{"title":"Effects of Lateral Hydrological Connectivity on the Taxonomic and Functional Structure of Fish Communities in Saône River Floodplains (France): Implications for Non-Native Species Distribution","authors":"Yann Lelièvre, Emilien Gaigné, Gaël Grenouillet, Guillaume Mortreux, Jérôme Moreau, Jean-Philippe Couasné, Julien Maupoux, Sébastien Motreuil, Rémi Wattier, Maria Teixeira, François-Xavier Dechaume-Moncharmont, Loïc Bollache","doi":"10.1111/fwb.70175","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.70175","url":null,"abstract":"<p>\u0000 \u0000 </p>","PeriodicalId":12365,"journal":{"name":"Freshwater Biology","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/fwb.70175","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146130042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tauany Rodrigues, Vinicius F. Farjalla, Juliana S. Leal, Helena A. Prado, Aliny P. F. Pires
{"title":"Multiple Threats Have Overlapping Impacts Across Ecological Levels in Freshwater Ecosystems","authors":"Tauany Rodrigues, Vinicius F. Farjalla, Juliana S. Leal, Helena A. Prado, Aliny P. F. Pires","doi":"10.1111/fwb.70174","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.70174","url":null,"abstract":"<p>\u0000 \u0000 </p>","PeriodicalId":12365,"journal":{"name":"Freshwater Biology","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/fwb.70174","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146130033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Diana Rojo, Alberto Alonso, Javier Pérez, Brais Hermosilla, Agustí Agut, Maite Orruño, Inés Arana, Luz Boyero
We evaluated whether riparian forest restoration could mitigate the impacts of agricultural land use on key stream ecosystem processes (total and microbial leaf litter decomposition and periphytic algal biomass accrual) and associated assemblages (invertebrates, aquatic hyphomycetes, and periphytic algae) in three streams located in northern Spain.
At each stream we studied three sites with different levels of impact: a control site (no impact), an altered site (surrounded by agricultural crops with no riparian vegetation), and a restored site (also located in agricultural land but having riparian vegetation because of restoration).
Compared to altered sites, restored sites showed lower nutrient levels and distinct biological assemblages, with taxa more typical of good environmental conditions. Despite large differences among streams in terms of local environmental conditions (e.g., stream intermittency), there was an overall trend for faster leaf litter decomposition at restored compared to altered sites, and the former showed the highest rates of aquatic hyphomycete sporulation and periphyton accrual.
Our results suggested an improvement of stream ecological condition due to riparian restoration, for several reasons: water quality was partly improved; leaf litter inputs allowed invertebrate and aquatic hyphomycete assemblages to be more similar to those of control sites, and greater rates of leaf litter decomposition; and algal assemblages were not negatively affected, which maintained the stream self-purification capacity.
Restoration of the riparian forest could be an effective management strategy for improving the ecological condition of streams impacted by agricultural activities, although effects are context-dependent and influenced by site-specific factors, which suggests that proper planning and monitoring are needed in each case.
{"title":"Restoration of Riparian Vegetation Can Mitigate Impacts of Agricultural Land Use on Stream Ecosystems","authors":"Diana Rojo, Alberto Alonso, Javier Pérez, Brais Hermosilla, Agustí Agut, Maite Orruño, Inés Arana, Luz Boyero","doi":"10.1111/fwb.70163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.70163","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>\u0000 \u0000 </p><ol>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>We evaluated whether riparian forest restoration could mitigate the impacts of agricultural land use on key stream ecosystem processes (total and microbial leaf litter decomposition and periphytic algal biomass accrual) and associated assemblages (invertebrates, aquatic hyphomycetes, and periphytic algae) in three streams located in northern Spain.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>At each stream we studied three sites with different levels of impact: a control site (no impact), an altered site (surrounded by agricultural crops with no riparian vegetation), and a restored site (also located in agricultural land but having riparian vegetation because of restoration).</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>Compared to altered sites, restored sites showed lower nutrient levels and distinct biological assemblages, with taxa more typical of good environmental conditions. Despite large differences among streams in terms of local environmental conditions (e.g., stream intermittency), there was an overall trend for faster leaf litter decomposition at restored compared to altered sites, and the former showed the highest rates of aquatic hyphomycete sporulation and periphyton accrual.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>Our results suggested an improvement of stream ecological condition due to riparian restoration, for several reasons: water quality was partly improved; leaf litter inputs allowed invertebrate and aquatic hyphomycete assemblages to be more similar to those of control sites, and greater rates of leaf litter decomposition; and algal assemblages were not negatively affected, which maintained the stream self-purification capacity.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>Restoration of the riparian forest could be an effective management strategy for improving the ecological condition of streams impacted by agricultural activities, although effects are context-dependent and influenced by site-specific factors, which suggests that proper planning and monitoring are needed in each case.</li>\u0000 </ol>\u0000 \u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12365,"journal":{"name":"Freshwater Biology","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146096354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Willem Goedkoop, Sebastian Höss, Fernando Chaguaceda, Kirsten S. Christoffersen, Walter Traunspurger
{"title":"Epilithic Algal and Meiofaunal Assemblages of Arctic/Alpine Lakes and Streams Along Latitudinal and Environmental Gradients in Scandinavia","authors":"Willem Goedkoop, Sebastian Höss, Fernando Chaguaceda, Kirsten S. Christoffersen, Walter Traunspurger","doi":"10.1111/fwb.70172","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.70172","url":null,"abstract":"<p>\u0000 \u0000 </p>","PeriodicalId":12365,"journal":{"name":"Freshwater Biology","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/fwb.70172","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146091112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tereza Novotná Jaroměřská, Ljuba Poláková, Travis B. Meador, Karel Janko, Miloslav Devetter
{"title":"Exploring the Dietary Preferences of Limnic Supraglacial Consumers: 13C and 15N Isotopic Food Labelling in Tardigrades and Rotifers From Cryoconite Holes","authors":"Tereza Novotná Jaroměřská, Ljuba Poláková, Travis B. Meador, Karel Janko, Miloslav Devetter","doi":"10.1111/fwb.70170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.70170","url":null,"abstract":"<p>\u0000 \u0000 </p>","PeriodicalId":12365,"journal":{"name":"Freshwater Biology","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/fwb.70170","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146057973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ben R. J. Crichton, Michael J. H. Hickford, Angus R. McIntosh, David R. Schiel
{"title":"Fishing-Induced Regulation of Diadromous Fish Subsidies in Stream Communities","authors":"Ben R. J. Crichton, Michael J. H. Hickford, Angus R. McIntosh, David R. Schiel","doi":"10.1111/fwb.70166","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.70166","url":null,"abstract":"<p>\u0000 \u0000 </p>","PeriodicalId":12365,"journal":{"name":"Freshwater Biology","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/fwb.70166","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146057731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
By modifying the physical environment, ecosystem engineers influence a wide variety of ecological processes, affecting other species both directly (e.g., providing sites for reproduction, hibernation, and refuge) and indirectly (e.g., mediating availability of resources by altering food web dynamics). The beaver (Eurasian, Castor fiber, and North American, C. canadensis) provides a textbook example of an ecosystem engineer, restructuring the physical fluvial and riparian environment by constructing dams, bankside burrows, lodges, and canals.
The indirect secondary consequences of beaver activity for other species can be difficult to determine. Beaver ponds can benefit fish, such as through the provision of refuge from predators due to increased depth and instream woody structure. Conversely, the formation of deep pools may create habitat for large predatory fish and suitable foraging sites for piscivorous mammalian and avian predators. As a result, the relative costs and benefits for specific life-stages and species can be difficult to disentangle.
Focusing predominantly on Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) as the predator–prey model, this study explored how predation pressure differed between four study reaches situated on two co-located streams connected to a common loch in Northern Scotland.
One of the two inflowing streams was (i) modified by Eurasian beaver activity. There were also three unmodified (control) reaches comprising: (ii) the second inflowing stream, (iii) a reach above the modified inflowing section, where the influence of dams was deemed to have ceased, and (iv) the stream flowing out of the loch. Trail cameras monitored how predator presence differed spatially (between the control and modified reaches) and temporally (between seasons). Heron abundance differed both spatially and temporally, being: (a) greater at the beaver modified than control sites; (b) positively correlated with 1+ age group trout (but not when all age groups were aggregated); (c) higher in deeper pool habitat; and (d) greater in the autumn and spring in the beaver modified and control sites, respectively.
Habitat modification by beaver can have complex secondary indirect consequences for predator–prey dynamics that should be accounted for in their conservation and management.
{"title":"Quantification of Piscivorous Predator Presence in a Beaver Castor fiber Modified Freshwater Ecosystem","authors":"Robert J. Needham, Paul S. Kemp","doi":"10.1111/fwb.70165","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.70165","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>\u0000 \u0000 </p><ol>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>By modifying the physical environment, ecosystem engineers influence a wide variety of ecological processes, affecting other species both directly (e.g., providing sites for reproduction, hibernation, and refuge) and indirectly (e.g., mediating availability of resources by altering food web dynamics). The beaver (Eurasian, <i>Castor fiber</i>, and North American, <i>C. canadensis)</i> provides a textbook example of an ecosystem engineer, restructuring the physical fluvial and riparian environment by constructing dams, bankside burrows, lodges, and canals.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>The indirect secondary consequences of beaver activity for other species can be difficult to determine. Beaver ponds can benefit fish, such as through the provision of refuge from predators due to increased depth and instream woody structure. Conversely, the formation of deep pools may create habitat for large predatory fish and suitable foraging sites for piscivorous mammalian and avian predators. As a result, the relative costs and benefits for specific life-stages and species can be difficult to disentangle.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>Focusing predominantly on Grey Heron (<i>Ardea cinerea</i>) and brown trout (<i>Salmo trutta</i>) as the predator–prey model, this study explored how predation pressure differed between four study reaches situated on two co-located streams connected to a common loch in Northern Scotland.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>One of the two inflowing streams was (i) modified by Eurasian beaver activity. There were also three unmodified (control) reaches comprising: (ii) the second inflowing stream, (iii) a reach above the modified inflowing section, where the influence of dams was deemed to have ceased, and (iv) the stream flowing out of the loch. Trail cameras monitored how predator presence differed spatially (between the control and modified reaches) and temporally (between seasons). Heron abundance differed both spatially and temporally, being: (a) greater at the beaver modified than control sites; (b) positively correlated with 1+ age group trout (but not when all age groups were aggregated); (c) higher in deeper pool habitat; and (d) greater in the autumn and spring in the beaver modified and control sites, respectively.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>Habitat modification by beaver can have complex secondary indirect consequences for predator–prey dynamics that should be accounted for in their conservation and management.</li>\u0000 </ol>\u0000 \u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12365,"journal":{"name":"Freshwater Biology","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146096378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Floodplain wetlands such as Poyang Lake are increasingly shaped by hydrological extremes, yet the mechanisms linking hydrology to waterbirds' space use remain unclear. We aimed to quantify species-specific distribution, habitat selection and behavioural plasticity across contrasting hydrological conditions to inform conservation and wetland management.
We integrated satellite tracking of greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons), bean goose (A. fabalis) and swan goose (A. cygnoides) with remote sensing and a hydrological classification derived from long-term water levels and the SPEI. Individual winter home ranges and utilisation intensity were estimated, mapped, and linked to habitat types. Space-use metrics were compared across hydrological categories (normal, drought, extreme drought) to assess species-specific selection.
Species differed markedly amongst hydrological years. Greater white-fronted and bean geese had larger home ranges and higher mean utilisation intensity in drought and extreme drought years, whereas swan geese showed the opposite pattern. Hydrology strongly structured habitat selection: differences amongst habitat types were pronounced in normal and drought years but weakened under extreme drought. Fresh, sparse wet meadows dominated in normal and drought years; during extreme drought, use of mudflats and tall sedges increased, with parallel shifts in utilisation intensity.
Wintering geese adjusted home range size, utilisation intensity, and habitat preferences under extreme drought, demonstrating pronounced behavioural plasticity and hydrology-dependent space-use strategies. By elucidating species-specific mechanisms linking hydrology to habitat selection in a dynamic Ramsar wetland, this study advances habitat selection theory for floodplain systems and provides actionable guidance for conserving geese and managing Poyang Lake under increasing hydrological extremes.
{"title":"Hydrological Conditions Mediate Habitat Use Plasticity of Wintering Geese in a Floodplain Wetland","authors":"Shaoxia Xia, Wenjuan Yang, Xiubo Yu, Li Wen","doi":"10.1111/fwb.70171","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.70171","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>\u0000 \u0000 </p><ol>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>Floodplain wetlands such as Poyang Lake are increasingly shaped by hydrological extremes, yet the mechanisms linking hydrology to waterbirds' space use remain unclear. We aimed to quantify species-specific distribution, habitat selection and behavioural plasticity across contrasting hydrological conditions to inform conservation and wetland management.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>We integrated satellite tracking of greater white-fronted goose (<i>Anser albifrons</i>), bean goose (<i>A. fabalis</i>) and swan goose (<i>A. cygnoides</i>) with remote sensing and a hydrological classification derived from long-term water levels and the SPEI. Individual winter home ranges and utilisation intensity were estimated, mapped, and linked to habitat types. Space-use metrics were compared across hydrological categories (normal, drought, extreme drought) to assess species-specific selection.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>Species differed markedly amongst hydrological years. Greater white-fronted and bean geese had larger home ranges and higher mean utilisation intensity in drought and extreme drought years, whereas swan geese showed the opposite pattern. Hydrology strongly structured habitat selection: differences amongst habitat types were pronounced in normal and drought years but weakened under extreme drought. Fresh, sparse wet meadows dominated in normal and drought years; during extreme drought, use of mudflats and tall sedges increased, with parallel shifts in utilisation intensity.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>Wintering geese adjusted home range size, utilisation intensity, and habitat preferences under extreme drought, demonstrating pronounced behavioural plasticity and hydrology-dependent space-use strategies. By elucidating species-specific mechanisms linking hydrology to habitat selection in a dynamic Ramsar wetland, this study advances habitat selection theory for floodplain systems and provides actionable guidance for conserving geese and managing Poyang Lake under increasing hydrological extremes.</li>\u0000 </ol>\u0000 \u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12365,"journal":{"name":"Freshwater Biology","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146002300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Joseph Vanderwall, Nellie Little, Hallie Turner, James J. Elser
Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton growth in a lake has various effects on lake function and primary producer composition. There is a rich history of using short-term enrichment experiments to infer the type and degree of limitation in lakes. However, most experiments are analysed independently of one another, lack a common framework for expressing uncertainty, and only represent a single point in time.
We conducted a series of phytoplankton nutrient limitation experiments in mountain lakes across northwestern Montana, USA to (a) assess regional patterns of nutrient limitation and (b) examine limitation through time in one large lake. We use a multilevel Bayesian model to better characterise parameter uncertainty across all experiments.
The fertilisation effect of phosphorus was consistently larger than that of nitrogen, reflecting low phosphorus concentrations across lakes in this region.
Most experiments showed evidence for P limitation or serial P limitation, with some evidence for independent co-limitation as well. We also show that nutrient limitation in one lake changed over both a growing season and across years from strong P limitation to serial P limitation.
Future work should continue to explore methods for analysing collections of nutrient limitation experiments.
{"title":"Patterns of Nutrient Limitation of Phytoplankton in Mountain Lakes Using a Hierarchical Modelling Approach","authors":"Joseph Vanderwall, Nellie Little, Hallie Turner, James J. Elser","doi":"10.1111/fwb.70173","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.70173","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>\u0000 \u0000 </p><ol>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton growth in a lake has various effects on lake function and primary producer composition. There is a rich history of using short-term enrichment experiments to infer the type and degree of limitation in lakes. However, most experiments are analysed independently of one another, lack a common framework for expressing uncertainty, and only represent a single point in time.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>We conducted a series of phytoplankton nutrient limitation experiments in mountain lakes across northwestern Montana, USA to (a) assess regional patterns of nutrient limitation and (b) examine limitation through time in one large lake. We use a multilevel Bayesian model to better characterise parameter uncertainty across all experiments.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>The fertilisation effect of phosphorus was consistently larger than that of nitrogen, reflecting low phosphorus concentrations across lakes in this region.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>Most experiments showed evidence for P limitation or serial P limitation, with some evidence for independent co-limitation as well. We also show that nutrient limitation in one lake changed over both a growing season and across years from strong P limitation to serial P limitation.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>Future work should continue to explore methods for analysing collections of nutrient limitation experiments.</li>\u0000 </ol>\u0000 \u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12365,"journal":{"name":"Freshwater Biology","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146002291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Connectivity between rivers and floodplain wetland habitats has potential benefits for native fishes through enhanced movement opportunities for feeding, spawning, and recruitment. In regulated river systems, natural connecting flows may be substantially altered or lost, and in some cases, these connections are controlled by regulators between rivers and wetlands.
In this study, we investigated whether using regulators to improve connectivity between rivers and floodplain wetlands is effective in facilitating the movement of adult fish into wetlands to spawn and the subsequent dispersal of juvenile fish to rivers. We used fyke netting and seining within wetlands (control and impact) to investigate changes in fish catch rates resulting from the provision of lateral connectivity and bi-directional fyke netting in flood runners and creeks (connecting wetlands or wetland complexes with rivers) to investigate the directional movement of Australian Smelt (Retropinna semoni) and Carp Gudgeon (Hypseleotris spp).
The catch rates of adult Australian Smelt increased in wetlands connected to the river during late winter/early spring relative to those that remained disconnected. No difference in catch rates in wetlands was detected for adult Carp Gudgeon. In complex forest flood runners and creeks, adult Australian Smelt moved against the current when connectivity was supplied. No directional movement was detected toward or away from wetlands that were close to the river (i.e., with short connections of < 150 m) where water tended to flow into the wetlands. No directional movement was detected for adult Carp Gudgeon. Where connectivity was available, juveniles of both species dispersed toward the river in large numbers in spring following spawning and recruitment in wetlands.
The current study demonstrates the benefits of managed connectivity between the Murray River and floodplain wetlands (i.e., an increase in the abundance of adult native fish in wetlands prior to their spawning season and large amounts of emigration of juvenile native fish to the Murray River following spawning and recruitment).
These results should be used to create more specific objectives or targets for managed floodplain connectivity in the Murray River system and can be used to support management actions to increase the spatial extent of floodplain connectivity, not only in the current study area but globally.
{"title":"Connectivity Between a River and Floodplain Wetlands Through Regulators Enhances Bidirectional Migration of Two Species of Small-Bodied Fish","authors":"Frank Amtstaetter, Gabriel Cornell","doi":"10.1111/fwb.70162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.70162","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>\u0000 \u0000 </p><ol>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>Connectivity between rivers and floodplain wetland habitats has potential benefits for native fishes through enhanced movement opportunities for feeding, spawning, and recruitment. In regulated river systems, natural connecting flows may be substantially altered or lost, and in some cases, these connections are controlled by regulators between rivers and wetlands.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>In this study, we investigated whether using regulators to improve connectivity between rivers and floodplain wetlands is effective in facilitating the movement of adult fish into wetlands to spawn and the subsequent dispersal of juvenile fish to rivers. We used fyke netting and seining within wetlands (control and impact) to investigate changes in fish catch rates resulting from the provision of lateral connectivity and bi-directional fyke netting in flood runners and creeks (connecting wetlands or wetland complexes with rivers) to investigate the directional movement of Australian Smelt (<i>Retropinna semoni</i>) and Carp Gudgeon (<i>Hypseleotris</i> spp).</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>The catch rates of adult Australian Smelt increased in wetlands connected to the river during late winter/early spring relative to those that remained disconnected. No difference in catch rates in wetlands was detected for adult Carp Gudgeon. In complex forest flood runners and creeks, adult Australian Smelt moved against the current when connectivity was supplied. No directional movement was detected toward or away from wetlands that were close to the river (i.e., with short connections of < 150 m) where water tended to flow into the wetlands. No directional movement was detected for adult Carp Gudgeon. Where connectivity was available, juveniles of both species dispersed toward the river in large numbers in spring following spawning and recruitment in wetlands.</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>The current study demonstrates the benefits of managed connectivity between the Murray River and floodplain wetlands (i.e., an increase in the abundance of adult native fish in wetlands prior to their spawning season and large amounts of emigration of juvenile native fish to the Murray River following spawning and recruitment).</li>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <li>These results should be used to create more specific objectives or targets for managed floodplain connectivity in the Murray River system and can be used to support management actions to increase the spatial extent of floodplain connectivity, not only in the current study area but globally.</li>\u0000 </ol>\u0000 \u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12365,"journal":{"name":"Freshwater Biology","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146001998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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