The status of limnophilic fish and the need for conservation in floodplains along the lower Rhine, a large regulated river
Recovery of the fish community of the river Rhine focussed mainly on the return of migratory species, in particular the Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar, and to a lesser extent on rheophilic fish species. Several limnophilic species that characterize remote parts of the floodplains are, however, also en...
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2006
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Online Access: | https://pure.knaw.nl/portal/en/publications/0505739a-2e63-4940-8383-68a5eac011c3 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11755/0505739a-2e63-4940-8383-68a5eac011c3 |
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ftknawnlpublic:oai:pure.knaw.nl:publications/0505739a-2e63-4940-8383-68a5eac011c3 |
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openpolar |
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Open Polar |
collection |
KNAW: Research Explorer (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) |
op_collection_id |
ftknawnlpublic |
language |
English |
description |
Recovery of the fish community of the river Rhine focussed mainly on the return of migratory species, in particular the Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar, and to a lesser extent on rheophilic fish species. Several limnophilic species that characterize remote parts of the floodplains are, however, also endangered. The status of the fish communities in the floodplains is little known and has been neglected so far. To fill this gap, the present study investigated fish communities in floodplain lakes along the lower River Rhine. To assess how these lakes contribute to fish species richness in the river-floodplain system, the community structure is compared to that in the main channel and to connected backwaters, e.g. side channels, which had been investigated more intensively in recent years. Floodplain lakes with abundant vegetation may have low fish species richness, but they are the only sites with suitable habitats for the reproduction of limnophilic species such as tench Tinea tinca, rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus and crucian carp Carassius carassius. Limnophilic species in most of these lakes are, however, outnumbered by eurytopic species such as bream Abramis brama, which indicates that the original lateral gradient is truncated with an almost complete loss of 'black fish' habitats in the present active floodplains along the lower Rhine. Floodplain lakes with abundant vegetation should be carefully preserved because they represent original aquatic components that have declined markedly, and they need decades to develop. Preservation of these lakes would enhance the conservation of characteristic limnophilic species. Retention areas outside the present active floodplain - retained as a component of flood risk management - may provide the opportunity to rehabilitate or create floodplain lakes with the suitable spawning and nursery habitats for limnophilic fish. In this way, improved safety may be combined with rehabilitation of floodplain water bodies. Recovery of the fish community of the river Rhine focussed mainly on the return of migratory species, in particular the Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar, and to a lesser extent on rheophilic fish species. Several limnophilic species that characterize remote parts of the floodplains are, however, also endangered. The status of the fish communities in the floodplains is little known and has been neglected so far. To fill this gap, the present study investigated fish communities in floodplain lakes along the lower River Rhine. To assess how these lakes contribute to fish species richness in the river-floodplain system, the community structure is compared to that in the main channel and to connected backwaters, e.g. side channels, which had been investigated more intensively in recent years. Floodplain lakes with abundant vegetation may have low fish species richness, but they are the only sites with suitable habitats for the reproduction of limnophilic species such as tench Tinea tinca, rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus and crucian carp Carassius carassius. Limnophilic species in most of these lakes are, however, outnumbered by eurytopic species such as bream Abramis brama, which indicates that the original lateral gradient is truncated with an almost complete loss of 'black fish' habitats in the present active floodplains along the lower Rhine. Floodplain lakes with abundant vegetation should be carefully preserved because they represent original aquatic components that have declined markedly, and they need decades to develop. Preservation of these lakes would enhance the conservation of characteristic limnophilic species. Retention areas outside the present active floodplain - retained as a component of flood risk management - may provide the opportunity to rehabilitate or create floodplain lakes with the suitable spawning and nursery habitats for limnophilic fish. In this way, improved safety may be combined with rehabilitation of floodplain water bodies. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Grift, R.E. Buijse, A.D. Van Geest, G.J. |
spellingShingle |
Grift, R.E. Buijse, A.D. Van Geest, G.J. The status of limnophilic fish and the need for conservation in floodplains along the lower Rhine, a large regulated river |
author_facet |
Grift, R.E. Buijse, A.D. Van Geest, G.J. |
author_sort |
Grift, R.E. |
title |
The status of limnophilic fish and the need for conservation in floodplains along the lower Rhine, a large regulated river |
title_short |
The status of limnophilic fish and the need for conservation in floodplains along the lower Rhine, a large regulated river |
title_full |
The status of limnophilic fish and the need for conservation in floodplains along the lower Rhine, a large regulated river |
title_fullStr |
The status of limnophilic fish and the need for conservation in floodplains along the lower Rhine, a large regulated river |
title_full_unstemmed |
The status of limnophilic fish and the need for conservation in floodplains along the lower Rhine, a large regulated river |
title_sort |
status of limnophilic fish and the need for conservation in floodplains along the lower rhine, a large regulated river |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
https://pure.knaw.nl/portal/en/publications/0505739a-2e63-4940-8383-68a5eac011c3 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11755/0505739a-2e63-4940-8383-68a5eac011c3 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-58.467,-58.467,-62.208,-62.208) |
geographic |
Brama |
geographic_facet |
Brama |
genre |
Atlantic salmon Salmo salar |
genre_facet |
Atlantic salmon Salmo salar |
op_source |
Grift , R E , Buijse , A D & Van Geest , G J 2006 , ' The status of limnophilic fish and the need for conservation in floodplains along the lower Rhine, a large regulated river ' , Archiv für Hydrobiologie Beiheft Ergebnisse der Limnologie , vol. 158 , no. 4 , pp. 623-648 . |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/20.500.11755/0505739a-2e63-4940-8383-68a5eac011c3 |
_version_ |
1766363340603392000 |
spelling |
ftknawnlpublic:oai:pure.knaw.nl:publications/0505739a-2e63-4940-8383-68a5eac011c3 2023-05-15T15:32:51+02:00 The status of limnophilic fish and the need for conservation in floodplains along the lower Rhine, a large regulated river Grift, R.E. Buijse, A.D. Van Geest, G.J. 2006 https://pure.knaw.nl/portal/en/publications/0505739a-2e63-4940-8383-68a5eac011c3 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11755/0505739a-2e63-4940-8383-68a5eac011c3 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess Grift , R E , Buijse , A D & Van Geest , G J 2006 , ' The status of limnophilic fish and the need for conservation in floodplains along the lower Rhine, a large regulated river ' , Archiv für Hydrobiologie Beiheft Ergebnisse der Limnologie , vol. 158 , no. 4 , pp. 623-648 . article 2006 ftknawnlpublic https://doi.org/20.500.11755/0505739a-2e63-4940-8383-68a5eac011c3 2022-01-03T13:59:27Z Recovery of the fish community of the river Rhine focussed mainly on the return of migratory species, in particular the Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar, and to a lesser extent on rheophilic fish species. Several limnophilic species that characterize remote parts of the floodplains are, however, also endangered. The status of the fish communities in the floodplains is little known and has been neglected so far. To fill this gap, the present study investigated fish communities in floodplain lakes along the lower River Rhine. To assess how these lakes contribute to fish species richness in the river-floodplain system, the community structure is compared to that in the main channel and to connected backwaters, e.g. side channels, which had been investigated more intensively in recent years. Floodplain lakes with abundant vegetation may have low fish species richness, but they are the only sites with suitable habitats for the reproduction of limnophilic species such as tench Tinea tinca, rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus and crucian carp Carassius carassius. Limnophilic species in most of these lakes are, however, outnumbered by eurytopic species such as bream Abramis brama, which indicates that the original lateral gradient is truncated with an almost complete loss of 'black fish' habitats in the present active floodplains along the lower Rhine. Floodplain lakes with abundant vegetation should be carefully preserved because they represent original aquatic components that have declined markedly, and they need decades to develop. Preservation of these lakes would enhance the conservation of characteristic limnophilic species. Retention areas outside the present active floodplain - retained as a component of flood risk management - may provide the opportunity to rehabilitate or create floodplain lakes with the suitable spawning and nursery habitats for limnophilic fish. In this way, improved safety may be combined with rehabilitation of floodplain water bodies. Recovery of the fish community of the river Rhine focussed mainly on the return of migratory species, in particular the Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar, and to a lesser extent on rheophilic fish species. Several limnophilic species that characterize remote parts of the floodplains are, however, also endangered. The status of the fish communities in the floodplains is little known and has been neglected so far. To fill this gap, the present study investigated fish communities in floodplain lakes along the lower River Rhine. To assess how these lakes contribute to fish species richness in the river-floodplain system, the community structure is compared to that in the main channel and to connected backwaters, e.g. side channels, which had been investigated more intensively in recent years. Floodplain lakes with abundant vegetation may have low fish species richness, but they are the only sites with suitable habitats for the reproduction of limnophilic species such as tench Tinea tinca, rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus and crucian carp Carassius carassius. Limnophilic species in most of these lakes are, however, outnumbered by eurytopic species such as bream Abramis brama, which indicates that the original lateral gradient is truncated with an almost complete loss of 'black fish' habitats in the present active floodplains along the lower Rhine. Floodplain lakes with abundant vegetation should be carefully preserved because they represent original aquatic components that have declined markedly, and they need decades to develop. Preservation of these lakes would enhance the conservation of characteristic limnophilic species. Retention areas outside the present active floodplain - retained as a component of flood risk management - may provide the opportunity to rehabilitate or create floodplain lakes with the suitable spawning and nursery habitats for limnophilic fish. In this way, improved safety may be combined with rehabilitation of floodplain water bodies. Article in Journal/Newspaper Atlantic salmon Salmo salar KNAW: Research Explorer (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) Brama ENVELOPE(-58.467,-58.467,-62.208,-62.208) |