Productive capacity of an artificial stream in the Canadian Arctic: assessing the effectiveness of fish habitat compensation
- 1 July 2003
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Canadian Science Publishing in Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
- Vol. 60 (7), 849-863
- https://doi.org/10.1139/f03-074
Abstract
Few fish habitat compensation projects are assessed with respect to the principle of "no net loss" of productive capacity. Using reference streams as standards against which gains and losses of functions (e.g., production of fish) could be quantified, we examined the effectiveness of a 3.4-km artificial stream in the Northwest Territories, Canada. The artificial stream restored watershed connectivity, allowing fish migration and provided spawning and nursery habitat, particularly for Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus). However, the average mass of young-of-the-year (YOY) grayling at the end of summer was lower (57%) in the artificial stream than in natural streams. This difference in growth, in concert with estimates of grayling density, meant that the standing crop produced in the artificial stream averaged 37% of that found in natural streams. A bioenergetics model indicated that cooler water temperatures in the artificial stream had limited influence on growth. Instead, low amounts of autochthonous and allochthonous organic matter and poor physical habitat in the artificial stream appeared to limit the productivity of benthic invertebrates and fish. Our explicit analysis of productive capacity will allow future compensation measures to focus on deficiencies in the artificial stream and on the improvement of its productive capacity as fish habitat.Keywords
This publication has 31 references indexed in Scilit:
- Seasonal Survival, Movement, and Habitat Use of Age-0 Rainbow Trout in the Henrys Fork of the Snake River, IdahoTransactions of the American Fisheries Society, 2002
- Influence of Environmental Variability on the Growth of Age-0 and Adult Arctic GraylingTransactions of the American Fisheries Society, 1999
- Bioenergetics Modeling of Stream Trout Growth: Temperature and Food Consumption EffectsTransactions of the American Fisheries Society, 1999
- Detecting the response of fish to habitat alterations in freshwater ecosystemsCanadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 1996
- Potential effects of global climate warming on brook trout growth and prey consumption in central Appalachian streams, USAClimate Research, 1995
- Modeling Steelhead Population Energetics in Lakes Michigan and OntarioTransactions of the American Fisheries Society, 1993
- Sand Bed Load in a Brook Trout StreamNorth American Journal of Fisheries Management, 1986
- Importance of Snag Habitat for Animal Production in Southeastern StreamsFisheries, 1985
- The influence of rock surface area on the microdistribution and sampling of attached riffle dwelling Trichoptera in Hartley Creek, AlbertaCanadian Journal of Zoology, 1983
- Applications of a Bioenergetics Model to Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) and Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum)Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 1977