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Advances in the aquatic sciences
RESEARCH FRONT

Dominant aquatic species and their hydrological niches in freshwater ecosystems in a developing city

S. Yang A B , T. Pan B , X. Wang C , Y. Sun D , Y. Zhang B , C. Zhao A B F , Y. Gai D , Z. Wang D and H. Zhang E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A College of Water Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Urban Hydrological Cycle and Sponge City Technology, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100875, PR China.

B School of Geography, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100875, PR China.

C China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, 1 Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100038, PR China.

D Jinan Survey Bureau of Hydrology and Water Resources, 2 Shanshi North Street, Jinan City, 250013, PR China.

E Dongying Survey Bureau of Hydrology and Water Resources, 40 Zibo Road, Dongying District, Dongying City, 257000, PR China.

F Corresponding author. Email: hzjohnson2003@163.com

Marine and Freshwater Research 70(5) 615-624 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF18336
Submitted: 7 September 2018  Accepted: 20 December 2018   Published: 15 February 2019

Abstract

Maintenance of appropriate hydrological niches is crucial to aquatic organisms. This study identified keystone species using the Ecopath with Ecosim food web model for hydrological niche analysis in Jinan City, the first pilot city of the Water Ecological Civilisation Project in China. The niche breadth of keystone species was analysed using Levins’ breadth model. Results revealed 35 keystone species in the aquatic ecosystems of Jinan City, including 5 phytoplankton, 7 zooplankton, 9 zoobenthos and 14 fish species. Streamflow was the most important hydrological factor affecting the phytoplankton, zooplankton, zoobenthos and fish communities in the study area, and excess variation in streamflow had an adverse effect on the normal evolution of the four biotic communities. We found that: (1) higher trophic levels in the food web contained more keystone species in the corresponding community; (2) carbon is an important element constraining the food web structure, and the magnitude of its effect on energy flow determines the degree of importance of the keystone species in the food web; and (3) changes to the survey season and at the spatiotemporal scale will have strong effects on the results of hydrological niche analysis and, to reduce these effects, it will be important to lengthen the spatial and temporal scales to cover both dry and flood seasons in the future. These results may provide an important basis for decision making regarding ecological scheduling and remediation of rivers in the study area, and potentially regions worldwide, thus facilitating aquatic ecological remediation and sustainable water resource management.

Additional keywords: aquatic ecosystem, hydrology, Jinan City, keystone species.


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