基于鱼类需求的息县枢纽工程闸下河段环境流量研究

针对水利工程建成运行后对下游河段流量过程变化造成的鱼类原有栖息地面积减小和质量降低的潜在生态问题,对拟建息县枢纽工程闸下4.9 km河段内采用栖息地模拟法进行环境流量研究。采用MIKE数值模拟与HSI栖息地模型结合的方法,通过分析自然状态下研究河段的水流特性及鱼类栖息地现状,讨论了在不同生命期不同流量对鱼类栖息地的影响,确定了适宜环境流量范围,为水利工程建设后水生生物栖息地保护提供理论和方法指导。     

基于水生态保护目标的河道内生态需水量研究

生态水力学法计算生态需水量需要依据河流生境特征、水生生物保护目标对生境的需求等实际情况灵活应用。本文以楠溪江干流河道内生态需水量计算为例,分析自然条件下生境条件与标准推荐方法的差别,探讨针对水生态保护目标的河道内生态需水量综合确定的思路和方法。楠溪江干流水文情势、河势河型较为稳定,是洄游性鱼类香鱼的重要栖息地,生态需水量除可参照水文学、水力学方法确定外,还应分时段、分河段考虑香鱼洄游对水流条件的需求。本文提出的生态需水量以维持良好生境条件为目标,以满足基本生态需求为基础,可为流域水资源开发利用提供参考。     

基于改进IFIM法的生态流量应用方法进展

河道内流量增加法(IFIM)在生态流量的计算中起着非常重要的作用,但IFIM法仍存在精确度不足、局限性和普适性低等问题。根据已发表参考文献,系统归纳了IFIM法的步骤及特点,总结了基于IFIM法不同的水力学模型与栖息地模型的耦合方法,并详细阐述了不同水力学模型的适用范围,综合分析了不同水力学模型的优点和缺点,并提出了改进IFIM法未来的发展趋势,为后续使用栖息地法研究不同尺度的生态流量定量化提供依据。     

基于物理栖息地模拟的长江中游生态流量研究

将Delft3D水力学模型和栖息地模型组成物理栖息地模拟模型以研究鱼类的生态环境。以长江中游宜昌至枝江河段为研究区域,以长江的重要经济鱼类四大家鱼为目标物种,结合流速及水深两个栖息地限制因子计算研究区域内不同流量下四大家鱼4个产卵场的栖息地面积,得到了流量与栖息地面积关系曲线。分析该曲线,结果表明：长江中游四大家鱼4—6月份产卵期间的最小生态流量为4 570m3/s,适宜生态流量范围为12 000~15 500m3/s。计算结果在传统水文学法界定的生态流量范围之内,分析认为该计算结果更加合理,可为四大家鱼的保护和三峡及葛洲坝工程的生态调度提供参考建议。     

基于物理栖息地模拟的长江中游生态流量研究

利用Delft3D水力学模型和栖息地模型组成物理栖息地模拟模型，以长江中游宜昌至枝江河段为研究区域，以长江的重要经济鱼类四大家鱼为目标物种，结合流速及水深两个栖息地限制因子推求研究区域内不同流量下四大家鱼四个产卵场的栖息地面积。研究结果表明：长江中游四大家鱼4—6月份产卵期间的最小生态流量为4570m3/s，适宜生态流量范围为12000~15500m3/s。计算结果在传统水文学法界定的生态流量范围之内，而且比传统水文学法的计算结果更加合理，可为四大家鱼的保护和三峡及葛洲坝工程的生态调度提供参考建议。     

基于栖息地模拟的河道生态需水量多目标评价方法及其应用

本文提出基于栖息地模拟法的多目标评价法计算河道生态需水量,以加权可利用面积(WUA)最大和流量最小为目标,采用理想点法进行求解.该方法综合考虑了生态用水和经济用水,提供了一个栖息地保护和经济用水相协调的最优河流生态需水量.最后以鱼类作为指示物种,对新疆额尔齐斯河中游鱼类产卵期的河道生态需水量进行了计算.计算结果表明,其生态流量为78m3/s,占该河段多年平均流量的74%.该结果比直接采用栖息地模拟法计算的结果小,但该生态流量可以对河流栖息地提供足够的保护,且较好地协调了生态用水和经济用水的矛盾.     

基于栖息地模型的新安江坝下生态流量研究

通过水力学模型与物理栖息地模型的耦合建立,揭示水文水力学与河流生物生命过程的响应关系,探索水生生物最佳生境所需的生态流量,为构建系统理论提供依据。基于物理栖息地模型,运用MIKE 21二维水力学模型模拟新安江坝下江段不同流量条件下的水深、流量分布,利用PHABSIM栖息地模型作出流量-WUA关系曲线,并得出虹鳟鱼适宜生态流量为160 m3/s,该值介于tennant评价标准极好与最佳之间,分析认为该计算结果更为合理,可为虹鳟鱼的保护和新安江水库的生态调度提供参考。     

基于鱼类生境需求的生态流量过程研究

选用日涨水率和日落水率两个生态水文因子,构建裂腹鱼栖息地生态水文学特征指标。结果表明,产卵期日涨水率的适宜范围为0.005~0.015,日落水率的适宜范围为0.005~0.015;非产卵期(5~10月)日涨水率的适宜范围为0.01~0.05,日落水率的适宜范围为0.02~0.04。采用文献法和专家法得出裂腹鱼产卵期偏好水深范围为0.5~1.5 m、偏好流速范围为0.5~2.0 m/s。用不同方法计算了苏洼龙水电站坝下河段生态需水量,并结合金沙江上游天然河流的水文情势及裂腹鱼栖息地生态水文学特征,以生态水力学法的计算结果作为基流量,确定了苏洼龙水电站坝下河段的生态流量过程。     

生态水力学耦合模型及其应用

生态水力学是研究水动力学和水生态系统动力学之间相互作用的一门新兴的交叉学科.它一方面研究水力条件的改变对水生态系统平衡以及生物多样性的影响,另一方面研究水生态系统的演变对水力情势的反作用.生态水力学模型是探讨这些复杂过程的有力工具,甚至可以用来评价生态恢复方案的效率.本文论述了生态水力学的研究目的和范围,并从三个方面阐述了建立耦合生态水力学模型的思路和方法,包括模型模式融合、模型方法集成和时空尺度耦合.模型在莱茵河下游生态栖息地评价和荷兰Veluwe湖沉水植物竞争性生长模拟等实例中的应用表明耦合生态水力学模型有很好的应用前景.     

资料短缺平原河流的生态需水量计算——以通顺河武汉段为例

各类计算生态需水量的方法多需要长序列实测的水文或生境资料,无法直接适用于资料短缺的河流。在实测资料短缺的平原河流通顺河武汉段上布置10个典型断面,利用人为设定的多级试算流量来替代长序列实测流量,利用MIKE11软件模拟推求河道典型断面水力参数(河宽、水深、流速和湿周等)随流量的变化关系;在此基础上,依据平原河流滩槽明显的特点,选用水力学法中基于水力参数与流量间相关关系的湿周法和生态水力学法分别计算研究河段的生态需水量。计算结果表明,通顺河武汉段的河道基本形态得以维持和生物基本栖息地得以保障时的生态需水量应为26 m³/s。所提出的计算方案能较好地推求资料短缺地区平原河流的生态需水量,也可为类似河流的生态需水计算提供一定的参考。     

Effect of dam removal on habitat use by spawning Atlantic salmon

By impeding migration and degrading habitat downstream, dam construction has caused population declines in many migratory fish populations. As part of the landlocked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) restoration program in Lake Champlain, the Willsboro Dam was removed from the Boquet River, NY in 2015 providing an opportunity to study the effects of dam removal on spawning habitat quality and availability. Spawning habitat surveys were conducted downstream of the dam site in 2014, 2016 and 2017, and in historical spawning grounds upstream in 2016 and 2017. The habitat used was characterized by measuring depth, water velocity, and substrate size at each redd. Mean habitat use did not differ between upstream and downstream sites for any variables in 2016 and only differed for depth in 2017. However, the variance in depth and substrate used for spawning were lower at the upstream site in 2016, likely due to an abundance of habitat. In the downstream site, the mean and variance in depth at redds decreased after dam removal as did the variance in substrate size, increasing the habitat suitability of redds. When compared to literature data, habitat used upstream of the former dam was of medium quality in both 2016 and 2017, and improved downstream from low to medium quality in both column velocity and substrate size after dam removal. This study illustrates that positive shifts in the quality of habitat used can occur rapidly following dam removal by allowing access to suitable spawning habitat upstream and improving habitat downstream.     

Development of habitat suitability criteria for trout in small streams

We observed 2863 trout in the wild to determine habitat utilization in small streams of the Kings River basin in California's Sierra Nevada mountains. The habitat utilization data were used to develop habitat suitability functions that provide input variables to the instream flow incremental methodology (IFIM) habitat assessment model of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Observations of habitat utilization of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri), brown trout (Salmo trutta), and brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) were obtained during the summer months of 1983 and 1984. The observations were made in small streams with discharges ranging from 0.7 m³ s^?1 to 0.03 m³ s^?1. The streams are at elevations of 1250 to 2530 m. Equal effort was applied to observing undisturbed trout in all habitat types. Snorkeling proved to be the most effective method of observation. Individual trout of all species and life stages were most often observed in the lower half of the water column, utilizing low-velocity currents of less than 3.0 cm s^?1. From the depth and velocity utilization data, several forms of habitat suitability functions were developed and evaluated:

• 1 Univariate depth and velocity functions derived from frequency histogram analysis.
• 2 Univariate depth and univariate velocity exponential polynomial models.
• 3 Bivariate depth and velocity exponential polynomial models.

Univariate exponential polynomial models provided the best fit to the data for each species, based on visual comparisons of response surfaces and contour plots, and comparisons of computed sums of squared errors. Bivariate models fitted to the data resulted in greater sums of squared errors than multiplicative aggragation of univariate models, and frequently predicted utilization at zero depth. The habitat suitability functions derived from the univariate exponential polynomial models provided the best input to the IFIM habitat assessment models.     

Field evaluation of a two‐dimensional hydrodynamic model near boulders for habitat calculation

Two‐dimensional hydrodynamic models are now widely used in aquatic habitat studies. To test the sensitivity of calculated habitat outcomes to limitations of such a model and of typical field data, bathymetry, depth and velocity data were collected for three discharges in the vicinity of two large boulders in the South Platte River (Colorado) and used in the River2D model. Simulated depth and velocity were compared with observed values at 204 locations and the differences in habitat numbers produced by observed and simulated conditions were calculated. The bulk of the differences between simulated and observed depth and velocity values were found to lie within the likely error of measurement. However, the effect of flow simulation outliers on potential habitat outcomes must be considered when using 2D models for habitat simulation. Furthermore, the shape of the habitat suitability relation can influence the effects of simulation errors. Habitat relations with steep slopes in the velocity ranges found in similar study areas are expected to be sensitive to the magnitude of error found here. Comparison of habitat values derived from simulated and observed depth and velocity revealed a small tendency to under‐predict habitat values. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Challenging the assumption of habitat limitation: an example from centrarchid fishes over an intermediate spatial scale

Habitat rehabilitation efforts are predicated on the frequently untested assumption that habitat is limiting to populations. These efforts are typically costly and will be ineffective if habitat is not limiting. Therefore it is important to assess, rather than assume, habitat limitation wherever habitat rehabilitation projects are considered. Catch‐count data from a standardized probability‐based stratified‐random monitoring programme were examined for indirect evidence of backwater habitat limitation by centrarchid fishes in the Upper Mississippi River System. The monitoring design enabled fitting statistical models of the association between mean catch at the spatial scale of tens of river kilometres and the percentage of contiguous aquatic area in backwater at least 1 m deep by maximizing a stratum‐area weighted negative binomial log‐likelihood function. Statistical models containing effects for backwater limitation failed to account for substantial variation in the data. However, 95% confidence intervals on the backwater parameter estimates excluded zero, indicating that population abundance may be limited by backwater prevalence where backwaters are extremely scarce. The combined results indicate, at most, a weak signal of backwater limitation where backwaters are extremely scarce in the lower reaches, but not elsewhere in the Upper Mississippi River System. This suggests that habitat restoration projects designed to increase the area of backwaters suitable for winter survival of centrarchids are unlikely to produce measurable benefits over intermediate spatial scales in much of the Upper Mississippi River System, and indicates the importance of correct identification of limiting processes. Published in 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Accuracy and Reliability of Traditional Surface Flow Type Mapping: Is it Time for a New Method of Characterizing Physical River Habitat?

Surface flow types (SFTs) are advocated as ecologically relevant hydraulic units, often mapped visually from the bankside to characterize rapidly the physical habitat of rivers. SFT mapping is simple, non‐invasive and cost‐efficient. However, it is also qualitative, subjective and plagued by difficulties in recording accurately the spatial extent of SFT units. Quantitative validation of the underlying physical habitat parameters is often lacking and does not consistently differentiate between SFTs. Here, we investigate explicitly the accuracy, reliability and statistical separability of traditionally mapped SFTs as indicators of physical habitat, using independent, hydraulic and topographic data collected during three surveys of a c. 50 m reach of the River Arrow, Warwickshire, England. We also explore the potential of a novel remote sensing approach, comprising a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) and structure‐from‐motion photogrammetry (SfM), as an alternative method of physical habitat characterization. Our key findings indicate that SFT mapping accuracy is highly variable, with overall mapping accuracy not exceeding 74%. Results from analysis of similarity tests found that strong differences did not exist between all SFT pairs. This leads us to question the suitability of SFTs for characterizing physical habitat for river science and management applications. In contrast, the sUAS–SfM approach provided high resolution, spatially continuous, spatially explicit, quantitative measurements of water depth and point cloud roughness at the microscale (spatial scales ≤1 m). Such data are acquired rapidly, inexpensively and provide new opportunities for examining the heterogeneity of physical habitat over a range of spatial and temporal scales. Whilst continued refinement of the sUAS–SfM approach is required, we propose that this method offers an opportunity to move away from broad, mesoscale classifications of physical habitat (spatial scales 10–100 m) and towards continuous, quantitative measurements of the continuum of hydraulic and geomorphic conditions, which actually exists at the microscale. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Juvenile Salmonid Utilization of Floodplain Rearing Habitat After Gravel Augmentation in a Regulated River

Gravel augmentation is used in sediment‐starved streams to improve salmonid spawning habitat. As gravel is added to river channels, water surface elevations may rise in adjacent areas, activating floodplain habitat at lower flows, and floodplains inundate more frequently, potentially affecting the quantity and quality of juvenile salmonid rearing habitat. We analysed 5 years of juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tschawytscha and steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss data from snorkel surveys before and after gravel augmentation in the Lower American River, a low‐gradient, highly regulated alluvial river in California's Central Valley. We measured the quality and quantity of rearing habitat (current velocity and areal extent of inundated riparian vegetation) following gravel placement and tested whether these factors affected juvenile abundance. Gravel augmentation increased floodplain extent by 3.7–19.8%, decreased average flow velocity from 1.6 to 0.3 m s^?1 and increased the amount of vegetative cover from 0.3% to 22.6%. Juvenile abundances increased significantly for both species following augmentation. However, the strength of the relationship between abundance and habitat variables was greater for smaller salmonids. These results suggest that, in addition to enhancing salmonid spawning habitat, gravel augmentation can improve rearing habitat where channel incision and/or regulated hydrographs disconnect floodplains from main river channels. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of habitat heterogeneity and bed surface complexity on benthic invertebrate diversity in a gravel‐bed river

Maintaining or restoring physical habitat diversity is a central tenet of sustainable river management, yet a link between habitat and ecological diversity in fluvial systems has long remained equivocal. The lack of consistent evidence partly reflects the problems of characterizing habitat in ways that are ecologically meaningful. This paper assesses the influence of habitat heterogeneity and complexity on macroinvertebrate assemblages in a mountain gravel‐bed river. With the use of 0.1‐m resolution data obtained from an acoustic Doppler current profiler, heterogeneity and complexity in hydraulic conditions and bed topography were characterized using 13 metrics applied to 30 areas, each 1 m², with an invertebrate sample collected from each area. Turnover of invertebrate taxa (i.e., β‐diversity) between sampled areas was rather limited, but observed differences in diversity were related significantly to several metrics of habitat heterogeneity. Invertebrate abundance was related to habitat diversity, patch size coefficient of variation, and patch size, whereas the Shannon diversity was related to the number of patches and patch size. None of the habitat complexity metrics accounted for a significant amount of observed variation in invertebrate communities between sampled areas. The paper demonstrates that high‐resolution data can help reveal relationships between habitat and benthic invertebrate diversity.     

Agricultural environmental management; case studies from theory to practice.

Six farms were examined, each from a different sector of Scottish agriculture. Surveys were carried out to identify both diffuse pollution risks and options for habitat conservation and enhancement. Financial data were also gathered to determine the current sources of farm income, both from sale of produce and from grants. Whole farm plans were produced aimed at bringing about reductions in diffuse pollution to water, soil and air and also habitat improvements. The assembled information was used to devise a possible agri-environment grant scheme to aid the implementation of the whole farm plans.     

Great Lakes coastal fish habitat classification and assessment

Basin-scale assessment of fish habitat in Great Lakes coastal ecosystems would increase our ability to prioritize fish habitat management and restoration actions. As a first step in this direction, we identified key habitat factors associated with highest probability of occurrence for several societally and ecologically important coastal fish species as well as community metrics, using data from the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Framework (GLAHF), Great Lakes Environmental Indicators (GLEI) and Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program (CWMP). Secondly, we assessed whether species-specific habitat was threatened by watershed-level anthropogenic stressors. In the southern Great Lakes, key habitat factors for determining presence/absence of several species of coastal fish were chlorophyll concentrations, turbidity, and wave height, whereas in the northern ecoprovince temperature was the major habitat driver for most of the species modeled. Habitat factors best explaining fish richness and diversity were bottom slope and chlorophyll a. These models could likely be further improved with addition of high-resolution submerged macrophyte complexity data which are currently unavailable at the basin-wide scale. Proportion of invasive species was correlated primarily with increasing maximum observed inorganic turbidity and chlorophyll a. We also demonstrate that preferred habitat for several coastal species and high-diversity areas overlap with areas of high watershed stress. Great Lakes coastal wetland fish are a large contributor to ecosystem services as well as commercial and recreational fishery harvest, and scalable basin-wide habitat models developed in this study may be useful for informing management actions targeting specific species or overall coastal fish biodiversity.     

Great Lakes coastal wetlands as suitable habitat for invasive mute swans in Michigan

Great Lakes coastal wetlands provide critical habitat and food resources for more species than any other Great Lakes ecosystem. Due to past and current anthropogenic disturbances, coastal wetland area has been reduced by >50% while remaining habitat is frequently degraded. Invasive mute swans have contributed to the degradation of coastal wetlands by removing submergent vegetation and competitively excluding native species from breeding areas and food resources. Despite current control practices, mute swan population estimates in Michigan are ~8000, comparable to population estimates in the entire Atlantic Flyway of North America. We collected local abiotic data and adjacent land cover data at 3 scales from 51 sites during 2010 and 2011 and conducted 2 mute swan detection surveys each year during the summer and fall. We developed a single-species, single-season occupancy-based habitat suitability model to determine current and potential mute swan habitat among Great Lakes coastal wetlands. We found mute swans occupied heterotrophic coastal wetlands adjacent to urban areas, which were high in ammonium and oxidation-reduction potential and low in nitrates, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. Our model provides managers with a valuable tool for rapidly identifying mute swan habitat areas for control efforts, particularly the need for targeting mute swan populations in or near urbanized areas. Our model will also aid managers in monitoring areas that mute swans may invade and prioritizing coastal wetland areas for restoration efforts.