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How intensive agricultural practices and flow regulation are threatening fish spawning habitats and their connectivity in the St. Lawrence River floodplain, Canada

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Abstract

Context

Hydrological and land use changes for human purposes, have resulted in the increased fragmentation of river landscapes and the loss of aquatic habitats, leading to profound changes in fish diversity and productivity.

Objectives

In the fluvial Lake Saint-Pierre (St. Lawrence River, Canada), we studied how agricultural practices and water-flow regulation have impacted the area and connectivity of spawning habitats of northern pike (Esox lucius).

Methods

Northern pike spawning and nursery habitats were modelled over a 49-year period (1965–2013) to estimate effective spawning area under four contrasting hydrological conditions.

Results

Simulations coupled with land cover analyses revealed that natural flow conditions historically favourable for fish reproduction (high and stable water flows) have been lost due to human activities. The highest potential for reproduction and habitat connectivity have been lost due to (1) intensive agriculture and ploughing of natural vegetation in the upper floodplain that overlaps suitable spawning areas for northern pike, and (2) flow regulation that has lowered and shortened spring floods and dried spawning grounds more frequently.

Conclusions

To restore the St. Lawrence River functions, we propose to reconvert the portion of the floodplains that is vital to fish, but is currently used by intensive agriculture, into natural wetlands or perennial crops and to restore a more natural flow regime by extending the duration of floods between spawning and nursery periods. The highest priority for habitat restoration should target the most effective and recurrent spawning habitats, ditch and stream networks, and connected managed wetlands.

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Acknowledgements

This study would not have been possible without the contribution of John Farrell and the members of the Thousand Islands Biological Station for conducting field experiences and Sylvain Martin for kindly providing hydrological data. A special thank goes to Dr. Mathieu Cusson and Julian J. Dodson for revisions of earlier version of the manuscript. This study is part of A.F.’s Ph.D. thesis. Financial support was provided by grants from the “Chaire de Recherche sur les Espèces Aquatiques Exploitées”, the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec (MFFP), the “Ressources Aquatiques Québec”, and the “Commission permanente de coopération franco-québécoise”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 555 boulevard de l’Université, Chicoutimi, G7H 2B1, Canada

    Aline Foubert, Frédéric Lecomte & Marc Mingelbier

  2. Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Direction de l’expertise sur la faune aquatique, 880 Chemin Ste-Foy, Québec, QC, G1S 4X4, Canada

    Aline Foubert, Frédéric Lecomte & Marc Mingelbier

  3. Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Direction de la gestion de la faune Mauricie – Centre-du-Québec, 100 rue Laviolette, Trois-Rivières, QC, G9A 5S9, Canada

    Philippe Brodeur

  4. Institut National de Recherche en Sciences et Technologies pour l’Environnement et l’Agriculture, 1 rue Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, CS10030, 92761, Antony Cedex, France

    Céline Le Pichon

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  1. Aline Foubert
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  2. Frédéric Lecomte
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  3. Philippe Brodeur
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  4. Céline Le Pichon
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  5. Marc Mingelbier
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Correspondence to Marc Mingelbier.

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Foubert, A., Lecomte, F., Brodeur, P. et al. How intensive agricultural practices and flow regulation are threatening fish spawning habitats and their connectivity in the St. Lawrence River floodplain, Canada. Landscape Ecol 35, 1229–1247 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-020-00996-9

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