Development of Habitat Suitability Criteria and In‐Stream Habitat Assessment for the Benthic Cyanobacteria Phormidium

Global demand for freshwater has led to unprecedented levels of water abstraction from riverine systems. This has resulted in large alterations in natural river flows. The deleterious impacts of reduced flows on fish and macroinvertebrate abundances have been thoroughly investigated; in contrast, there is a limited understanding of the potential for changes in the abundance of nuisance benthic algal/cyanobacterial blooms. In New Zealand, Phormidium sp. blooms are common in numerous rivers during summer low flows. In this study, an in‐stream habitat assessment is used to examine the relationship between Phormidium habitat availability and reducing flows. Over 650 observations of Phormidium mats, from seven sites (Hutt River, lower North Island, New Zealand), were used to construct habitat suitability curves for depth, velocity and substrate. Preference curves were fitted using both the ‘forage ratio’ and ‘quantile regression’ methods. Phormidium growth, observed at all seven sites, increased significantly from upstream (uppermost site, 5.2% mat cover) to downstream (63.5%). The habitat suitability curves revealed Phormidium had a large tolerance to velocity, depth and substrate type. Consequently, decreases in flow had only negligible effects on available Phormidium habitat. During periods of stable flow, Phormidium abundance positively correlated with increased nitrogen concentrations, potentially explaining the large variation in Phormidium cover from upstream to downstream. Quantile regression generated habitat suitability criteria were a more accurate predictor of available Phormidium habitat than the forage ratio criteria. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluating Methods to Establish Habitat Suitability Criteria: A Case Study in the Upper Delaware River Basin,USA

Defining habitat suitability criteria (HSC) of aquatic biota can be a key component to environmental flow science. HSC can be developed through numerous methods; however, few studies have evaluated the consistency of HSC developed by different methodologies. We directly compared HSC for depth and velocity developed by the Delphi method (expert opinion) and by two primary literature meta‐analyses (literature‐derived range and interquartile range) to assess whether these independent methods produce analogous criteria for multiple species (rainbow trout, brown trout, American shad, and shallow fast guild) and life stages. We further evaluated how these two independently developed HSC affect calculations of habitat availability under three alternative reservoir management scenarios in the upper Delaware River at a mesohabitat (main channel, stream margins, and flood plain), reach, and basin scale. In general, literature‐derived HSC fell within the range of the Delphi HSC, with highest congruence for velocity habitat. Habitat area predicted using the Delphi HSC fell between the habitat area predicted using two literature‐derived HSC, both at the basin and the site scale. Predicted habitat increased in shallow regions (stream margins and flood plain) using literature‐derived HSC while Delphi‐derived HSC predicted increased channel habitat. HSC generally favoured the same reservoir management scenario; however, no favoured reservoir management scenario was the most common outcome when applying the literature range HSC. The differences found in this study lend insight into how different methodologies can shape HSC and their consequences for predicted habitat and water management decisions. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

Differences among Expert Judgments of Fish Habitat Suitability and Implications for River Management

Expert judgment is regularly used in ecology for assessing the suitability of habitats, in particular of rare or endangered species or species with limited empirical data. Yet, differences in expert judgment of habitat suitability and consequent implications for ecosystem management have not been evaluated and are largely ignored. Here, we evaluated the variability of 13 expert judgments and the related uncertainty in hydraulic habitat suitability modelling using the riverine fish species Phoxinus phoxinus as a model species. We found (i) the highest agreement among experts identifying the best and fully unsuited habitat conditions, but (ii) that disagreement among experts is surprisingly large, (iii) with largest differences related to the experts' perception of flow velocity and (iv) that semi‐suitable transition areas between high and low habitat suitability are most susceptible to disagreements. We emphasize that expert judgment of habitat suitability is useful for many applications and especially highly suitable habitats would be reliably identified by experts. However, expert judgment‐based assessments should be iterative processes that include both different experts and feedback on the potential effects of their assessments. Furthermore, we recommend that expert judgment should not replace data‐driven empirical ecology but its benefits can rather complement it. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of fish habitat suitability using a coupled ecohydraulic model: Habitat model selection and prediction

The selection of an approach to evaluate habitat suitability for a specific fish or life stage has been a matter of concern in habitat quality modelling studies. This study has taken Jinshaia sinensis, a commercially valuable fish endemic to the Jinsha River, China, as the target fish species. One‐ and two‐dimensional hydrodynamic models were coupled and combined with fish habitat models for a middle reach of the Jinsha River. The resulting ecohydraulic model was used to predict the changes in hydrodynamics and spawning habitat suitability that resulted from the operation of an under‐construction reservoir downstream of the study area. The preference function (product, arithmetic mean, geometric mean, and minimum value) and fuzzy logic habitat evaluation methods were compared to predict the spawning habitat suitability of the fish. The model was validated using the numbers of spawning eggs, and the results show that both the arithmetic mean and fuzzy logic method can be used to predict spawning habitat suitability. The model predictions show that the hydrodynamics of the study area would be altered if the impoundment water level exceeded 969 m. During the spawning season, the spawning habitat suitability would increase from April to early June and has little change from early June to July under the impact of the reservoir impoundment. The optimal river discharge rate for fish spawning is ~3,500 m³/s, and this would not change after the reservoir begins operation. This research can benefit other regions that will be affected by planned dams by predicting the impacts of reservoir operation on fish habitat quality, and the results will help decision makers protect the health of rivers and the overall ecosystem.     

Habitat suitability curves for brown trout (Salmo trutta fario L.) in the River Adda,Northern Italy: comparing univariate and multivariate approaches

Habitat suitability of brown trout (Salmo trutta fario) was studied in the upper portion of the Adda River, Northern Italy. Measurements were made for 528 individuals distributed in two life‐stage classes, adult and juvenile, based on body length. In order to provide basic biological information for the physical habitat simulation (PHABSIM) system of the instream flow incremental methodology (IFIM) in the Italian regulated rivers, habitat suitability curves (HSCs) have been developed with respect to several microhabitat riverine parameters. Initially, current velocity, water depth, substrate class size and cover were analysed with an univariate approach, then bivariate habitat suitability models were developed from depth and velocity data. The comparison of experimental univariate HSCs with those from the literature outlined some differences that can essentially be explained by characteristics of the investigated river, confirming the necessity of using site‐specific curves in relation to each experimental study area. To compare the univariate and bivariate approaches, the weighted usable area (WUA)–discharge relationships were calculated using both types of HSCs. Response curves obtained from the two approaches turned out to be quite different. In PHABSIM habitat modelling, HSCs univariate functions need to be aggregated to produce the WUA–discharge relationship. A multiplicative criterion is generally used for the combined suitability factor; by means of this aggregation criterion all variables have equal weight. According to bivariate models, depth is much more important than velocity in defining habitat suitability requirements. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of flow‐related substrate alteration on physical habitat: a case study of the endemic river loach Sinogastromyzon puliensis (Cypriniformes,Homalopteridae) downstream of Chi‐Chi Diversion Weir,Chou‐Shui Creek,Taiwan

This paper addresses the variation of substrate status with flow in the framework of habitat simulation. The Physical Habitat Simulation System (PHABSIM) was developed as a tool for water management and has become one of the most popular methods worldwide. Despite its many advantages, the variation of channel properties with flow is not addressed in PHABSIM. We modified PHABSIM by incorporating a sub‐program that can perform substrate analyses under five different schemes for evaluating the substrate suitability. These schemes include the conventional methods to specify the substrate attribute (scheme 1) and to use the mean grain size of the original bed material for determining the substrate suitability (scheme 2), or employ the threshold conditions for sediment entrainment to evaluate the nominal grain size of the stable substrate (schemes 3–5). As a case study, Sinogastromyzon puliensis in Chou‐Shui Creek (Taiwan) is selected as the target species for the habitat simulation. For schemes 1 and 2, the substrate attribute specified for each cell of a cross‐section does not change with flow. The nominal grain size of the stable armour material (scheme 5) is generally greater than the nominal grain sizes of the above‐critical bed material (scheme 3) and the static armour layer (scheme 4). The simulation results indicate that the suitability values specified in scheme 1 and the resulting habitat area are on the optimistic side, whereas scheme 2 tends to undervalue the suitability of the hydraulically worked substrate. The overall variation trends of the weighted usable area (or percentage usable area) curves for different substrate schemes are similar, especially in the in‐phase regions of the water velocity and depth. The results of this study appear to imply that the flow‐related habitat analyses are not usually sensitive to substrate. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Increasing River Flow Expands Riparian Habitat: Influences of Flow Augmentation on Channel Form,Riparian Vegetation and Birds Along the Little Bow River,Alberta

With river regulation, water withdrawal is common, reducing instream flows. The opposite alteration, flow augmentation, is less common and could reveal a mechanistic coordination between flow regime, channel form, and riparian ecosystems. The Little Bow River, a naturally intermittent prairie stream in Southern Alberta, has experienced flow augmentation since the late 1890s, and the Little Bow/Highwood Project of 2004 enabled a tripling of diversion flows from 2.9 to 8.5 m³/s. We investigated the subsequent responses by assessing the channel form and riparian vegetation based on aerial photographs taken in 2000 versus 2010, and riparian birds were assessed between 2005 and 2013 to investigate associations with riparian vegetation. Following recent flow augmentation, the mean channel width increased from 12.2 to 13.5 m, while sinuosity was relatively unchanged. Streamside zones with true willows (especially Salix exigua and Salix bebbiana) increased from 7 to 11% of the river corridor, and the facultative riparian wolf willow (Elaeagnus commutata) zones increased from 16 to 20%, while grassy zones decreased from 64 to 52%. Avian species richness and Shannon–Wiener index increased, while species evenness was relatively unaltered, suggesting an increase of rarer bird species in response to the increased habitat structure and diversity following the expansion of riparian shrubs and woodland. This study revealed responses to the recent flow augmentation over the first decade of implementation, and alterations following flow augmentation would likely continue for decades until the river and riparian zones adjust to the new flow regime. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Population Trends,Bend Use Relative to Available Habitat and Within‐River‐Bend Habitat Use of Eight Indicator Species of Missouri and Lower Kansas River Benthic Fishes: 15 Years After Baseline Assessment

A baseline assessment of the Missouri River fish community and species‐specific habitat use patterns conducted from 1996 to 1998 provided the first comprehensive analysis of Missouri River benthic fish population trends and habitat use in the Missouri and Lower Yellowstone rivers, exclusive of reservoirs, and provided the foundation for the present Pallid Sturgeon Population Assessment Program (PSPAP). Data used in such studies are frequently zero inflated. To address this issue, the zero‐inflated Poisson (ZIP) model was applied. This follow‐up study is based on PSPAP data collected up to 15 years later along with new understanding of how habitat characteristics among and within bends affect habitat use of fish species targeted by PSPAP, including pallid sturgeon. This work demonstrated that a large‐scale, large‐river, PSPAP‐type monitoring program can be an effective tool for assessing population trends and habitat usage of large‐river fish species. Using multiple gears, PSPAP was effective in monitoring shovelnose and pallid sturgeons, sicklefin, shoal and sturgeon chubs, sand shiner, blue sucker and sauger. For all species, the relationship between environmental variables and relative abundance differed, somewhat, among river segments suggesting the importance of the overall conditions of Upper and Middle Missouri River and Lower Missouri and Kansas rivers on the habitat usage patterns exhibited. Shoal and sicklefin chubs exhibited many similar habitat usage patterns; blue sucker and shovelnose sturgeon also shared similar responses. For pallid sturgeon, the primary focus of PSPAP, relative abundance tended to increase in Upper and Middle Missouri River paralleling stocking efforts, whereas no evidence of an increasing relative abundance was found in the Lower Missouri River despite stocking. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.