Annual variations of biotic integrity in the upper Yangtze River using an adapted index of biotic integrity (IBI)

Adaptive modification and use of Karr's index of biotic integrity (IBI) for the upper Yangtze River, including 12 metrics in five categories, have typically occurred in line with the data collected by 6-year commercial fisheries investigation. These investigations were undertaken annually in four sections of the Upper Yangtze main channel between 1997 and 2002. These four monitoring sections (Yibin - YB, Hejiang - HJ, Mudong - MD, and Yichang - YC) were selected because they represent the part of the river that will be covering a 1000 kin stretch that includes the future Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), upstream of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), an area influenced by the construction of TGD. in addition, historical data were used to show changes in the watershed by comparison with field investigations recently. The biotic integrity of the four sections were calculated and classified into different levels annually for recognizing its spatial and temporal variations. It was observed that IBI scores were becoming lower diminishingly since 1997 in all the four sections. Because all the data were collected before the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir, it is obvious that human activities, especially over-fishing, must be crucial factor instead of damming in the upper Yangtze River in that period. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

[1]  J. Rosen,et al.  A benthic index of biological integrity for assessing habitat quality in estuaries of the southeastern USA , 1999 .

[2]  John Lyons,et al.  Development of a preliminary index of biotic integrity (IBI) based on fish assemblages to assess ecosystem condition in the lakes of central Mexico , 2004, Hydrobiologia.

[3]  Ping Xie,et al.  Three-Gorges Dam: Risk to Ancient Fish , 2003, Science.

[4]  Vladimir Novotny,et al.  Unlocking the relationship of biotic integrity of impaired waters to anthropogenic stresses. , 2005, Water research.

[5]  Thomas P. Simon,et al.  Modification of an index of biotic integrity for assessing vernal ponds and small palustrine wetlands using fish, crayfish, and amphibian assemblages along southern Lake Michigan , 2000 .

[6]  G. Seegert.  Considerations regarding development of index of biotic integrity metrics for large rivers , 2000 .

[7]  J. Karr,et al.  Restoring life in running waters : better biological monitoring , 1998 .

[8]  Young-Seuk Park,et al.  Conservation Strategies for Endemic Fish Species Threatened by the Three Gorges Dam , 2003 .

[9]  R. Death,et al.  Application of the Index of Biotic Integrity Methodology to New Zealand Freshwater Fish Communities , 2004, Environmental management.

[10]  Robert J. Wootton,et al.  Ecology of Teleost Fishes , 1989, Springer Netherlands.

[11]  Variation in a Great River Index of Biotic Integrity over a 20-year period , 2000 .

[12]  R. Hughes,et al.  Application of an index of biological integrity (IBI) to fish assemblages of the rivers Khan and Kshipra (Madhya Pradesh), India , 1998 .

[13]  Zhifang Sun.  Synopsis of freshwater fishes of China , 1996 .

[14]  John Cairns,et al.  Biological monitoring: Part IIA—receiving system functional methods, relationships and indices , 1982 .

[15]  J. Dean,et al.  Use of fish community data to evaluate restoration success of a riparian stream , 2000 .

[16]  R. Mann,et al.  The Freshwater Fishes of Europe. Vol. 1, Part II. General Introduction to Fishes, Acipenseriformes , 1991 .

[17]  James R. Karr,et al.  Assessing biological integrity in running waters : a method and its rationale , 1986 .

[18]  F. G. Araújo,et al.  A Preliminary Index of Biotic Integrity for Monitoring the Condition of the Rio Paraiba do Sul, Southeast Brazil , 2003, Environmental management.

[19]  D. Dudgeon.  Large-Scale Hydrological Changes in Tropical Asia: Prospects for Riverine Biodiversity , 2000 .

[20]  Greg Seegert,et al.  The development, use, and misuse of biocriteria with an emphasis on the index of biotic integrity , 2000 .

[21]  J. Karr.  Assessment of Biotic Integrity Using Fish Communities , 1981 .

[22]  R. Baxter.  Environmental Effects of Dams and Impoundments , 1977 .

[23]  Jianbo Chang,et al.  Evaluation on temporal and spatial changes of biological integrity for shallow lakes in the middle reach of the Yangtze River , 2004 .

[24]  J. Karr.  Defining and measuring river health , 1999 .

[25]  T. Oberdorff,et al.  Modification of an index of biotic integrity based on fish assemblages to characterize rivers of the Seine Basin, France , 2004, Hydrobiologia.