Effects of upland stream nutrient restoration on Atlantic salmon populations ...

• Main Author: Bernthal, Fionn Robert
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: University of Glasgow 2024
• Subjects: Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5525/gla.thesis.84058; https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/84058

Aquatic biodiversity has experienced severe declines over past decades, with many species requiring conservation interventions in order to preserve and protect threatened populations. However, assessing whether conservation measures work effectively with the intended outcome is important when considering their implementation. One conservation target is the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), populations of which have declined dramatically since the 1960s. Given that many salmon die during the spawning migration, the reduction in the number of spawning adults has also led to fewer marine-derived nutrients being deposited in upland streams in the form of salmon carcasses. These carcasses fertilise the nursery streams of the salmon, to the potential benefit of the young fish, and so the decline in the number of adult salmon carcasses may have adverse effects on the next generation. In this thesis, I explore in successive chapters the potential for restoring the nutrients that are normally supplied by returning ...