Potential impact of a large-scale cascade reservoir on the spawning conditions of critical species in the Yangtze River China

Authored by Meixiu Yu, Published in 2019

Item Content
Title Potential impact of a large-scale cascade reservoir on the spawning conditions of critical species in the Yangtze River China
Author Meixiu Yu and Daqing Yang and Xiaolong Liu and Qiongfang Li and Guoqing Wang
Journal Water
Year 2019
Volume 11
Issue 10
Pages 2027
Abstract Dam building and reservoir operations alter the downstream hydrological regime, and as a result, affect the health of the river aquatic ecosystem, particularly for large-scale cascade reservoirs. This study investigated the impact of the Gezhouba Reservoir (GR) and the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) on the spawning conditions of two critical taxa, ie, the endemic four major carps and the endangered Chinese sturgeon in the Yangtze River. We analyzed the flow, sediment, and thermal regime in these two taxa spawning seasons and compared their features between the predam and postdam periods. Our results revealed that the GR and the TGR had altered the frequency distributions of flow, sediment, and water temperature to different degrees, with the impact by the GR on the carps and Chinese sturgeon ranked as water temperature> flow, sediment> water temperature> flow, and the effect of the TGR on these two taxa were ordered as flow> water temperature, sediment> flow> water temperature. For the GR, the satisfying degree of the suitable flow and water temperature of the carps increased, whilst the suitable flow, sediment, and water temperature for the Chinese sturgeon decreased. These changes in TGR showed a significant ascending (descending) trend in the suitable flow (water temperature) for the carps, and a clear decreasing trend in the flow, sediment, and temperature for Chinese sturgeon. Both the TGR and the GR had negative impacts on the spawning of these two taxa in terms of the rising/falling flow characteristics. View Full-Text
Cited by 5 (Updated on Nov-08-2024)
Url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/11/10/2027
Achive https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/11/10/2027/pdf

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