Abstract
To study the salmonids potential production of a coastal river main stream from simple characterization of the fish habitat, it was necessary to rate the hydrosystem's spatial heterogeneity.
The presence of a number of dams on the river Elorn did not mask the two main levels of heterogeneity.
Longitudinal zonation was the first level of heterogeneity assessed. Two zones were characterized and delimited based on inter-dam descriptors: slope, width, macrohabitat linear density, stream order, water quality, ....
The second heterogeneity level was the macrohabitat. These were quantitatively described for one inter-dam unit within each zone. Fish macrohabitat typology could be determined within each zone, but was much more difficult for the whole main stream. Beside water velocity, depth and substrate size, he relevant criteria were the surface aspect and light-related vegetation.
These results, obtained by Principal Componant Analysis and Cluster Analysis, permit considering a graduated sampling protocol.
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Ombredane, D., Haury, J. & Chapon, P.M. Heterogeneity and typology of fish habitat in the main stream of a Breton coastal river (Elorn-Finistère, France). Hydrobiologia 300, 259–268 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00024466
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00024466