Advances in the Ecology of Stream-Dwelling Salmonids

Salmonids inhabit streams throughout their lives, encountering suitable reproductive and feeding habitats and becoming apex piscivores at large sizes. They are also prey for aquatic macroinvertebrates and birds and mammals. However, streams are threatened by human abuse and misuse, including over-extraction, diversion, damming, and pollution, as well as global warming. Salmonids themselves are threatened by genetic introgressions, diseases, and parasites related to uncontrolled introductions of individuals from aquaculture and over-exploitation by angling. This has triggered important social and political concerns, making research priorities for major agencies and institutions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 740 pages
Publication date: 01 March 2024
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

Salmonids inhabit streams throughout their lives, providing them with suitable reproductive and feeding habitats. These lotic systems are characterized by heterogeneity and variation in temperature and discharge along environmental gradients. Salmonids are predators on organisms drifting across the water column, becoming apex piscivores at large sizes. They may also serve as prey for aquatic macroinvertebrates and become prey for birds and mammals. Additionally, many populations play a significant role in the recycling of biogeochemical elements critical for the trophic dynamics of their home streams. Empirical assessment of the ecological functioning of stream salmonids has been a long-standing endeavor, with pioneer studies by Allen (1951), Chapman (1966), McFadden (1964), and Northcote (1966) further enhanced by the IBP (1964-1974; Gerking 1967) and extended to experimental approaches during the last decades (Northcote & Lobon-Cervia 2010, Lobon-Cervia & Sanz 2017, Kershner et al. 2019). However, streams are severely threatened by human abuse and misuse, including over-extraction, diversion, damming, and pollution, as well as the more recent threat of global warming. Salmonids themselves are threatened by genetic introgressions, diseases, and parasites related to uncontrolled introductions of individuals from aquaculture.

Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031443886