Response of juvenile Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, to the introduction of salmon carcasses in upland streams
Abstract The role of nutrients in the production of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in oligotrophic upland catchments is poorly understood. Atlantic salmon carcasses were introduced to 12 upland streams in the River Conon catchment, Scotland, UK, to assess potential nutrient limitation and evaluate...
| Published in: | Fisheries Management and Ecology |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2009
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2400.2009.00673.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2400.2009.00673.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2400.2009.00673.x |
| Summary: | Abstract The role of nutrients in the production of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in oligotrophic upland catchments is poorly understood. Atlantic salmon carcasses were introduced to 12 upland streams in the River Conon catchment, Scotland, UK, to assess potential nutrient limitation and evaluate a potential role for migratory Atlantic salmon in nutrient import. The objective was to test the hypothesis that nutrient supplementation would increase juvenile Atlantic salmon biomass. Streams received one of six treatment levels up to a maximum of one carcass per 15 m 2 of wetted area with duplicates at each level, and study areas were sampled to measure salmon biomass in treated and reference reaches. There was a significant positive relationship between treatment addition level and response of juvenile salmon biomass. At higher carcass addition levels, salmon biomass in treatment sections was approximately twice that in paired reference sections. The results are discussed in the light of management methods in upland regions and the likely role of cultural oligotrophication in suppressing current levels of salmon production. |
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