Elucidating mechanisms driving regional aquatic diversity in landscapes consisting of natural rivers, agricultural drainage channels, and spring-fed creeks

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24710269
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Resource conservation science
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: NEGISHI Junjiro 北海道大学, 地球環境科学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (90423029)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 景観 / 農地 / 河川 / 生物多様性 / 湧水 / 保全優先度 / 水生生物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Fist, endangered unionoid mussels were found more in the drainage channel that had a high connectivity to the downstream rivers, and fish community with high taxonomic diversity co-occurred. Also, landscape surrounded by low levels of urbanization characterized their habitat. Second, macrophyte diversity in floodplain lakes were positively correlated with their cover area, and the quality of macrophyte habitat was the lowest in the artificially created oxbow lakes. Third, spring-fed rivers harbored unique sets of species of aquatic insects, thereby contributing to the taxonomic diversity at the watershed scale. These suggest that systematic classifications of habitat across landscapes based on landform and groundwater would facilitate efficient conservation of aquatic biodiversity.

Free Research Field

生態系管理および河川生態学