on the water balance of regional unconfined aquifer systems in south-western Australia

Climate change and Australian marine and freshwater environments, fishes and fisheries: synthesis and options for adaptation

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