FISH ASSEMBLAGES IN NON‐REGULATED AND REGULATED RIVERS FROM PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY IBERIAN SYSTEMS

The effects of river regulation on the hydrological cycle of a river and on the respective fish assemblage may differ according to dam operation purpose and type of river analysed. To assess the spatial and temporal variation of fish assemblages and their response to the hydrological changes caused by two different types of flow regulation, we selected three sampling sites in four rivers with different levels of regulation, two in a permanent river system and another two on a temporary one, which we sampled in four different annual seasons. In the permanent system, hydroelectrical regulation decreased hydrological variability, which affected fluvial specialist species, benefitting the generalist ones, and created a more homogeneous community that presented less intra‐annual variation. In the temporary system, agricultural regulation caused an inversion of the hydrological cycle, maintaining a moderate flow volume throughout the drought period that benefited the introduced, generalist and more tolerant species. Monthly volume was recognized, in a temporal scale, as the most important hydrological feature for assemblages’ structure, predicting the intra‐annual variation of several ecological guilds. This study provides important considerations for dam management and riverine ecosystems conservation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

USING OTOLITH CHEMISTRY TAGS AND GROWTH PATTERNS TO DISTINGUISH MOVEMENTS AND PROVENANCE OF NATIVE FISH IN THE GRAND CANYON

Fish otolith and water chemistry were assessed in the Grand Canyon reach of the Colorado River and its tributaries. Aqueous strontium and selenium (in ratio to calcium) and carbon stable isotopic ratios were identified as markers with excellent potential to track the provenance and movements of the endangered humpback chub Gila cypha. Although otolith δ¹³C and Sr/Ca varied proportionately to water chemistry and provided a framework for detailed study of humpback chub movements, otolith Se/Ca showed ambiguous tracking of known water chemistries. As an application, we document the natal source and movement dynamics of n = 10 humpback chub and compare these findings from otolith microchemistry with the current paradigm of humpback chub spawning ecology. We found that seven of ten fish follow the current early life history paradigm and were spawned in the Little Colorado River and subsequently emigrated to the main stem Colorado River as juveniles. However, the otolith markers of three fish suggest an alternative early life trajectory with unknown provenance. Age and growth analyses demonstrate seasonally higher growth rates in the warmer Little Colorado River compared with the Colorado River. Combining natural markers with age and growth reconstructions provides a powerful tool for assessing the habitat use and success of humpback chub in the Grand Canyon. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improving Water Supply Outlook in Korea with Ensemble Streamflow Prediction

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to propose an alternative forecasting approach for improving the current water supply outlook in Korea. Using a rainfall-runoff model, the existing technique for the water supply outlook in Korea produces monthly low, average, and high runoff forecasts. The proposed technique is called Ensemble Streamflow Prediction (ESP), and is currently implemented by the National Weather Service in the U.S.A. ESP appears particularly valid in Korea where the historical rainfall record is much more comprehensive than the historical streamflow record. This study applies ESP to runoff forecasting for a river basin in Korea to examine its applicability. An ensemble of one-month ahead runoff forecasts at the Gongju gauging station in the Keum River basin, Korea, was generated for each month. The resulting ESP forecasts were compared with the corresponding observed runoff data as well as the existing forecasts. Although this study is limited to one case study, the following conclusions can be made: (1) the ESP technique dominates the existing forecasting techniques in terms of both systematic and random errors; and (2) ESP is more accurate when high flows occur.     

Institutional factors affecting fish passage in the Columbia River Treaty renegotiation

ABSTRACT

The United States and Canada have begun renegotiating the Columbia River Treaty, which is an international model for transboundary water governance. This paper identifies six institutional factors that will affect negotiations pertaining to fish passage during the renegotiation of the treaty: geographical advantage, issue linkage, a basin commission, the duration of agreements, negotiating autonomy and side payments. These factors and the methods used to determine them can be applied to other transboundary river basins where basin states have a history of transboundary resource governance. This analysis also serves as a policy-relevant resource for Columbia River Treaty negotiators and stakeholders.     

Determinants of temperature in small coastal embayments of Lake Ontario

Along 25 km of the Lake Ontario shoreline near Toronto, Ontario, small coastal embayments (0.4–32 ha) have been constructed or modified by lake-infilling to restore warmwater fish habitat. The variation in thermal habitat quality for warmwater fishes among these embayments is very high; temperatures range from those found within a small pond to those of much cooler Lake Ontario. Since meteorological conditions and surface heat fluxes are almost identical, the temperature variation among embayments must be caused by differences in bathymetry or exchange with Lake Ontario. However, a previous study on these embayments found paradoxically that temperatures were not strongly associated with channel size or embayment bathymetry. This paper resolves the paradox by showing that flushing times for almost all of the constructed embayments were less than 1 day, and often less than 12 h. With so little time to warm within the embayments, water temperatures of almost all embayments remained very close to the temperatures of the adjacent lake waters. The coldest embayments connected directly to open Lake Ontario and warmer embayments connected to Lake Ontario through other embayments or protected harbors, where the inflowing water from Lake Ontario had already substantially warmed. To allow embayments along the exposed shoreline of Toronto to reach acceptable temperatures for warmwater fish, we use heat budgets to calculate that average summer flushing times must be increased from their current length of 1.5 to 5.5 h to approximately 30 h. Such changes could be achieved through large reductions in the channel cross section.     

Surface ultrastructure of the gill filaments and the secondary lamellae of the catfish, Rita rita, and the carp, Cirrhinus mrigala

Surface ultrastructures of gill filaments and secondary lamellae of Rita rita and Cirrhinus mrigala, inhabiting different ecological habitat, were investigated to unravel adaptive modifications. R. rita is a sluggish, bottom dwelling carnivorous catfish, which inhabits regions of river with accumulations of dirty water. It retains its viability for long time if taken out of water. C. mrigala is an active bottom dwelling Indian major carp, which lives in relatively clean water and dies shortly after taken out of water. In R. rita, gill septa between gill filaments are reduced. Microridges on epithelial cells covering gill filaments are often continuous and arranged concentrically. Secondary lamellae are extensive. The epithelium appears corrugated, show irregular elevations and shallow depressions, and microridges on epithelial cells appear fragmented. In C. mrigala, in contrast, the gill septa are extensive. Microridges on epithelial cells covering gill filaments are fragmented. Secondary lamellae are less extensive. The epithelium appears smooth and microridges on epithelial cells are relatively inconspicuous. These differences have been considered adaptive modification in relation to habit and ecological niches inhabited by two fish species. Presence of mucous goblet cells on gill filaments is discussed in relation to their functions including precipitation of the sediments and preventing clogging of gill filaments. Infrequent mucous goblet cells in the epithelium of secondary lamellae in two fish species are considered an adaptation, minimizing thickness of the epithelium to reduce barrier between blood and water for favoring gasses exchange with increased efficiency.     

基于人工鱼群的交通诱导系统最优查询研究

与齐齐哈尔市公安交通警察支队交通控制中心合作开发,并以齐齐哈尔市路况为实际进行凋研,将改进的人工鱼群算法应用于交通路径诱导系统数据库优化查淘中,算法提高了最优路径查询的效率。对人工鱼群算法进行了改进,引入贝叶斯变异算子和十字交叉变异算子,避免了算法局部寻优能力差和收敛速度慢等弊端。仿真实验表明算法是正确有效性的。     

基于改进遗传算法的结构可靠度计算

针对传统的遗传算法容易产生早熟收敛现象以及局部搜索能力较差等缺陷,结合鱼群算法中具有加快寻优速度的追尾行为和克服局部极值能力较好的聚群行为对其进行改进。将改进后的遗传算法应用到框架结构的可靠度分析中,并以门式框架结构为例,建立了以单元截面积、外荷载为设计变量,可靠度指标为目标函数的优化模型。分别采用JC法与改进遗传算法对门式框架结构的可靠度指标进行对比计算,两种算法在同一验算点不同荷载值下的可靠度指标的计算结果相近,但改进后的遗传算法在分析过程中受到的约束条件较少,简单高效。     

Development of a fish‐based index of biotic integrity (FIBI) for monitoring riverine ecosystems in the Lake Victoria drainage Basin,Kenya

The long term monitoring of aquatic ecosystems based on chemical analysis is expensive resulting in a lack of time series data for management purposes thus necessitating the need for new cost effective methodologies. This study developed a fish‐based index of biotic integrity (FIBI) for monitoring environmental conditions in riverine ecosystems within the Lake Victoria Basin, Kenya. The fish fauna in the basin is poorly studied, less diverse and ecologically specialized than the temperate fauna that provided the origins of the Index of Biotic Integrity. Fish samples were collected by electrofishing from 24 sites during baseflow periods in February, March and July 2004. Validation data were collected from 7 sites with varying levels of degradation. Fish samples were identified, counted and grouped into different trophic groups, relative tolerance to pollution, habitat guild and whether exotic or native to riverine environment. Thirty‐three candidate metrics were evaluated for responsiveness to habitat quality and twelve were selected for inclusion in the final index. The index classified 6 of the 7 validation sites according to their levels of degradation. As a bioassessment tool, the index was useful in laying the basis for long‐term monitoring of rivers in the Lake Victoria drainage basin. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.