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Shu T, Chen Y, Xiao K, Huang H, Jia J, Yu Z, Jiang W, Yang J. Effects of short-term water velocity stimulation on the biochemical and transcriptional responses of grass carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idellus). Front Physiol 2023; 14:1248999. [PMID: 37719458 PMCID: PMC10501314 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1248999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Since 2011, ecological operation trials of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) have been continuously conducted to improve the spawning quantity of the four major Chinese carp species below the Gezhouba Dam. In particular, exploring the effects of short-term water velocity stimulation on ovarian development in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) is essential to understand the response of natural reproduction to ecological flows. We performed ovary histology analysis and biochemical assays among individuals with or without stimulation by running water. Although there were no obvious effects on the ovarian development characteristics of grass carp under short-term water velocity stimulation, estradiol, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations were elevated. Then, we further explored the ovarian development of grass carp under short-term water velocity stimulation by RNA sequencing of ovarian tissues. In total, 221 and 741 genes were up- or downregulated under short-term water velocity stimulation, respectively, compared to the control group. The majority of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in pathways including ABC transporters, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, ECM-receptor interaction, and steroid hormone biosynthesis. Important genes including gpr4, vtg1, C-type lectin, hsd17b1, cyp19a1a, cyp17a1, and rdh12 that are involved in ovarian development were regulated. Our results provide new insights and reveal potential regulatory genes and pathways involved in the ovarian development of grass carp under short-term water velocity stimulation, which may be beneficial when devising further ecological regulation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Shu
- Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Yichang, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Yichang, China
- State Key Laboratory for Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Centre for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Kan Xiao
- Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Yichang, China
| | - Hongtao Huang
- Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Yichang, China
| | - Jingyi Jia
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhaoxi Yu
- Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Yichang, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Yichang, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Yichang, China
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2
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Leone M, Gentile F, Lo Porto A, Ricci GF, De Girolamo AM. Ecological flow in southern Europe: Status and trends in non-perennial rivers. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 342:118097. [PMID: 37196614 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The concept of environmental flows (E-Flows) describes the streamflow that is necessary to maintain river ecosystems. Although a large number of methods have been developed, a delay was recorded in implementing E-Flows in non-perennial rivers. The general aim of the paper was to analyse the criticalities and the current state of implementation of the E-Flows in non-perennial rivers of southern Europe. The specific objectives were to analyse (i) the European Union (EU) and national legislation on E-Flows, and (ii) the methodologies currently adopted for setting E-Flows in non-perennial rivers in the EU Member States (MSs) of the Mediterranean Region (Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, France, Cyprus, and Malta). From the analysis of national legislations, it is possible to acknowledge a step forward toward regulatory unification at the European level, on the subject of E-Flows and more generally toward the protection of aquatic ecosystems. The definition of E-Flows, for most countries, has abandoned the idea of a regime of constant and minimal flow, but it recognizes the importance of the biological, and chemical-physical aspects connected to it. From the analysis of the E-Flows implementation through the review of the case studies, one can surmise that in non-perennial rivers the E-Flows science is still an emerging discipline. The limited availability of hydrological, hydraulic, and biological data as well as the restricted economic resources allocated for managing non-perennial rivers are the main causes of the delay in the E-Flows implementation in MSs. The results of the present study may contribute in setting an E-Flow regime in non-perennial rivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Leone
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy; Water Research Institute, National Research Council, 5 Viale F. De Blasio, 70132, Bari, Italy.
| | - Francesco Gentile
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
| | - Antonio Lo Porto
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, 5 Viale F. De Blasio, 70132, Bari, Italy.
| | | | - Anna Maria De Girolamo
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, 5 Viale F. De Blasio, 70132, Bari, Italy.
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3
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She Z, Tang Y, Chen L, Nong X, Li X. Determination of suitable ecological flow regimes for spawning of four major Chinese carps: A case study of the Hongshui River, China. ECOL INFORM 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2023.102061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
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4
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Pardo-Loaiza J, Bergillos RJ, Solera A, Paredes-Arquiola J, Andreu J. Habitat alteration assessment for the management of environmental flows in regulated basins. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 319:115653. [PMID: 35797908 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The management of environmental flows is of paramount importance in regulated water resources systems to preserve river ecosystems. This work proposes a methodology to assess habitat alteration in river basins altered by management activities. The methodology is based on the joint application of a basin management model (SIMGES, AQUATOOL) and a model to estimate habitat time series (CAUDECO). CAUDECO is based on the weighted useable areas of the species in their different vital stages that, in turn, depend on the flows in each river stretch and the biological periods of the species. The final output is an indicator of habitat alteration, which is defined ad hoc for this work to relate the habitat suitability under regulated and natural regimes. The methodology was applied to a case study in north-western Spain: the Órbigo River basin. The results in the current management scenario highlight that the ecological flows improve the habitat suitability of several species with respect to natural regime conditions. For instance, the mean values of the habitat time series in the Órbigo River for the brown trout and bermejuela under regulated conditions are 69.6% and 88%; whereas in natural regime they are equal to 55.1% and 72.9%, respectively. Based on these results, eight additional scenarios of ecological flows were tested and their effects on both habitat alteration and water demand reliability were quantified and discussed. It was found that increases in the ecological flows up to 30% do not affect the reliability of water demands and reduce habitat alteration (i.e., lead to values of the habitat alteration indicator closer to 1) for all species present in the river basin. These results highlight that the methodology and indicator of habitat alteration proposed in this paper are useful to support the management of regulated river basins, since they allow assessing the implications of ecological flows on both habitat suitability and reliability of water demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Pardo-Loaiza
- Research Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - R J Bergillos
- Research Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022, Valencia, Spain.
| | - A Solera
- Research Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - J Paredes-Arquiola
- Research Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - J Andreu
- Research Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022, Valencia, Spain
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5
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Evaluation of Gangetic dolphin habitat suitability under hydroclimatic changes using a coupled hydrological-hydrodynamic approach. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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6
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Szałkiewicz E, Kałuża T, Grygoruk M. Detailed analysis of habitat suitability curves for macroinvertebrates and functional feeding groups. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10757. [PMID: 35750852 PMCID: PMC9232556 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15096-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental flows have primarily a practical purpose, being an important part of water management. Despite the widespread use of environmental flows, current studies rarely describe practical insights of the methods or consider environmental flows based on ecological traits, especially regarding macroinvertebrates. In addition to hydraulic parameters, the ecological traits may also indicate processes that drive the distribution of organisms. Nevertheless, so far the habitat suitability criteria for functional feeding groups, the most commonly used ecological trait for macroinvertebrates, have not been described. In this study, we performed a detailed analysis of habitat suitability curves for the macroinvertebrate community and for FFGs. The criteria were determined based on data collected during two field campaigns (2018 and 2019) from the Flinta River, a lowland, dynamic, sandy stream located in western Poland. The method of habitat preference curves (HPCs) for flow velocities, depths and substrate was adopted. Before determining the final habitat suitability criteria, for all considered groups the habitat preference curves and habitat utilization curves were determined separately for the data collected in 2018 and 2019. The results showed that this step was key in developing the final habitat suitability criteria. Additionally, considering FFGs provided insight into the mechanisms that drove the distribution of organisms and resultant suitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Szałkiewicz
- Department of Hydraulic and Sanitary Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, ul. Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Tomasz Kałuża
- Department of Hydraulic and Sanitary Engineering, Poznan University of Life Sciences, ul. Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637, Poznań, Poland
| | - Mateusz Grygoruk
- Department of Hydrology, Meteorology and Water Management, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, ul. Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787, Warsaw, Poland
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7
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Miasayedava L, McBride K, Tuhtan JA. Automated environmental compliance monitoring of rivers with IoT and open government data. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 303:114283. [PMID: 34902656 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.114283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Environmental monitoring of rivers is a cornerstone of the European Union's Water Framework Directive. It requires the estimation and reporting of environmental flows in rivers whose characteristics vary widely across the EU member states. This variability has resulted in a fragmentation of estimation and reporting methods for environmental flows and is exhibited by the myriad of regulatory guidelines and estimation procedures. To standardise and systematically evaluate environmental flows at the pan-European scale, we propose to formalise the estimation procedures through automation by reusing existing river monitoring resources. In this work, we explore how sensor-generated hydrological open government data can be repurposed to automate the estimation and monitoring of river environmental flows. In contrast to existing environmental flows estimation methods, we propose a scalable IoT-based architecture and implement its cloud-layer web service. The major contribution of this work is the demonstration of an automated environmental flows system based on open river monitoring data routinely collected by national authorities. Moreover, the proposed system adds value to existing environmental monitoring data, reduces development and operational costs, facilitates streamlining of environmental compliance and allows for any authority with similar data to reuse or scale it with new data and methods. We critically discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with open government data, including its quality. Finally, we demonstrate the proposed system using the Estonian national river monitoring network and define further research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizaveta Miasayedava
- Research Laboratory for Proactive Technologies, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15a, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia.
| | - Keegan McBride
- Hertie School's Centre for Digital Governance, Friedrichstraße 180, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Jeffrey Andrew Tuhtan
- Department of Computer Systems, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15a, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia.
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8
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Kuo PH, Shih SS, Otte ML. Restoration recommendations for mitigating habitat fragmentation of a river corridor. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 296:113197. [PMID: 34274615 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Flow discharge and anthropogenic activities influence the composition and configuration of habitat patches in river ecosystems. Understanding the response of habitat landscapes and the corresponding fish habitat quality is crucial for river management. We investigated the reaction of fish habitat suitability and variant flow discharge performance in examining aquatic habitat patch fragmentation. The hydraulic simulation and fish habitat calculation were used to determine the flow characteristics, habitat conditions, and river landscapes. FRAGSTATS was applied to explore the composition and configuration of habitat patches. Cluster analysis and logistic regression were employed to compute the spatiotemporal variabilities of riverscape indices and establish the relationship between riverscape attributes and fish habitat quality. The results indicate that the changes in specific habitat features are associated with the riverscape indices of total edge (TE), mean nearest-neighbor distance (MNN), interspersion and juxtaposition index (IJI), mean patch size (MPS), and area-weighted mean patch fractal dimension (AWMPFD). The flow discharge is the key to determining habitat fragmentation in rivers, with natural barriers occurring at low flow. In contrast, weirs are anthropogenic obstacles that have significant adverse effects on the downstream corridor. A priority restoration activity to conserve river habitat is to create refuge pools during dry seasons by modifying channel morphology. The positive correlation between habitat suitability and MPS and the negative relationship between habitat suitability and AWMPFD highlight the patch size and shape complexity that are critical indices for pool creation. The prediction of the landscape attributes of the outcomes under different scenarios could support the decision-making in river management. The innovative integrated method presented in this study provides a solid foundation and supports the implementation of nature-based solutions for sustainable river management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pin-Han Kuo
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Ilan University, Ilan City, 260, Taiwan
| | - Shang-Shu Shih
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, 106, Taiwan; Hydrotech Research Institute, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, 106, Taiwan.
| | - Marinus L Otte
- Wet Ecosystem Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, 201 Stevens Hall, Fargo, ND, USA
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9
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Assessing the Potential of Agricultural Reservoirs as the Source of Environmental Flow. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13040508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Excessive nutrient loadings from drainage areas and resulting water quality degradation in rivers are the major environmental issues around the world. The water quality further deteriorates for the large seasonal variation of precipitation and water flow. Environmental decision makers have been exploring affordable and effective ways of securing environmental flow (EF) to improve the water quality, especially in dry seasons, and agricultural reservoirs have attracted the attention of policymakers as an alternative source of EF. This study proposed an analysis framework for assessing the EF supply potential of agricultural reservoirs as alternative sources of EF. A reservoir water balance model was prepared to mathematically represent the reservoir water balance and quantify temporal variations of the amount of water available for the EF supply. The simulation model was designed to explicitly consider inflow from the upstream drainage areas, irrigation water requirement, and hydrological processes happening in the reservoirs. The proposed framework was applied to four agricultural reservoirs located in South Korea to evaluate its efficiency. Results showed that the additional storage capacity added by the dam reinforcement enabled the study reservoirs to satisfy both needs, EF and irrigation water supply. The surplus capacity turned out to be enough to satisfy various EF supply scenarios at the annual time scale. However, the current operation plans do not consider the seasonal variations of reservoir hydrology and thus cannot supply EF without violating the original operational goal, irrigation water, especially in dry months. The results demonstrate that it is necessary to consider the temporal variations of EF when developing reservoir operation rules and plans to secure EF. This study also highlights the unconventional roles of agricultural reservoirs as resources for improved environmental quality. The methods presented in this study are expected to be a useful tool for the assessment of agricultural reservoirs’ EF supply potential.
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10
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Liu F, Qin T, Yan D, Wang Y, Dong B, Wang J, Nie H, He S, Liu S. Classification of instream ecological water demand and crucial values in a semi-arid river basin. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 712:136409. [PMID: 31935543 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 12/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Analyzing the instream environmental flow demand by coupling the hydrological cycle and the hydrodynamic process with aquatic ecological processes at watershed scale remains one of the most important yet most difficult issues. One or two of the above processes have been the focus in the evaluation of intra-annual ecological water demand in recent studies. In this study, a hydrology-hydrodynamic-habitat model was developed and applied to the Huangshui River basin. A new classification method for instream ecological water demand (IEWD), which considered sensitive species was proposed. The suitable level of IEWD and crucial values with different flow frequencies were analysed, including runoff, water level, water surface width and weighted usable areas (WUA). The results of the study indicated that monthly IEWD had an increasing trend during the flood season and a decreasing trend during the non-flood season in three sections at different suitable levels. With the increase of suitable levels, the range of IEWD in three sections also increased. The IEWD and crucial values were the lowest in March with the smallest range and were the highest from July to October because the amount of precipitation during that period accounted for nearly 84.3% of that of the entire year. Furthermore, the lower the flow frequency in three sections, the higher the suitable levels of IEWD, as well as water level and water surface width every month. When the flow frequency of 90% decreased to 75%, the value of IEWD increased by at least 55% during the wet season and doubled during the dry season. The WUA with the lowest or highest flow frequencies were relatively poor, especially reproduction period. The IEWD and crucial values at different suitable levels agreed with the actual situations. Thus, this study provided a new method for implementing river ecosystem restoration and aquatic ecosystem management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, 100038 Beijing, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, 201620 Shanghai, China
| | - Tianling Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, 100038 Beijing, China.
| | - Denghua Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, 100038 Beijing, China.
| | - Yu Wang
- Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Yellow River Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd, 450003, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Biqiong Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, 100038 Beijing, China
| | - Jianwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, 100038 Beijing, China
| | - Hanjiang Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, 100038 Beijing, China; Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Shan He
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, 100038 Beijing, China
| | - Shanshan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, 100038 Beijing, China
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11
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Challenges to Implementing an Environmental Flow Regime in the Luvuvhu River Catchment, South Africa. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16193694. [PMID: 31575090 PMCID: PMC6801372 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16193694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Rivers are now facing increasing pressure and demand to provide water directly for drinking, farming and supporting industries as a result of rapidly growing global human population. Globally, the most common practice for catchment managers is to limit water abstraction and changes to stream flow by setting environmental flow standards that guard and maintain the natural ecosystem characteristics. Since the development of the environmental flow concept and methods in South Africa, very few studies have assessed the institutional constraints towards environmental flow implementation. This study determined stream flow trends over time by fitting simple linear regression model to mean daily stream flow data at three selected stations in the Luvuvhu River Catchment (LRC). We also conducted a literature search to review, firstly the response of aquatic organisms (fish and macroinvertebrate) to changes in habitat conditions and secondly on local challenges affecting the sustainable implementation of environmental flow regime and related water resources management strategies. All the three stream flow stations show decreasing stream flow volume of 1 and 2 orders of magnitude faster in some stations with the possibility that flow will cease in the near future. Qualitative analyses from both local and international literature search found that the main challenges facing the implementation of sustainable flow strategies and management are absence of catchment management agency, lack of understanding of environmental flow benefits, limited financial budget, lack of capacity and conflict of interest. Rivers with changing stream flows tend to lose sensitive species. The development of scientifically credible catchment-wide environmental flow and abstraction thresholds for rivers within the LRC would make a major contribution in minimizing the declining stream flow volumes. Monitoring and reporting should be prioritized to give regular accounts of the state of our rivers.
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12
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Abstract
Despite that hydromorphological restoration projects have been implemented since the 1940s, the key to improve the effectiveness of future restoration measures remains a challenge. This is in part related to the lack of adequate aims and objectives together with our limitations in understanding the effects on the physical habitat and ecosystems from interventions. This study shows the potential of using remote sensing techniques combined with hydraulic modelling to evaluate the success of physical restoration measures using habitat suitability as a quantifiable objective. Airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) was used to build a high-resolution two-dimensional model for Ljungan River, Sweden, using HEC-RAS 5.0. Two types of instream restoration measures were simulated according to the physical measures carried out in the river to improve salmonid habitat: (a) stones and rocks were moved from the bank sides to the main channel, and (b) a concrete wall was broken to open two channels to connect a side channel with the main river. Results showed that the hydraulic model could potentially be used to simulate the hydraulic conditions before and after instream modifications were implemented. A general improvement was found for the potential suitable habitat based on depth, velocity and shear stress values after the instream measures.
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13
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Schwindt S, Pasternack GB, Bratovich PM, Rabone G, Simodynes D. Hydro-morphological parameters generate lifespan maps for stream restoration management. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 232:475-489. [PMID: 30502615 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic, eco-morphological degradation of lotic waters necessitates laws, directives, and voluntary actions involving stream restoration and habitat enhancement. Research and engineering efforts are establishing a vast number of stream restoration planning approaches, design testing frameworks, construction techniques, and performance evaluation methods. As the practice of restoration scales up from an individual action at a single site to sequences of actions at many sites in a long river segment, a primary question arises as to the lifespan of such a sequence. This study develops a new framework to identify relevant parameters, design criteria and survival thresholds for ten multidisciplinary restoration techniques, adequate for site-scale to segment-scale application, in a comprehensive review: (1) bar and floodplain grading; (2) berm setback; (3) vegetation plantings; (4) riprap placement; (5) sediment replenishment; (6) side cavities; (7) side channel and anabranches; (8) streambed reshaping; (9) structure removal; and (10) placement of wood in the shape of engineered logjams and rootstocks. Survival thresholds are applied to a sequence of proposed habitat enhancement features for the lower Yuba River in California, USA. Spatially explicit hydraulic and sediment data, together with numerical model predictions of the measures, were vetted against the survival thresholds to produce discharge-dependent lifespan maps. Discharges related to specific flood-return periods enabled probabilistic estimates of the longevity of particular design features. Thus, the lifespan maps indicate the temporal stability of particular stream restoration and habitat enhancement features and techniques. Areas with particularly low or high lifespans help planners optimise the design and positioning of restoration features.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Schwindt
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California at Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616-8626, USA.
| | - G B Pasternack
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California at Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616-8626, USA
| | - P M Bratovich
- HDR, 2365 Iron Point Road, Suite 300, Folsom, CA, 95630, USA
| | - G Rabone
- Yuba Water Agency, 1220 F Street, Marysville, CA, 95901, USA
| | - D Simodynes
- HDR, 2365 Iron Point Road, Suite 300, Folsom, CA, 95630, USA
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14
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Garbin S, Celegon EA, Fanton P, Botter G. Hydrological controls on river network connectivity. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:181428. [PMID: 30891270 PMCID: PMC6408410 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
This study proposes a probabilistic approach for the quantitative assessment of reach- and network-scale hydrological connectivity as dictated by river flow space-time variability. Spatial dynamics of daily streamflows are estimated based on climatic and morphological features of the contributing catchment, integrating a physically based approach that accounts for the stochasticity of rainfall with a water balance framework and a geomorphic recession flow analysis. Ecologically meaningful minimum stage thresholds are used to evaluate the connectivity of individual stream reaches, and other relevant network-scale connectivity metrics. The framework allows a quantitative description of the main hydrological causes and the ecological consequences of water depth dynamics experienced by river networks. The analysis shows that the spatial variability of local-scale hydrological connectivity is strongly affected by the spatial and temporal distribution of climatic variables. Depending on the underlying climatic settings and the critical stage threshold, loss of connectivity can be observed in the headwaters or along the main channel, thereby originating a fragmented river network. The proposed approach provides important clues for understanding the effect of climate on the ecological function of river corridors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Garbin
- Dipartimento ICEA, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
- i4 Consulting S.r.l., Padova, Italy
| | | | | | - Gianluca Botter
- Dipartimento ICEA, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
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Ahn JM, Kwon HG, Yang DS, Kim YS. Assessing environmental flows of coordinated operation of dams and weirs in the Geum River basin under climate change scenarios. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 643:912-925. [PMID: 29960228 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted frequent and severe droughts and floods caused by irregular climatic conditions in the future, making water resources management difficult. Within the field of integrated watershed management, the concept of 'environmental flow' is being increasingly studied. In Korea, the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project was carried out as part of the plan to manage future water resources, particularly in response to climate change. In order to improve comprehensive water resources management, there is an interest in integrating into the operation of the existing dams the multi-functional weirs constructed under the said project. To date, there is an absence of studies comprehensively considering climate change, run-off volume, reservoir operations, and environmental flow, with most of the existing studies focusing only on one or the other of these factors. In this study, we presented a method to evaluate the river environment that considers all the said factors. To evaluate how environmental flow is influenced by the changes in river flow due to climate change and hydraulic structure operation, the Streamflow Synthesis and Reservoir Regulation (SSARR) was used as the hydrological model, HEC-ResSim was used as the hydraulic structures operational model, and the Global Environmental Flow Calculator (GEFC) was used as the method to evaluate environmental flows. RCP climate change scenarios, provided by the Climate Change Information Center (CCIC), a branch of the Korea Meteorological Administration, were applied to analyze the future watershed runoff characteristics of the Geum River Basin under different hydraulic structure operation modes. This study concludes that efficient use of water resources can be achieved through the integrated operation of the dams and multi-functional weirs in times of water shortage. Comparing the results of modelling under a no‑carbon reduction scenario on one hand, and a scenario in which emissions were reduced on the other hand, differences were found in flows during floods, in the mean annual runoff ratio in accordance with the environment management class, and in the environmental flow rating. It appears that a new water resources management plan is required to respond to climate change as indicated by the shift of the flow duration curve to a lower environmental management class (EMC) under climate change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Min Ahn
- National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), Nakdong River Environment Research Center, 24, Pyeongri-1gil, Dasan-myeon, Goryeong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do 717-873, Republic of Korea.
| | - Heon Gak Kwon
- National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), Nakdong River Environment Research Center, 24, Pyeongri-1gil, Dasan-myeon, Goryeong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do 717-873, Republic of Korea.
| | - Deuk Seok Yang
- National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), Nakdong River Environment Research Center, 24, Pyeongri-1gil, Dasan-myeon, Goryeong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do 717-873, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yong-Seok Kim
- National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), Nakdong River Environment Research Center, 24, Pyeongri-1gil, Dasan-myeon, Goryeong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do 717-873, Republic of Korea.
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