Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fish Assemblage Responses to a Low-head Dam Removal in the Lancang River

  • Published:
Chinese Geographical Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Dam removal is becoming an effective approach for aquatic biodiversity restoration in damming river in order to balance the aquatic ecosystem conservation with large-scale cascade damming. However, the effects of dam removal on fish communities in Asian mountainous rivers, which are dominated by Cypriniformes fishes, are still not well known. To determine whether dam removal on a mountainous river benefit restoration of fish diversity, we investigated the response of fish assemblage to dam removal using a before- after-control-impact design in two tributaries of the Lancang River (dam removal river: the Jidu River, and control river: the Fengdian River). Fish surveys were conducted one year prior to dam removal (2012) and three years (2013–2015) following dam removal. We observed rapidly and notably spatio-temporal changes in fish biodiversity metrics and assemblage structure, occurring in the Jidu River within the first year after dam removal. Overall, fish species richness, density and Shannon-Wiener diversity all increased immediately in above- and below-dam sites, and maintained a stable level in subsequent years, compared to unchanged situation in the control river. All sites in the Jidu River experienced shifts in fish composition after dam removal, with the greatest temporal changes occurred in sites below- and above- the former dam, resulting in a temporal homogenization tendency in the dam removed river. These findings suggest that dam removal can benefit the recovery of habitat conditions and fish community in Asian mountainous rivers, but the results should be further evaluated when apply to other dammed rivers since the dam age, fluvial geomorphology and situation of source populations could all affect the responses of fish assemblages.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • References

  • Anderson M J, 2006. Distance-based tests for homogeneity of multivariate dispersions. Biometrics, 62(1): 245–253. doi: 10.1111/j.1541-0420.2005.00440.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baltz D M, Vondracek B, Brown L R et al., 1987. Influence of temperature on microhabitat choice by fishes in a california stream. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 116(1): 12–20. doi: 10.1577/1548-8659(1987)116<12:IOTOMC>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bednarek A T, 2001. Undamming rivers: A review of the ecological impacts of dam removal. Environmental Management, 27(6): 803–814. doi: 10.1007/s002670010189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bulow F J, Webb M A, Crumby W D et al., 1988. Management briefs: Effectiveness of a fish barrier dam in limiting movement of rough fishes from a reservoir into a tributary stream. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 8(2): 273–275. doi: 10.1577/1548-8675(1988)008<0273:MBEOAF>2.3.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burroughs B A, Hayes D B, Klomp K D et al., 2009. Effects of stronach dam removal on fluvial geomorphology in the pine river, michigan, united states. Geomorphology, 110(3–4): 96–107. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.03.019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Catalano M J, Bozek M A, Pellett T D, 2007. Effects of dam removal on fish assemblage, structure, and spatial distributions in the baraboo river, wisconsin. North American Journal Of Fisheries Management, 27: 519–530. doi: 10.1577/M06-001.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang H Y, Chiu M C, Chuang Y L et al., 2017. Community responses to dam removal in a subtropical mountainous stream. Aquatic Sciences, 79(4): 967–983. doi: 10.1007/s00027-017-0545-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Yiyu. 1998. Fauna Sinica Osteichthyes: Cypriniformes. Beijing: Science Press. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chu Xinluo, Zheng Baoshan, Dai Dingyuan. 1999. Fauna Sinica, Osteichthyes, Siluriformes. Beijng: Science Press. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummins K W, Klug M J, 1979. Feeding ecology of stream invertebrates. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 10: 147–172. doi: 10.1146/annurev.es.10.110179.001051

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dorobek A, Sullivan S M P, Kautza A, 2015. Short-term consequences of lowhead dam removal for fish assemblages in an urban river system. River Systems, 21(2–3): 125–139. doi: 10.1127/rs/2015/0098

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doyle M W, Stanley E H, Orr C H et al., 2005. Stream ecosystem response to small dam removal: lessons from the heartland. Geomorphology, 71(1–2): 227–244. doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2004.04.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dudley R K, Platania S P, 2007. Flow regulation and fragmentation imperil pelagic spawning fishes. Ecological Applications, 17(7): 2074–2086. doi: 10.1890/06-1252.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fagan W F, 2002. Connectivity, fragmentation, and extinction risk in dendritic metapopulations. Ecology, 83(12): 3243–3249. doi: 10.1890/0012-9658(2002)083[3243:CFAERI]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Froese R, Pauly D, 2018. Fishbase. World Wide Web Electronic Publication. Available at: http://www.fishbase.org.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fullerton A H, Burnett K M, Steel E A et al., 2010. Hydrological connectivity for riverine fish: Measurement challenges and research opportunities. Freshwater Biology, 55(11): 2215–2237. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2010.02448.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gardner C, Coghlan S M, Zydlewski J et al., 2013. Distribution and abundance of stream fishes in relation to barriers: Implications for monitoring stream recovery after barrier removal. River Research and Applications, 29(1): 65–78. doi: ·10.1002/rra.1572

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hart D D, Johnson T E, Bushaw-Newton K L et al., 2002. Dam removal: challenges and opportunities for ecological research and river restoration. BioScience, 52(8): 669–682. doi: 10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[0669:DRCAOF]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helms B S, Werneke D C, Gangloff M M et al., 2011. The influence of low-head dams on fish assemblages in streams across alabama. Journal of the North American Benthological Society, 30(4): 1095–1106. doi: 10.1899/10-093.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang H L, Yan Z, 2009. Present situation and future prospect of hydropower in China. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 13(6–7): 1652–1656. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2008.08.013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, Xiangfei, Chen Weimin, Cai Qiming, 1999. Survey, Observation and Analysis of Lake Ecology. Beijing: Standards Press of China (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanehl P D, Lyons J, Nelson J E, 1997. Changes in the habitat and fish community of the milwaukee river, wisconsin, following removal of the woolen mills dam. North american journal of fisheries management. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 17(2): 387–400. doi: 10.1577/1548-8675(1997)017<0387:CITHAF>2.3.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katano O, Nakamura T, Abe S et al., 2006. Comparison of fish communities between above- and below-dam sections of small streams; barrier effect to diadromous fishes. Journal of Fish Biology, 68(3): 767–782. doi: 10.1111/j.0022-1112.2006.00964.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • King S, Warburton K, 2007. The environmental preferences of three species of australian freshwater fish in relation to the effects of riparian degradation. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 78(4): 307–316. doi: 10.1007/s10641-006-9098-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kornis M S, Weidel B C, Powers S M et al., 2015. Fish community dynamics following dam removal in a fragmented agricultural stream. Aquatic Sciences, 77(3): 465–480. doi: 10.1007/s00027-014-0391-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Mingdian, Chen Daqing, Duan Xinbing et al., 2011. Ichthyofauna composition and distribution of fishes in yunnan section of lancang river. Journal of Fishery Sciences of China, 18(1): 156–170. (in Chinese)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magilligan F J, Nislow K H, 2005. Changes in hydrologic regime by dams. Geomorphology, 71(1–2): 61–78. doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2004.08.017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martinez P J, Chart T E, Trammell M A et al., 1994. Fish species composition before and after construction of a main stem reservoir on the white river, colorado. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 40(3): 227–239. doi: 10.1007/BF00002509

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mchenry M L, Pess G R, 2008. An overview of monitoring options for assessing the response of salmonids and their aquatic ecosystems in the elwha river following dam removal. Northwest Science, 82(S1): 29–47. doi: 10.3955/0029-344X-82.S.I.29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLaughlin R L, Porto L, Noakes D L G et al., 2006. Effects of low-head barriers on stream fishes: taxonomic affiliations and morphological correlates of sensitive species. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 63(4): 766–779. doi: 10.1139/f05-256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson J S. 2006. Fishes of the World (4th Edition). New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nilsson C, Reidy C A, Dynesius M et al., 2005. Fragmentation and flow regulation of the world’s large river systems. Science, 308(5720): 405–408. doi: 10.1126/science.1107887

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor J E, Duda J J, Grant G E, 2015. 1000 dams down and counting. Science, 348(6234): 496–497. doi: 10.1126/science.aaa9204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olden J D, Naiman R J, 2010. Incorporating thermal regimes into environmental flows assessments: modifying dam operations to restore freshwater ecosystem integrity. Freshwater Biology, 55(1): 86–107. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2009.02179.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olden J D, Poff L R, 2003. Toward a mechanism understanding and prediction of biotic homogenization. American Naturalist, 162: 442–460. doi: 10.1086/378212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perkin J S, Gido K B, 2012. Fragmentation alters stream fish community structure in dendritic ecological networks. Ecological Applications, 22(8): 2176–2187. doi: 10.1890/12-0318.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poulos H M, Miller K E, Kraczkowski M L et al., 2014. Fish assemblage response to a small dam removal in the eightmile river system, connecticut, USA. Environmental Management, 54(5): 1090–1101. doi: 10.1007/s00267-014-0314-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rahel F J, 2002. Homogenization of freshwater faunas. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 33: 291–315. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.33.010802.150429

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sá-Oliveira J C, Hawes J E, Isaac-Nahum V J et al., 2015. Upstream and downstream responses of fish assemblages to an eastern amazonian hydroelectric dam. Freshwater Biology, 60(10): 2037–2050. doi: 10.1111/fwb.12628

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanley E H, Doyle M W, 2003. Trading off: The ecological effects of dam removal. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 1(1): 15–22. doi: 10.1890/1540-9295(2003)001[0015:TOTEEO]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart-Oaten A, Murdoch W W, Parker K R, 1986. Environmental impact assessment: ‘pseudoreplication’ in time? Ecology, 67(4): 929–940. doi: 10.2307/1939815

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tian Zhongxing, 2013. Small hydropower plants and in the building of a conservation culture. China Water Resources, 151: 3–14. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsuboi J I, Endou S, Morita K, 2010. Habitat fragmentation by damming threatens coexistence of stream-dwelling charr and salmon in the fuji river, Japan. Hydrobiologia, 650(1): 223–232. doi: 10.1007/s10750-009-0076-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watters G T, 1996. Small dams as barriers to freshwater mussels (bivalvia, unionoida) and their hosts. Biological Conservation, 75(1): 79–85. doi: 10.1016/0006-3207(95)00034-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan Y Z, Wang H, Zhu R et al., 2013. Influences of low-head dams on the fish assemblages in the headwater streams of the qingyi watershed, China. Environmental Biology Of Fishes, 96(4): 495–506. doi: 10.1007/s10641-012-0035-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang C, Ding L Y, Ding C Z et al., 2018. Responses of species and phylogenetic diversity of fish communities in the Lancang River to hydropower development and exotic invasions. Ecological Indicators, 90: 261–279. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.03.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to HE Linbao, HE Guimei, HE Nan, LI Zhengfei, WANG Junjun, SUN Zhiwei, ZHANG Ping, SUN Jie, HE Zhenglin, HE Jinyuan and HE Wangbin for sample collection and experimental assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China

    Chengzhi Ding, Hui Fan, Liqiang Chen, Jinming Hu, Liuyong Ding, Chao Zhang & Daming He

  2. State Key Laboratory of Eco-hydraulic in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an, 710048, China

    Xiaoming Jiang

  3. Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Co., Ltd, Kunming, 650214, China

    Lieen Wang, Hailong Wang, Hao Chen & Bohui Pan

  4. Laboratory of Biological Invasion and Adaptive Evolution, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 410072, China

    Yifeng Chen

  5. Engineering Research Center of Eco-environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, 443002, China

    Xiaotao Shi

Authors
  1. Chengzhi Ding
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xiaoming Jiang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lieen Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hui Fan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Liqiang Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jinming Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Hailong Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Yifeng Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Xiaotao Shi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Hao Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Bohui Pan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Liuyong Ding
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Chao Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  14. Daming He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daming He.

Additional information

Foundation item: Under the auspices of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41501574), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2016YFA0601601), the Yunnan Applied Basic Research Projects (No. 2016FB079), the National Science and Technology Support Program of China (No. 2013BAB06B03)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ding, C., Jiang, X., Wang, L. et al. Fish Assemblage Responses to a Low-head Dam Removal in the Lancang River. Chin. Geogr. Sci. 29, 26–36 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-018-0995-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-018-0995-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation