The Role of Aquatic Refuge Habitats for Fish, and Threats in the Context of Climate Change and Human Impact, during Seasonal Hydrological Drought in the Saxon Villages Area (Transylvania, Romania)
In spite of the obvious climate changes effects on the Carpathian Basin hydrographic nets fish fauna, studies on their potential refuge habitats in drought periods are scarce. Multiannual (2016–2021) research of fish in some streams located in the Saxon Villages area during hydrological drought peri...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/9/1209 |
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| author | Doru Bănăduc Alexandru Sas Kevin Cianfaglione Sophia Barinova Angela Curtean-Bănăduc |
| author_facet | Doru Bănăduc Alexandru Sas Kevin Cianfaglione Sophia Barinova Angela Curtean-Bănăduc |
| author_sort | Doru Bănăduc |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In spite of the obvious climate changes effects on the Carpathian Basin hydrographic nets fish fauna, studies on their potential refuge habitats in drought periods are scarce. Multiannual (2016–2021) research of fish in some streams located in the Saxon Villages area during hydrological drought periods identified, mapped, and revealed the refuge aquatic habitats presence, management needs, and importance for fish diversity and abundance for small rivers. The impact of increasing global temperature and other human activities induced hydrologic net and habitats alteration, decreased the refuge habitats needed by freshwater fish, diminished the fish abundance, and influenced the spatial and temporal variation in fish assemblage structure in the studied area. The sites more than one meter in depth in the studied lotic system were inventoried and all 500 m of these lotic systems were also checked to see what species and how many individuals were present, and if there is was difference in their abundance between refuge and non-refuge 500 m sectors. The scarce number of these refuges due to relatively high soil erosion and clogging in those basins and the cumulative effects of other human types of impact induced a high degree of pressure on the fish fauna. Overall, it reduced the role of these lotic systems as a refuge and for reproduction for the fish of downstream Târnava Mare River, into which all of them flow. Management elements were proposed to maintain and improve these refuges’ ecological support capacity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:54:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e0ec88c5478f4605a0b35a842cc0d30c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:54:38Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-e0ec88c5478f4605a0b35a842cc0d30c2023-11-22T12:00:53ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332021-09-01129120910.3390/atmos12091209The Role of Aquatic Refuge Habitats for Fish, and Threats in the Context of Climate Change and Human Impact, during Seasonal Hydrological Drought in the Saxon Villages Area (Transylvania, Romania)Doru Bănăduc0Alexandru Sas1Kevin Cianfaglione2Sophia Barinova3Angela Curtean-Bănăduc4Applied Ecology Research Center, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, I. Raţiu Street 5-7, RO-550012 Sibiu, RomaniaEcotur Sibiu NGO, Rahova Street, 43, RO-550345 Sibiu, RomaniaUMR UL/AgroParisTech/INRAE 1434 Silva, Université de Lorraine, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, BP 70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lés-Nancy, FranceInstitute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Abba Khoushi Avenue 199, Haifa IL-3498838, IsraelApplied Ecology Research Center, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, I. Raţiu Street 5-7, RO-550012 Sibiu, RomaniaIn spite of the obvious climate changes effects on the Carpathian Basin hydrographic nets fish fauna, studies on their potential refuge habitats in drought periods are scarce. Multiannual (2016–2021) research of fish in some streams located in the Saxon Villages area during hydrological drought periods identified, mapped, and revealed the refuge aquatic habitats presence, management needs, and importance for fish diversity and abundance for small rivers. The impact of increasing global temperature and other human activities induced hydrologic net and habitats alteration, decreased the refuge habitats needed by freshwater fish, diminished the fish abundance, and influenced the spatial and temporal variation in fish assemblage structure in the studied area. The sites more than one meter in depth in the studied lotic system were inventoried and all 500 m of these lotic systems were also checked to see what species and how many individuals were present, and if there is was difference in their abundance between refuge and non-refuge 500 m sectors. The scarce number of these refuges due to relatively high soil erosion and clogging in those basins and the cumulative effects of other human types of impact induced a high degree of pressure on the fish fauna. Overall, it reduced the role of these lotic systems as a refuge and for reproduction for the fish of downstream Târnava Mare River, into which all of them flow. Management elements were proposed to maintain and improve these refuges’ ecological support capacity.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/9/1209droughtlotic systemsrefuge habitatsfishrisk management |
| spellingShingle | Doru Bănăduc Alexandru Sas Kevin Cianfaglione Sophia Barinova Angela Curtean-Bănăduc The Role of Aquatic Refuge Habitats for Fish, and Threats in the Context of Climate Change and Human Impact, during Seasonal Hydrological Drought in the Saxon Villages Area (Transylvania, Romania) Atmosphere drought lotic systems refuge habitats fish risk management |
| title | The Role of Aquatic Refuge Habitats for Fish, and Threats in the Context of Climate Change and Human Impact, during Seasonal Hydrological Drought in the Saxon Villages Area (Transylvania, Romania) |
| title_full | The Role of Aquatic Refuge Habitats for Fish, and Threats in the Context of Climate Change and Human Impact, during Seasonal Hydrological Drought in the Saxon Villages Area (Transylvania, Romania) |
| title_fullStr | The Role of Aquatic Refuge Habitats for Fish, and Threats in the Context of Climate Change and Human Impact, during Seasonal Hydrological Drought in the Saxon Villages Area (Transylvania, Romania) |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of Aquatic Refuge Habitats for Fish, and Threats in the Context of Climate Change and Human Impact, during Seasonal Hydrological Drought in the Saxon Villages Area (Transylvania, Romania) |
| title_short | The Role of Aquatic Refuge Habitats for Fish, and Threats in the Context of Climate Change and Human Impact, during Seasonal Hydrological Drought in the Saxon Villages Area (Transylvania, Romania) |
| title_sort | role of aquatic refuge habitats for fish and threats in the context of climate change and human impact during seasonal hydrological drought in the saxon villages area transylvania romania |
| topic | drought lotic systems refuge habitats fish risk management |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/9/1209 |
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