Influence of discharge on fish habitat suitability curves in mountain watercourses in IFIM methodology

Macura, Viliam; Štefunková, Zuzana; Majorošová, Martina; Halaj, Peter; Škrinár, Andrej

doi:10.1515/johh-2017-0044

Cited by 13 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 40 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Even in this case it has been confirmed that trout is a suitable bioindicator of the environment because it responds sensitively to changes in flow rates and flow depths (Hooper, 1973;Shirvell and Dungey, 1983;Reiser and Wesche, 1976;Macura et al, 2012Macura et al, , 2018.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

The Impact of the Morphology of Mountain Watercourses on the Habitat Preferences Indicated by Ichtyofauna Using the Ifim Methodology

Štefunková¹,

Belčáková²,

Majorošová³

et al. 2018

Appl. Ecol. Env. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A natural channel differs from a prismatic one by its rich variability. Regulated rivers have a geometrically regular shape that is not suitable for the instream biota. The morphology of a regulated river is the main cause of habitat changes. The article provides the results of research that was focused on assessing the impact of a channel's morphology on the instream habitat preferences by ichthyofauna. In the article the ichthyofauna is represented by brown trout (Salmo trutta m. fario). During the years 2015 and 2016, research was carried out for 13 reaches of mountain watercourses in Slovakia. These reaches were geodetically measured, and a hydraulic model was created. The ichthyological survey was focused on the fish's habitat preferences. A set of data was created from the results that was statistically evaluated by cluster analysis, and the correlation relations for the abiotic and biotic characteristics of the watercourses were evaluated. The individual evaluations provide mutually compatible results. It can be concluded from the results that bioindications by fish provide reliable results in relationship to the changes in habitats in regulated rivers. There was an unambiguous statistical correlation in the preferences of brown trout in the regulated and natural rivers.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

The Impact of the Morphology of Mountain Watercourses on the Habitat Preferences Indicated by Ichtyofauna Using the Ifim Methodology

Štefunková¹,

Belčáková²,

Majorošová³

et al. 2018

Appl. Ecol. Env. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To model the extent of hydraulically suitable habitats, empirically‐derived habitat suitability curves (HSC) are generally used to quantify habitat preferences for different abiotic parameters and different life stages on a scale between 0 (complete avoidance) and 1 (best suitability; Wakeley, 1988; Person et al, 2014; Macura, Štefunková, Majorošová, Halaj, & Škrinár, 2018). As no HSCs are available specifically for the study area, we used the generalized HSCs for the early development stages (0+) of brown trout after Hauer et al (2014; Figure 2a).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating two‐dimensional water temperature simulations into a fish habitat model to improve hydro‐ and thermopeaking impact assessment

Antonetti

Hoppler

Tonolla

et al. 2022

River Research & Apps

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Storage hydropower plants, which are an important component of energy production in Switzerland, can lead to hydro-and thermopeaking, affecting river habitats and organisms. In this study, we developed an approach for integrating water temperature simulations into a habitat model to assess the impact of both hydro-and thermopeaking on the availability of suitable fish habitats. We focused on the habitat requirements of juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta) in a semi-natural braided floodplain along the Moesa River (Southern Switzerland) in early summer. First, we defined different scenarios (with and without hydropeaking) based on the local hydrological and meteorological conditions. Second, we used a two-dimensional depth-averaged hydro-and thermodynamic model to simulate the spatial distributions of water depth, flow velocity, and water temperature. Third, we applied generalized preference curves for juvenile brown trout to identify hydraulically suitable habitats, and developed a new index to assess the availability of thermally suitable habitats. Finally, we quantified the extent to which hydraulically and thermally suitable habitats overlap in space and time. During both base and peak flow phases, most of the hydraulically and thermally suitable habitats are located in the side channels. High flow conditions combined with strong cold-thermopeaking lead to a higher thermal heterogeneity. However, disconnected habitats originate in the dewatering zone, increasing the risk of stranding as well as thermal stress. By helping to better understand the effects of thermopeaking on the availability of fish habitats, our approach could contribute to the design and evaluation of ecological restoration in hydropeaking rivers.

show abstract

“…We classified the two hydraulic variables, depth, and velocity, into 10 classes (Johnson et al, 2020; Johnson, Sivakumar, & Rosenfeld, 2017), and general variables instream cover and substrate types were classified as per Pusey et al (1993) (Table 1). We assessed the variation in habitat use by tadpoles depending on habitat type and season on the hydraulic variables velocity and depth, the most widely used expressions of fish habitat preferences (Macura, Štefunková, Majorošová, Halaj, & Škrinár, 2018). Cumulative link mixed models (CLMM) were used to model the habitat use considering the ordered categorical nature of these response variables (Christensen, 2019).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the influence of check dam and season on habitat use to develop habitat suitability criteria for overwintering tadpoles of Nanorana spp.

Jithin

Das

Johnson

2022

River Research & Apps

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding habitat availability and use patterns are essential in developing comprehensive conservation strategies for focal species. Studies on amphibian larval habitat use are limited, especially from modified habitats. We investigated the habitat availability and use patterns of overwintering tadpoles of the Nanorana frog in an anthropogenically modified stream in the western Himalaya. Habitat was assessed in terms of depth, velocity, substrate type, and instream cover. We quantified the microhabitat preference of the tadpoles to develop habitat suitability criteria (HSC) curves, the biological component of habitat simulation tools used in instream flow management. We analyzed the data covering winter and post‐winter seasons using cumulative link mixed models to understand the influence of check dams and seasons on the hydraulic properties of microhabitats used by the tadpoles. We confirm the influence of check dam and season on velocity and the influence of season on depth used by the tadpoles. Based on this, we generated HSCs for tadpoles occurring in natural and modified pools during both seasons. We recommend intermediate water depths (30–60 cm) during the low flow season to sustain the tadpole population in the study stream and other required habitat features. The study underlines the importance of spatial and temporal variation in the habitat suitability for Nanorana tadpoles. These HSCs can be used in hydrological models for estimating the minimum ecological flow for overwintering tadpoles in the study area. A large‐scale study based on the recommendations can lead to a better conservation plan in light of altered streamflow in the western Himalaya region.

show abstract

Influence of discharge on fish habitat suitability curves in mountain watercourses in IFIM methodology

Cited by 13 publications

References 40 publications

The Impact of the Morphology of Mountain Watercourses on the Habitat Preferences Indicated by Ichtyofauna Using the Ifim Methodology

The Impact of the Morphology of Mountain Watercourses on the Habitat Preferences Indicated by Ichtyofauna Using the Ifim Methodology

Integrating two‐dimensional water temperature simulations into a fish habitat model to improve hydro‐ and thermopeaking impact assessment

Understanding the influence of check dam and season on habitat use to develop habitat suitability criteria for overwintering tadpoles of Nanorana spp.

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About