中国鲤科鱼类游泳能力综合分析和应用

该研究利用学术论文数据库筛选出中国鲤科鱼类游泳能力相关论文115篇,并用Origin软件进行了数据统计分析,旨在归纳和分析中国鲤科鱼类游泳能力并建立估算方法,可为正处于规划阶段和可行性研究阶段的过鱼设施流速设计提供依据.结果表明：（1）鱼类游泳速度与鱼体长度具有显著的非线性相关关系,据此建立了一系列幂函数经验公式,可为游泳能力和过鱼设施研究及设计提供依据.（2）依据所得到的经验公式和协方差分析可知,喜流水型鲤科鱼类的游泳能力>广适型>喜静水型.根据该研究得到的经验公式并结合行业规范和文献资料,对正处于规划阶段和可行性研究阶段过鱼设施流速设计的建议如下：西南地区以裂腹鱼成鱼为主要过鱼对象的过鱼设施进鱼口吸引流速范围为0.61~0.76 m/s,通道内最高流速阈值为1.28 m/s;长江中下游以四大家鱼成鱼为主要过鱼对象的进鱼口吸引流速范围为0.76~0.93 m/s,通道内最高流速阈值为1.49 m/s,以四大家鱼幼鱼为主要过鱼对象的进鱼口吸引流速范围为0.42~0.62 m/s,通道内最高流速阈值可为0.82 m/s.     

我国8个水电站15种过鱼对象游泳能力研究

近几年我国水电站过鱼设施设计已将过鱼对象游泳能力作为重要参考. 以我国8个水电站主要过鱼对象为研究目标,在野外实验设施条件下测试了15种鱼(四大家鱼组、裂腹鱼组和鳅组)的感应流速和爆发游泳速度. 采用多元线性回归法分别分析了各组鱼体长及水温对游泳能力的影响,并构建了优化的游泳能力预测模型. 结果表明,四大家鱼组、裂腹鱼组和鳅组的感应流速和爆发游速皆与体长呈负相关,感应流速与水温也皆呈负相关关系. 水温升高使四大家鱼组和裂腹鱼组的爆发游速能力增强,而水温对鳅组鱼的爆发游速影响不大,可能与鳅科鱼类特殊的腹部吸附行为有关. 利用绘制的鱼感应水流和爆发未疲劳的数量百分比的生存曲线进行上行及下行过鱼设施流速设计. 结果表明：当鱼感应水流的数量百分比为90 % 时,四大家鱼、裂腹鱼和鳅组幼鱼感应流速分别为3.00、1.67和3.22 BL/s,裂腹鱼和鳅组成鱼感应流速分别为1.27和2.09 BL/s;当鱼爆发未疲劳的数量百分比为90 % 时,四大家鱼、裂腹鱼和鳅组幼鱼爆发游泳速度分别为8.13、9.27和9.61 BL/s,裂腹鱼和鳅组成鱼爆发游泳速度分别为7.64和7.77 BL/s. 当以裂腹鱼或鳅成鱼为主要过鱼对象时,上行过鱼设施内流速范围建议为1.27~7.64和2.09~7.77 BL/s. 当以四大家鱼、裂腹鱼或鳅幼鱼为主要过鱼对象时,下行过鱼设施入口流速建议小于8.13、9.27和9.61 BL/s. 本研究结果可为我国水电站主要过鱼对象的过鱼设施设计提供参考依据.     

红河(元江)流域的典型鱼类游泳能力探究及在过鱼设施流速设计中的应用

为探讨红河（元江）流域的典型洄游鱼类游泳能力,给过鱼设施修建设计和鱼类行为学研究提供基础参数,本研究以该流域的野生暗色唇鲮（Semilabeo obscurus）、华南鲤（Cyprinus carpio rubrofuscus）和红魾（Bagarius rutilus）3种鱼类（体长范围0.05~0.45 m）为研究对象,在野外现场布置游泳能力测试水槽分别测试了感应流速、临界游泳速度和突进游泳速度.研究结果表明：（1）对比绝对游泳能力与体长相关性,3种鱼的相对游泳能力与体长的相关性更高,均呈显著负相关;（2）3种鱼之间的游泳能力存在差异,红魾的感应流速最大,为（0.10±0.01）m/s,华南鲤的临界游泳速度最大,为（0.66±0.01）m/s,华南鲤的突进游泳速度最大,为（1.48±0.18）m/s;（3）拟合趋流率与水流速度的相关曲线,所有测试鱼的趋流率与流速的函数关系为Pre=19.80V-1.13（R²=0.96,P<0.05）,得出95%目标鱼的趋流速度为0.11 m/s;利用生存分析方法,得出95%目标鱼累积疲劳的临界和突进游泳速度分别为0.58、1.01 m/s.（4）当以暗色唇鲮、华南鲤和红魾为主要过鱼对象时,建议过鱼设施的内部流速不应小于0.1 m/s,入口的设计流速范围为0.6~1.0 m/s,休息区域的流速范围为0.1~0.6 m/s,孔口或竖缝等高流速区的设计流速不宜超过0.8 m/s,若过鱼设施孔口边壁或底部加糙,可适当增至0.8~1.0 m/s.本研究中红河（元江）流域鱼类游泳能力等资料为过鱼设施修建及珍稀鱼类保护提供了数据支撑.     

Boulder arrangement on a rocky ramp fishway based on the swimming behavior of fish

A rocky ramp fishway is one of the Nature like fishway, comprises a long sloping channel and boulders on a slope (Katopodis et al., 2001). The turbulence and backwater around the boulders creates refuges of decreased local flow where fish can rest. However, recent studies have shown that turbulent flow may influence fish migration (Smith et al., 2006). This paper is focused on boulder arrangement and height of boulder on rocky ramp fishway. The swimming performance of char (Salvelinus richardson) and freshwater sculpin (Cottus pollux) around boulders on experimental channel were observed using ultra-high-speed cameras, and the appropriate arrangement of boulders for each species was considered. In total, 27 hydraulic conditions were assessed considering variable distributions, shapes, heights of the boulders as well as variable flow depths by observing swimming behavior for each condition. Laboratory measurement shows that sculpin, which are bottom fish, require a density, and several linear arrangements of boulders to allow migration. As increasing the vertical low-velocity area, which is created behind high boulders does not always result in a good outcome for sculpin. However, this solution is not suitable for char; therefore, a diverse arrangement of boulders is required on individual rocky ramp fishways to allow the movement and migration of multiple species. We propose to add cloister in the fishway for free migration of weak swimmer.     

A simplified climate model with combined atmospheric-hydrological processes

Abstract

Global climate change can be reproduced in detail by using three-dimensional general circulation models (GCMs). However, such complex models require super-computers and extensive hours of computational time for a single attempt at reproducing long term climate change. An alternative approach is to make simplifying assumptions that retain the essential physics for the desired simulation. Energy balance and Radiative-convective models are examples of such models. The model in this study follows the simplified approach using physics-based climate processes as well as interactions between atmospheric and hydrological processes. The vertically and latitudinally averaged mean temperature and mean water vapour content between 30°N-50°N latitudes are considered as atmospheric state variables while soil and sea temperatures and water storage amount are considered for describing the behaviour of the hydrological system. Temperatures in both the atmosphere and ground are calculated by a thermal energy equation that considers the physically-based processes of shortwave radiation, longwave radiation, sensible heat flux, and latent heat flux. Precipitation and evaporation processes transport moisture between the atmosphere and ground. In this study, the radiation parameterization of the simplified climate model is tested in the investigation of the various effects of global warming due to doubling and quadrupling of CO₂. Changes of temperature, soil water content, evaporation rate and precipitation rate are investigated by numerical experiments. The simplified climate model provides acceptable simulation of climate change and holds promise for practical investigations such as the interactions of physical processes in the evolution of drought phenomena.     

金沙江下游支流黑水河松新电站幼鱼下行过坝研究

梯级小水电的开发一定程度上破坏了河流连通性并阻碍了鱼类洄游通道。黑水河流域松新坝址为了满足鱼类上行产卵修建了松新鱼道,然而作为洄游物种生命周期中的关键行为,鱼类下行洄游的需求也同等重要。为了寻求一种可行、高效、低损伤的下行过鱼方式,了解河流中不同环境因素对鱼类下行效率的影响,本研究在金沙江下游支流黑水河松新水电站补水通道开展鱼类下行过坝效果评估研究。针对两种鲤科鱼类(棒花鱼Abbottina rivularis和短须裂腹鱼Schizothorax wangchiachii)幼鱼和两种鳅科鱼类(短体副鳅Paracobitis potanini和红尾副鳅Paracobitis variegatus)幼鱼各放鱼90尾,定量分析鱼种、水体透明度、放鱼位置、流量、水温、水位等因素对鱼类下行效率的影响。结果表明:棒花鱼、短须裂腹鱼、短体副鳅、红尾副鳅的下行率依次为22.22%(20尾)、28.89%(26尾)、8.89%(8尾)、15.56%(14尾);幼鱼下行成功率与上游河道水温呈正相关趋势,且放鱼位置、鱼种、上游河道水温和流量均对鱼类下行成功率有显著影响。通过构建二元Logistic回归模型识...     

Effect of NAPL exposure on the wettability and two‐phase flow in a single rock fracture

Surface‐wetting properties are an important cause of changing the groundwater and two‐phase fluid flows. Various factors affecting the surface wettability were investigated in a parallel‐walled glass fracture with non‐aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) (gasoline, diesel, trichloroethylene, and creosote) wetted surfaces. First, the effect of the duration of NAPL exposure on wettability change was considered at pre‐wet fracture surfaces using the various NAPL species, and the result showed that the surface became hydrophobic after the exposure time of NAPL exceeded 2000 min. Second, the initial wetting state of the surface affected the timing when the wettability change begins as well as the extent of the wettability change in an NAPL‐wetted rock fractures. Under the dry condition, the wettability change was completed within a very short time of exposure to NAPL (~5 min), and then it finally reached the intermediate and weakly NAPL wetting (contact angle of 118°). Under the pre‐wet condition, a relatively long time of exposure (~5000 min) was needed to observe the obvious change of the surface wettability, which was changed up to strongly NAPL wetting (contact angle of 142°). Third, the wettability changed by NAPL exposure was stable and maintained for a long time, regardless of water flushing rate and temperature. Finally, the wettability change by the exposure of NAPL on parallel fracture surfaces was evaluated at various groundwater flow velocities. Result showed that groundwater flow velocity has an important impact upon measured contact angle. Although fracture surfaces were exposed to NAPL at the low groundwater flow velocity, the wettability was not changed from hydrophilic to hydrophobic when the contact time between NAPL and mineral surfaces was not sufficient owing to the pulse‐type movement of NAPL. This implies that the variation of exposure pattern due to groundwater flow on the wettability change can be an important factor affecting the wettability change of fracture surface and migration behaviour at natural fractured rock aquifers in case of NAPL spill. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shallow groundwater dynamics and its driving forces in extremely arid areas: a case study of the lower Heihe River in northwestern China

Shallow groundwater is an important source of water for the maintenance and restoration of ecosystems in arid environments, which necessitates a deeper understanding of its complex spatial and temporal dynamics driven by hydrological processes. This study explores the dominant hydrological processes that control the shallow groundwater dynamics in the Gobi Desert‐riparian‐oasis system of the lower Heihe River, a typical arid inland river basin located in northwestern China. The groundwater level and temperature were monitored in 14 shallow wells at 30‐min intervals during the 2010–2012 period. After combining this information with meteorological and hydrological data, a comprehensive analysis was conducted to understand the dynamic behaviour of the shallow groundwater system and to determine the dominant factors that control the groundwater flow processes. The results of the study indicate notably large temporal and spatial variations in both the groundwater level and temperature. Noticeable fluctuations in the groundwater level (0.5–1 m) and temperature (4–8 °C) were observed in the riparian zone, evidencing a clear river influence. In comparison, the groundwater fluctuations in the Gobi Desert were more stable (the annual variations of the water table were less than 0.5 m, and the water temperature varied by no more than 2 °C). Strong variations in the groundwater table (1.5–5.0 m/year) and temperature (1.5–6.5 °C), mainly caused by surface flood irrigation and groundwater pumping, were observed in the oasis area. The investigated sites were categorized into three types that reflect the dominant hydrological processes: (1) the riparian zone, dominated by riverbank filtration and groundwater evapotranspiration; (2) the Gobi Desert area, controlled by groundwater evaporation and lateral recharge; and (3) the oasis area, dominated by groundwater evapotranspiration as well as surface–groundwater interactions caused by human activities. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Unravelling runoff processes in Andean basins in northern Ecuador through hydrological signatures

Streamflow is the runoff response integrated in space and time over a complex system involving climatic and catchment physiographic factors. In the Andes, accelerating runoff process understanding is hampered by the inability to quantify heterogeneity of surface and subsurface catchment properties. Here, we present a statistical approach based on regression models and correlation analysis that links hydrological signatures and catchment properties to unveil processes in a set of volcanic mountain catchments (latitude 0°30'N) in Ecuador. The catchments represent form and function diversity in the same hydrological unit. We found that despite of similar atmospheric-water inputs the water yield in the north-east region is about 5× larger than in the south-west region and their flow regimes are asymmetric. The soil-bedrock interface and lithology exert a first-order control on hydrologic partitioning, and this allowed us to hypothesize two hydrological mechanisms. Firstly, in the north-east region, the perennial streamflow is associated with seasonal rainfall patterns, and subsequent drainage processes taking place at the surface and subsurface level. The amount of streamflow is related to landform characteristics, high canopy density and root development of forest as well as water holding capacity of organic soils. From a mechanistic standpoint, the low concentration time, steep slopes and shallow infiltration limited by high-consolidated deposits of sedimentary and volcanics suggest a lateral movement of the flow. Secondly, in the south-west region the streamflow regime is mostly groundwater-dependent and it becomes seasonally enhanced by rainfall. Larger seasonal variations of precipitation and temperature result into enhanced evapotranspiration in the drier months, limiting shallow soil infiltration. Under the soil layers, highly permeable pyroclastic deposits and andesitic lavas promote deep percolation. The results highlight the degree of dissimilarity of hydrological processes in Andean settings, but unravelling their complexity seems plausible using streamflow signatures and causal explanatory models.     

金沙江支流黑水河松新电站短须裂腹鱼（Schizothorax wangchiachii）过坝后上溯行为

鱼类过坝后的上溯行为对鱼类寻找适宜的产卵、索饵等功能性栖息地至关重要。现阶段我国大多数研究聚焦于鱼类上溯通过鱼道的游泳行为量化,而过坝后的上溯行为分析鲜有报道。本研究在金沙江下游支流黑水河松新坝址处利用PIT(passive integrated transponder)遥测技术对松新电站过鱼对象短须裂腹鱼(Schizothorax wangchiachii)过坝后的上溯行为开展监测,考虑监测过程中水文情势变化对过坝后上溯行为的影响,采用生存分析方法,构建了耦合多因素(流量、水温、河道涨落水率、昼夜节律、肥满度等)的Cox风险比例回归模型,利用AIC模型准则筛选出最优模型参数,识别了影响鱼类过坝后上溯成功率的关键因素。结果表明:(1)短须裂腹鱼在松新鱼道的上溯效果显著优于河道;(2)水温及河道涨落率是影响短须裂腹鱼过坝后上溯效果的关键因素;(3)水温与短须裂腹鱼过坝后河道上溯成功率呈负相关,当水温超过短须裂腹鱼最适温度后,河道上溯成功率随着温度的上升呈递减趋势;河道涨落水率与短须裂腹鱼过坝后河道上溯成功率呈正相关,其中涨水情势下短须裂腹鱼河道成功上溯的概率高于落水,河道上溯成功率随着涨...     

Reservoir-induced hydrological alterations and environmental flow variation in the East River,the Pearl River basin,China

The East River basin is the major source of water supply for megacities in the Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong. Intensifying development of water resources and reservoir-induced hydrological alterations negatively affect ecological hydrological requirements. In this study, hydrological alterations and environmental flow variation are determined. Results indicate that: (1) multi-day maxima have reduced, while multi-day minima have increased, due to hydrological regulations of water reservoirs; (2) hydrological regimes of the East River have also been severely affected by hydropower generation, leading to a greater frequency of high and low pulses of lesser duration, and these effects are increasingly evident from the upper to lower East River basin; (3) owning to the water being released rapidly for hydropower generation or flood protection, the number of hydrologic reversals have increased after reservoir operations, also with increasing rise and fall rate; and (4) the alteration of three different types of environmental flow components have been shown in the study, which can be used to support the determination of environmental flow requirements in the East River basin.     

Estimation of ecological high flow

Floods can destroy fish habitat. During a flood a fish has to seek shelters (refuges) to survive. It is necessary to know the maximum discharge that the fish can sustain against the strong current. Ecological and hydraulic engineers can simulate the flow condition of high flow for designing the refuge when restoring and enhancing the rivers are needed. Based on the average ratio of the mean and maximum velocities invariant with time, discharge and water level, this paper tries to introduce the concept of ecological high flow. The mean‐maximum velocity ratio can be used to estimate the mean velocity of the river. If the maximum velocity of the cross section is replaced by the maximum sustained swimming speeds of fish, the mean velocity of ecological high flow can be calculated with the constant ratio. The cross‐sectional area can be estimated by the gage height. Then the ecological high flow can be estimated as the product of mean velocity of ecological high flow multiplied by the cross‐sectional area. The available data of the upstream of the Dacha River where is the habitat of the Formosan landlocked salmon were used to illustrate the estimation of the ecological high flow. Any restoration project at Sonmou that try to improve the stream habitat can use the ecological high flow to design the hydraulic structure at suitable location to offer refuges for the Formosan landlocked salmon that is an endangered species in Taiwan Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Erosion characteristics of loess tunnels on the Loess Plateau: A field investigation and experimental study

Loess tunnels are a common geo-hazard in the Loess Plateau and not only cause considerable soil and water loss, but also aggravate and even induce the occurrence and development of other disasters such as ground fissures, mudflows, collapses, and landslides. To date, research on the hydrological characteristics and erosion behaviour of loess tunnel systems has focused on field investigation data and limited river basin observation data, whereas field test information and data are very scarce. In this study, field surveys, observations, field scouring experiments, and laboratory-based sediment percentage tests were conducted to analyse the erosion characteristics, spatial distribution, and hydrological characteristics of a large-scale loess tunnel system in the hilly Loess Plateau southeast region of northern China. The results showed that the loess tunnel erosion exhibited periodicity. Tunnel erosion in each period shows a similar erosion process, that is, thin-layer water flow erosion and lateral expansion, tunnel wall collapse and deposit due to the loss of support from the lateral erosion, and erosion and transport of deposits by water flow. Waterfall erosion, lateral erosion, headward erosion, and the resulting collapses were the main forms of tunnel erosion. Besides this, the base level of erosion significantly affects the erosion characteristics of the loess tunnel. The hydrological characteristics during field scouring experiments exhibited three different stages: a lag effect, attributed to the temporary loss of water velocity in the first stage; small water flow fluctuations in the second stage; and an increase in total seepage loss with increased water injection flow in the third stage. The erosion rate was positively correlated with the flow quantity. The results of this study not only provide valuable reference data for research on the mechanism and velocity of erosion events in loess, but also provide a theoretical basis for the prevention of loess tunnel disasters in engineering construction. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

云南云龙天池枝角类群落演替对1950s以来人类活动影响信号的识别

从1950s开始, 云南地区部分湖泊受到了水文调控(如筑坝)和鱼类引入等流域开发活动的直接影响, 湖泊水环境与生态系统结构已出现明显改变. 开展浮游动物群落的长期生态响应评价有助于认识气候波动和人为胁迫的影响模式. 本文选取云龙天池进行了沉积物记录分析, 在重建过去100年环境变化历史的基础上开展了枝角类群落的多指标分析(物种组成、个体大小、生物量等), 进一步结合多变量分析识别了枝角类群落构建的关键驱动因子. 结果显示, 云龙天池在过去100年间经历了明显的水位波动, 约1962年以前水位较低, 1950s起的水文调控(筑坝)导致湖泊水位波动上升, 2006年以来略有下降. 枝角类群落随水位波动呈现由底栖种向浮游种占优转变的模式, 并在2006年以来底栖种略有增加. 总体上, 低水位时期底栖枝角类占优, 高水位时期浮游枝角类占优. 水体营养水平也对枝角类群落产生了较为显著的影响. 在沉积物总氮和有机质通量上升时, 长额象鼻溞(Bosmina longirostris)相对丰度和枝角类浓度都明显上升. 枝角类象鼻溞个体大小表明, 1969年鱼类引入后象鼻溞的壳长、壳刺长度、触角长度显著减小, 反映了鱼类捕食压力上升的影响. 本研究进一步揭示了水文调控和鱼类引入对湖泊环境和生物群落结构的驱动影响. 其中, 1960s以前云龙天池处于自然波动的状态, 湖泊环境和枝角类群落变化主要受气候(如降水、气温)的影响; 1960s以来人类活动的影响强度已经掩盖了气候变化的信号, 成为影响湖泊生态演化轨迹的主要因素. 为了开展有效的湖泊保护与生态治理, 有必要综合评估水文调控、鱼类引入等人类活动对湖泊生态健康的长期影响.     

鄱阳湖拟建水利枢纽工程对洪泛区地下水动力的影响及其生态意义

洪泛湿地是位于水生系统和陆生系统之间的过渡带,在河流和陆地之间的水文生态方面起着纽带作用,受气候变化和人类活动的叠加影响,其水文过程改变很大程度上影响了湿地生态系统循环、结构和功能的稳定。本文以鄱阳湖洪泛区湿地为研究区,应用湖泊水动力和洪泛区地下水数值模型,评估鄱阳湖拟建水利枢纽工程对洪泛区地下水系统的影响。模拟结果表明,拟建水利枢纽工程将会遵循调度方案使得湖泊水位明显提高,但同时导致洪泛区地下水位的整体抬升,且东部主湖区附近的地下水位受到的影响（约1～3 m）要明显强于洪泛区其它区域（约小于1 m）。地下水位的变化同时导致不同典型时期洪泛区地下水流速的减小及地下水流向的改变,表现为枢纽建设后地下水流向的逆转和流速基本小于0.1 m/d。鄱阳湖涨水-丰水期总体为湖水补给洪泛区地下水模式,枯水-退水期主要为地下水补给湖水模式,但水利枢纽可能导致洪泛区地下水系统水均衡状态发生转变,影响了地下水系统的补给和排泄状态,最终形成了长期稳定的湖泊补给地下水的作用模式。从地下水-生态系统响应变化的角度分析,拟建水利枢纽建设引起的地下水位上升,可能会给湿地生物地球化学元素的迁移转化、植被群落的演变与退...     

An experimental investigation of the effects of thawed soil depth on rill flow velocity

Water flow velocity is an important hydraulic variable in hydrological and soil erosion models, and is greatly affected by freezing and thawing of the surface soil layer in cold high-altitude regions. The accurate measurement of rill flow velocity when impacted by the thawing process is critical to simulate runoff and sediment transport processes. In this study, an electrolyte tracer modelling method was used to measure rill flow velocity along a meadow soil slope at different thaw depths under simulated rainfall. Rill flow velocity was measured using four thawed soil depths (0, 1, 2 and 10 cm), four slope gradients (5°, 10°, 15° and 20°) and four rainfall intensities (30, 60, 90 and 120 mm·h⁻¹). The results showed that the increase in thawed soil depth caused a decrease in rill flow velocity, whereby the rate of this decrease was also diminishing. Whilst the rill flow velocity was positively correlated with slope gradient and rainfall intensity, the response of rill flow velocity to these influencing factors varied with thawed soil depth. The mechanism by which thawed soil depth influenced rill flow velocity was attributed to the consumption of runoff energy, slope surface roughness, and the headcut effect. Rill flow velocity was modelled by thawed soil depth, slope gradient and rainfall intensity using an empirical function. This function predicted values that were in good agreement with the measured data. These results provide the foundation for a better understanding of the effect of thawed soil depth on slope hydrology, erosion and the parameterization scheme for hydrological and soil erosion models.     

Fish assemblages in forest drainage ditches: Degraded small streams or novel habitats?

Artificial drainage of forested wetlands to increase timber production has profoundly altered the hydrology of North-European landscapes during the 20th century. Nowadays, drainage ditches and small dredged streams can comprise most fluvial water bodies there, but the resulting ecological effects are poorly documented. In the current study, we explored, using fish as an indicator group, consequences of the transformation of natural stream networks to a mixture of natural and artificial watercourses. We asked whether the transformation results in impoverishment, enrichment or re-assembling of the communities both at watercourse and the landscape scales. We sampled fish in 98 sites in five well-forested regions in Estonia where ditches formed 83–92%, dredged streams 4–7%, and natural streams 3–10% of the total length of small watercourses. Based on a total of 6370 individual fish of 20 species, we found that, compared to natural streams, ditches had an impoverished fauna at both scales and both in terms of species richness and assemblage composition. Only natural streams hosted characteristic species (with Barbatula barbatula, Lampetra planeri and Lota lota emerging as significant indicators), while dredged streams had intermediate assemblages. The habitat factors explaining those drainage-related differences included a reduced flow velocity, loss of stream channel variability, less transparent water, and abundant aquatic vegetation. Hence, for stream-dwelling fish, drained forest landscapes represent degraded habitats rather than novel ecosystems, which contrasts with the transformation of terrestrial assemblages. Future studies should address whether that reflects the situation for whole aquatic assemblages, and how is the functioning of the hydrological systems affected. We suggest that the critical management issues for environmental mitigation of ditching effects on fish include basin scale spatial planning, protecting of the remaining natural streams, and rehabilitation of ditch channels in flat landscapes lacking beavers.     

Assessment of the impact of pools on the water isotopic signature of a boreal patterned peatland

Recent studies have shown that boreal peatlands exhibit considerable chemical variability but without clear spatial pattern. This chemical heterogeneity illustrates the complex hydrological behaviour of peatlands, particularly patterned fen. Isotopic, chemical and physical tracers were used to describe the hydrological behaviour of a small boreal headwater catchment (13 ha) during the snow‐free period with a special emphasis on the downstream patterned fen. Results showed that shallow pools were mixed every day during the summer, particularly during nights or discharge periods. Despite large water storage capacities in pools, which should induce large buffer effect, hydrological behaviour of patterned fen is more similar to a piston flow process. This is probably because of the division of the fen into successive small cascading streamflow reservoirs. The consequences were a rapid change of the chemical signature throughout the fen, particularly upstream. A spatial pattern was observed downstream in early summer. The isotopic signature passed from an upstream depleted and homogeneous signature to a progressively enriched downstream signature. However, this pattern was not identified during the wetter period (late summer), probably because the discharge, which dominated the water budget, decreased the surface water residence time and flushed a large proportion of stored surface water. We developed for this patterned fen a conceptual model of the surface flow to explain these particular mixing effects and the implications on the dynamics of the chemical signature. To further our understanding of similar boreal headwater catchments, future work should include the development of a multiple mixed‐reservoir model. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Facts about the International Association of Hydrological Sciences

ABSTRACT

Despite several studies of spatial and temporal variation in water temperature characteristics, few investigations of longer-term water temperature behaviour in Britain rivers have been undertaken. This paper reports the results from a 10-year study of river water temperatures at three monitoring stations on the River Exe, Devon, UK. Data concerning annual statistics, seasonal regime, diurnal variation, duration characteristics and accumulated temperature are analysed and reveal essentially stable water temperature behaviour over the decade 1974–1983. Contrasts between monitoring stations are also evident and reflect the effects of regional and more local controls as well as the influence of hydrological factors. In spite of these differences, water temperature behaviour is largely synchronous across this river system.