Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on the spawning stock and natural reproduction of Chinese sturgeon in Changjiang River,China

Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) is the flagship species of the Changjiang River. The migration route of this species is blocked by the first dam, the Gezhou Dam, and its reproduction is affected by the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), one of the largest dams in the world. We studied the impact of the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) since 2003 on the spawning stock and the natural reproduction of the Chinese sturgeon by using our monitoring data from 1997 to 2013. Results indicate that TGR impoundment has delayed the first spawning dates of the fish from middle-late October to late November, decreased the amount of spawning activities from twice to only once each year, and significantly reduced egg production. In particular, the fish did not demonstrate any spawning activities in 2013. Therefore, TGR impoundment significantly affects the natural reproduction of the fish downstream of the TGD. The spawning stock size of the fish is also predicted to further decrease in the future, which will lead to a risk of population extinction. Ecological regulations must be imposed on decreasing the water temperature to 20°C before mid-October and increasing water discharge downstream of the TGD in October to induce spawning of the Chinese sturgeon.     

Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on reproduction of four major Chinese carps species in the middle reaches of the Changjiang River

Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), and black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) are the four major Chinese carps and are commercially important aquaculture species in China. Reproduction of these carp has declined since the construction of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) due to an altered water flow and thermal regime in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River. However, details of the changes in reproduction of the four species are not well understood. To assess the impact of the TGD on reproduction of the four carp, we investigated their eggs and larvae at Yidu City, which is 80 km below the TGD, during 2005–2012. We examined diff erences in larval abundance of the four species in the Jianli section (350 km downstream of the TGD) before (1997–2002) and after (2003–2012) construction of the TGD. Based on these observations, the first spawning date of the four species was delayed a mean of about 25 days after the dam was constructed. Mean egg abundance in the Yidu section of the river was 249 million and mean larval abundance was 464 million, which were significant decreases since the 1980s. Moreover, larval abundance in the Jianli section after the dam was constructed was significantly lower than that before construction (ANCOVA, P<0.05). The observed larval abundance accounted for only 24.66% of the predicted value in 2003 when the dam was first inundated. The present spawning grounds between the TGD and Yidu section of the river are very similar to those described in the 1980s, and some spawning grounds exist upstream of the TGD. Large free-flowing stretches upstream of the TGD and the creation of artificially flooded downstream reaches are needed to stimulate spawning and eff ectively conserve these four major Chinese carps species.     

黄河伊洛河中下游鱼类多样性及群落结构

为了解伊洛河中下游鱼类多样性、群落结构及其与环境因子的关系,于2016年2-12月对伊洛河中下游5个河段开展鱼类多样性及环境调查.共采集鱼类12361尾,43种,隶属于4目9科37属.伊洛河中下游鱼类群落的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Margalef丰富度指数、Pielou均匀度指数和Simpson指数变化范围分别为1.75~2.38、2.44~3.63、0.59~0.76和0.73~0.86.各指数均以西草甸河段最高.各河段优势种以（Hemiculter leucisculus）、似鳊（Pseudobrama simoni）、鲫（Carassius auratus）、兴凯鱊（Acheilognathus chankaensis）和鳑鲏属（Rhodeus）等小型或广适性鱼类为主.丰度/生物量比较（ABC）曲线显示,除西草甸河段外,各河段优势鱼类群落均受到不同程度的干扰.其中七里铺和黑石关鱼类群落处于严重干扰状态,以小型鱼类或大型鱼类的幼鱼为主.采用冗余分析方法分析了鱼类群落结构与环境因子的关系,发现除了河床、水流、捕捞等因子以外,氨氮、总磷浓度与pH是导致伊洛河中下游鱼类群落结构差异的主要影响因子.针对伊洛河鱼类多样性现状,建议加强流域水质监管,恢复河流连通性,推进保护区全面禁渔,开展生态修复等以恢复伊洛河河流健康.