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Variation in the suitability of Chinese sturgeon spawning habitat after construction of dams on the Yangtze River
Author(s) -
Jiao Wenjing,
Zhang Peng,
Chang Jianbo,
Tao Jiangping,
Liao Xiaolin,
Zhu Bin
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of applied ichthyology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.392
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1439-0426
pISSN - 0175-8659
DOI - 10.1111/jai.13914
Subject(s) - sturgeon , fish migration , three gorges , yangtze river , fishery , estuary , habitat , reproduction , biology , china , population , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , geography , archaeology , demography , geotechnical engineering , sociology , engineering
Summary The Chinese sturgeon ( Acipenser sinensis ) is an anadromous fish inhabiting the Yangtze River. Migration of Chinese sturgeon from the estuary to upper Yangtze River was blocked by Gezhou Dam, completed in 1981, and a new, much smaller, spawning ground was established below the dam. However, Three Gorges Dam began operating in 2003, altering hydrological conditions in the new spawning grounds and the impact on Chinese sturgeon reproduction was severe. The annual survey of Chinese sturgeon shows that both spawning scale and breeding population decreased during this period. To illustrate the impact of Three Gorges Dam on the spawning grounds and reproduction of Chinese sturgeon, the habitat suitability of spawning grounds on spawning day was simulated using River2D. Results show that the area of suitable spawning grounds positively correlates with the scale of reproduction and both have decreased sharply since 2003.