P.-C. Lin

Effects of water temperature and discharge on natural reproduction time of the Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis, in the Yangtze River, China and impacts of the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir.

Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis, is a critically endangered anadromous fish species spawning in the Yangtze River of China during October and November. In this study, we analyzed the effects of hydrological factors, such as water temperature and discharge, on the natural reproduction time of the Chinese sturgeon and evaluated the impact of the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) based on our survey data from 1998 to 2011. The results showed that the first spawning dates were significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with the date of water temperature reaching 20°C (20°C WT dates), October mean discharge (Oct. discharge), and the discharge change from October to November (Oct—Nov &Dgr;discharge). Regression analysis suggested that oneday delay of 20°C WT dates could postpone the first spawning date by 0.673 days. A discharge increase of 1000 m3s-1 in October could bring forward the first spawning date by two days. Our results also indicated that the impoundment of the TGR had delayed the first spawning time due to water temperature lag and flow regulation. We suggest the following ecological regulations in order to facilitate conservation of the Chinese sturgeon: to eliminate water temperature lag by regulating water temperature downstream of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), to enhance water discharge downstream in October, and to complete impoundment before October.

Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on the spawning stock and natural reproduction of Chinese sturgeon in the Changjiang River, China

Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) is the flagship species of the Changjiang River. The migration route of this species is blocked by the first dam, the Gezhou Dam, and its reproduction is affected by the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), one of the largest dams in the world. We studied the impact of the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) since 2003 on the spawning stock and the natural reproduction of the Chinese sturgeon by using our monitoring data from 1997 to 2013. Results indicate that TGR impoundment has delayed the first spawning dates of the fish from middle-late October to late November, decreased the amount of spawning activities from twice to only once each year, and significantly reduced egg production. In particular, the fish did not demonstrate any spawning activities in 2013. Therefore, TGR impoundment significantly affects the natural reproduction of the fish downstream of the TGD. The spawning stock size of the fish is also predicted to further decrease in the future, which will lead to a risk of population extinction. Ecological regulations must be imposed on decreasing the water temperature to 20°C before mid-October and increasing water discharge downstream of the TGD in October to induce spawning of the Chinese sturgeon.