Assessment of Present-Day Reproduction Efficiency in Stellate Sturgeon Acipenser stellatus in Different Spawning Zones of the Lower Volga

Studies performed from 1979 to 1998 provided data on the efficiency of natural reproduction of the stellate sturgeon Acipenser stellatus in the upper, middle, and lower spawning zones of the Volga. A correlation between the size of the progeny and environmental factors was revealed. Today, the main factors limiting the efficiency of reproduction in the stellate sturgeon are the numbers of fish admitted to the spawning grounds (especially in 1997 and 1998) and water level in the Volga during the summer low-water season. Measures to support natural reproduction of the stellate sturgeon are proposed.     

中华鲟濒危状况与物种保护对策的评估分析

濒危等级是确定物种优先保护顺序和制订濒危物种保育策略的重要依据。结合历史资料以及近年的监测数据，对长江中华鲟种群繁殖群体及补充群体数量与质量，关键栖息地胁迫因素及胁迫强度等的全面梳理，总结出了1981年以来中华鲟种群及环境胁迫的变动趋势。参照IUCN物种濒危程度的划分准则建立了中华鲟物种濒危等级的划分标准；同时按照10年一组对该物种不同年代下的濒危状况进行评估。中华鲟在1983~1992年代进入濒危程度；在2003~2012年代进入极危程度。中华鲟物种的濒危等级取决于自身种群质量以及人类活动及环境结构变化等多方面的综合影响。人类活动和环境结构变化对中华鲟的胁迫呈现多样性与复杂性，且整体呈现一定的时间和空间尺度上的差异。最后，基于物种的濒危状况以及胁迫因素，分析了不同年代内的对策及效果，在此基础上提出了物种保护工作的构架和保护行动的优先顺序。     

大坝下游河段的河流生态径流调控研究

了分析大坝工程对河流径流情势的影响,以三峡大坝下游河段的宜昌站为例,计算了三峡坝下河段的生态水文季节、生态需水和其它径流情势特征参数。计算结果表明,长江宜昌江段枯水期为1~3月份、副汛期为4~6月份和10~12月份,而洪水期为7~9月份;枯水期、副汛期和洪水期的最小生态需量占同期来水总量分别为24%~27%、30%~50%和30%~45%;适宜的生态需水在枯水期、主汛期分别占同时期来水总量为30%~42%、50%~70%;四大家鱼和中华鲟产卵、繁殖期内的适宜生态流量范围分别为 6 540~12 700 m3/s 和 16 300~9 130 m3/s,大约占同时期来水总量的50%~70%;涨水次数平均值分别为5.3和3.4,落水次数平均值分别为50和5.1等,这为三峡水库在四大家鱼和中华鲟产卵、繁殖期内的调度提供了保护的依据。〖     

Species and Environmental Diversity of Fish of the Northern Dvina River Basin

The general characteristics of ichthyofauna from the Northern Dvina River are obtained. Based on the results of ichthyological surveys in 1984–2012, as well as bibliographical and archival data, the present composition of the fish community is presented with an accounting of introduced and self-colonized species. The taxonomic status of fish and their belonging to various faunal complexes is considered. In the ecological aspect, the belonging of fish to different ecological groups differing in the feeding and natural reproduction (spawning substrate, methods of spawning, and spawning periods) is distinguished.     

汉江下游鱼类早期资源及梯级联合生态调度对鱼类繁殖影响的初步分析

汉江是长江一级支流，鱼类资源较为丰富。目前汉江中下游建有4座水利枢纽工程，对鱼类洄游和繁殖产生较大影响。在鱼类繁殖季节，为促进汉江中下游鱼类繁殖，2018年6月汉江中下游首次实施梯级联合生态调度。该研究在汉江下游汉川段设置监测断面，采集鱼类早期资源，以分析汉江下游鱼类早期资源多样性，及生态调度对促进汉江下游鱼类繁殖的效果。监测结果表明汉江下游卵苗种类共有36种（属），其中22种为产漂流性卵鱼类。监测期间卵苗总径流量为118.78亿尾（粒），其中四大家鱼卵苗为0.87亿尾（粒），占0.73%，其中鱼卵0.69亿粒，推测汉江下游有4处四大家鱼产卵场。梯级联合生态调度期间，汉川江段出现一次鱼类产卵高峰，鱼卵径流量占总径流量的34.1%，其中四大家鱼鱼卵占家鱼卵总径流量的85.5%，表明梯级联合生态调度对汉江下游鱼类，特别是四大家鱼的繁殖具有积极的作用。建议今后继续开展生态调度，并加强监测和分析工作。     

金沙江下游巧家江段产漂流性卵鱼类早期资源研究

为掌握金沙江下游巧家江段产漂流性卵鱼类繁殖状况,为金沙江下游鱼类资源保护提供科学依据,于2017～2018年5～7月对金沙江下游巧家江段进行鱼类早期资源调查。结果表明,至少有14种(亚种)鱼类在金沙江下游江段繁殖,其中包括产漂流性卵鱼类12种,长江上游特有鱼类7种。两年调查期间,估算产漂流性卵鱼类的产卵量分别为6 949.73×10~4 ind和11 056.17×10~4 ind,其中长江上游特有鱼类产卵量分别为3 861.44×10~4 ind和5 338.16×10~4 ind。监测期间累计出现5次产卵高峰(2017年2次,2018年3次),合计产卵量为7 942.02×10~4 ind,占两年产卵总规模的42.67%。采用Pearson相关系数对鱼卵径流量与水环境因子进行分析,2018年水温与鱼卵径流量极显著正相关(P0.01),圆口铜鱼、长薄鳅和中华金沙鳅等特有鱼类产卵高峰均出现在流速增长期。产卵场范围为巧家县至攀枝花市江段,2017年主要产卵场分别为巧家县、会泽、会东和皎平渡4个江段;2018新增加了武定江段。与历史调查结果比较,本次调查长江上游特有鱼类种类数量相对增多,产卵总量变化不显著,产卵江段相对更为分散。建议加强巧家江段产漂流性卵鱼类早期资源研究,尤其是特有物种人工繁殖技术研究,同时科学适宜地开展水利工程生态调度。     

Towards better water governance in river basins: some lessons learned from the Volga

This article focuses on the problems of water governance at a river basin level, and on the role of institutional coordination, participation and partnerships between multiple stakeholders towards sustainable water management. Its approach presupposes that institutional capacity building, strengthening coordination between government institutions (vertical and horizontal), on the one hand, and broadening participation and consolidating partnerships between public, private and civil society actors, on the other hand, is among effective tools in integrated water resource management in river basins. It explores environmental challenges, problems, emerging trends and recent institutional innovations in the Volga basin in Russia—the largest river basin in Europe. Transfer and adaptation of good practices in good water governance between the EU and Russia are discussed. This article presents some research findings and lessons learned from practice by the EC international project ‘CABRI—Cooperation along a big river: Institutional coordination among stakeholders for environmental risk management in the Volga basin’, which is assessed as one of the selected success stories of the European research.’     

淀山湖河蚬翘嘴红鲌国家级水产种质资源保护区翘嘴鲌产卵场现状

为了对淀山湖河蚬翘嘴红鲌国家级水产种质资源保护区翘嘴鲌禁渔期、禁渔区域的设定及种质资源保护提供参考资料。2016年5~8月，对此湖鱼卵和仔稚鱼的时空分布特征即产卵场及其与环境因子的关系进行了研究。调查表明：共采集到鱼卵 4 463 粒，仔稚鱼 43 012 尾，分属6目9科19属21种，采集到的鱼卵、仔稚鱼中翘嘴鲌C.alburnus个体数分别占比为4.16%、 3.98%。产卵初始时间为6月13日，捕获截止日期为8月17日。翘嘴鲌密度的相对比例在7月中下旬及8月初出现峰值。调查期间，产卵水温均在25.9℃ 以上，其中产卵盛期水温在29.3~34.3℃。翘嘴鲌产卵易发生在暴雨初晴的夜晚，水位上涨的过程，当水位达 2 m，其他条件适宜情况下大量产卵。翘嘴鲌产卵密度与水温、水位关系密切（P<0.01）。根据早期资源结果、人工鱼巢收集到的鱼卵和捕获处于排卵期的翘嘴鲌亲鱼，推断出保护区1号(千灯浦桥)水域、2号(梅浜)水域和7号(南生浜)水域为翘嘴鲌的产卵场。     

Marsh Frog (Rana ridibunda Pall.) in Cooling Ponds in the Middle Urals

Environmental conditions in cooling ponds of thermal power plants are favorable for marsh frogs. Their populations inhabiting Verkhne-Tagil and Reftinskoe reservoirs differ in some traits, such as size and age composition, growth rate after metamorphosis, spawning type, fecundity, and characteristics of larval development. Differentiation in body size manifests itself at the early stages of terrestrial life and progresses at later stages. As a consequence, larger individuals may reach maturity and participate in reproduction at an earlier age.     

日调节电站库区生态水文情势评价——以湘江干流衡阳站为例

河流生态水文情势对生态系统起着决定性作用，定量评估日调节电站库区中部生态水文情势影响，可为日调节电站的生态调度，维持河流生态健康等提供科技支撑。采用变动范围法（RVA）对湘江干流大源渡枢纽库区衡阳水文站1959~2015年逐日流量、水位及流速指标进行分析，采用生物多样性指标SI初步评估库区生物多样性的变化。结果表明:日调节电站蓄水后，库区中部生态水文变化特征及生态影响为：流速IHA指标整体改变度达到81%，流量IHA指标整体改变度为43%；4～7月月均流速降低（高度改变）不利于“四大家鱼”产卵活动；库区年极小值流量的增加利于保障自然栖息地和植物群落；年极值流速降低在改变库区河道地貌的同时加大生态环境风险；流量、流速年最小值出现时间发生100%改变，影响生物的生命活动；流量低脉冲历时和流速高脉冲历时高度改变，不利于刺激家鱼产卵繁殖活动；枢纽蓄水后SI值降低，生物多样性降低。     

Analysis of the Patterns of Organization of Species Complexes of Ponto-Caspian and Ponto-Azovian Macrozoobenthos in the Middle and Lower Volga Reservoirs

Russian Journal of Ecology - The study of macrozoobenthos in the Middle and Lower Volga reservoirs has revealed stable cenotic complexes of Ponto-Caspian and Ponto-Azovian species, which are...     

Changes in the structure of ichthyofauna in water bodies of Kaluga oblast over the past few decades

The structure of the ichthyofauna in water bodies of Kaluga oblast has undergone significant rearrangements over the past 20 years. The abundance of some species has increased, while that of other species has decreased; spontaneous dispersal of some fishes is underway. Synchronous fluctuations of fish abundance (“waves of life”) take place simultaneously in the Western Dvina, Dnieper, and Volga basins. These processes differ in intensity depending on fish species and are conditioned by a number of factors, including changes in hydrological regimes of rivers, improvement of the ecological state of small rivers, and increased poaching pressure. The results of monitoring the ichthyofauna fauna of small rivers are used as an example to trace the routes of fish dispersal and discuss changes in the composition of fish communities.     

The concept of ecosystem health in water quality assessment and rating of anthropogenic loads

A methodological approach to water quality assessment within the scope of the ecosystem health concept is substantiated. Key tasks in water body pollution rating are specified. A rationale for the system of criteria for the diagnosis of aquatic ecosystem health is given on the basis of analysis of determinate changes in their organization levels under anthropogenic stress. The results of testing the proposed methods in water objects of the Volga basin and Lake Imandra are described.     

Changes in the species composition and abundance of young-of-the-year fishes in the upper Volga stretch of the Kuibyshev Reservoir during the period of 1991 to 2009

The species composition and abundance of young-of-the-year fishes have been analyzed in catches made in the upper Volga stretch of the Kuibyshev Reservoir between 1991 and 2009. It has been found that the juvenile abundance of roach and blue bream has decreased, while that of perch, silver bream, and spined loach has increased, with young-of-the-year juveniles of common rudd, tubenose goby, round goby, and black-striped pipefish appearing in catches. The results of the study show that, against the background of juvenile population decline in many spring-spawning fish species, the abundance and species diversity of young of the year in summer-spawning species has increased during the observation period.     

Distribution of Zooplankton along the Longitudinal Profile of Two Disturbed Small Rivers of the Upper Volga Basin

The abundance and trophic structure of zooplankton along the longitudinal profile of two typical rivers in the Yaroslavl sector of the Volga region are determined by anthropogenic and zoogenic factors. The distribution of zooplankton under the influence of these factors is described by the concept of patch dynamics. The abundance of zooplankton reaches the highest values in the ameliorated upper reaches of rivers and in beaver ponds.     

Statistical analysis of the results of multivariate ordination as exemplified by data on river benthic communities

The use of different methods of multivariate ordination for the analysis of the distribution pattern of benthic habitats along the gradient of a river ecosystem is considered. Problems of determination of homogenous segments of a stream are discussed using macrozoobenthos communities of small rivers of the lower Volga Basin as examples. A method for estimating the ordination quality criterion based on comparison with the null model and the use of bootstrap procedures is described. The dependence of statistical inferences on the level of detail of the original data, hydrobiological survey parameters, and similarity metric equations is analyzed.     

长江上游珍稀特有鱼类国家级自然保护区鱼类产卵场功能现状分析及保护启示

长江上游珍稀特有鱼类国家级自然保护区具有开放性、跨界性和范围模糊性等特征,随着所在区域对岸线资源的开发利用,保护区鱼类产卵场功能退化严重。基于对保护区保护针对性及有效性地提升,选择长江宜宾段36个产卵场为切入点,采取实地勘察、走访的方式开展调查,全面梳理了产卵场河段及岸线利用现状、产卵鱼类现状及产卵场面临问题等,并对产卵场功能现状进行划分。结果表明:功能良好和功能一般的特有珍稀鱼类产卵场仅占调查总数的33.3%,功能部分退化、严重退化的产卵场占61%,保护区产卵场功能的整体退化已成为不争的事实。面向产卵场及保护区的未来发展,论文提出开展系统性调查研究、科学认识保护对象的资源现状,处理好发展与保护的关系、提升岸线资源利用持续性,设置独立性管理主体、增强监管时效性等政策启示。     

Effects of the Anthropogenic Factor on Bats (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in the Volga Region

Using the example of bats inhabiting the Volga region, the cases in which the anthropogenic factor creates favorable conditions for these animals or significantly reduces their diversity of their fauna are considered. In this context, an opinion concerning the approaches to the conservation of bats is formulated.     

Cyclicity and some characteristics of mass reproduction ofCalliptamus italicus L. in Southern Russia

Analysis of the reproductive dynamics ofCalliptamus italicus during the past 100 years confirmed the dependence of locust invasions on the 11-year cycles of solar activity, which was previously known for other gregarious locusts. Over a considerable part of the species range, the onset of mass reproduction is promoted by a hot and droughty spring and summer. The scale of the outbreak is determined by local conditions in the foci of reproduction. The current global warming is characterized by an unstable, drastically varying climate with a trend toward aridity in many regions. If this trend persists for several decades, we may expect an increase in the periods ofC. talicus mass reproduction and in the persistency and extent of damage inflicted by locusts on vast Palearctic areas.     

赤水河赤水段鱼类早期资源调查研究

赤水河是长江上游右岸一级支流，是长江上游珍稀特有鱼类国家级自然保护区的重要组成部分。为了解赤水河鱼类的繁殖情况，为保护区鱼类的相关研究和保护工作提供本底资料，于2007和2008年3~7月在赤水河赤水市江段进行了鱼类早期资源的调查工作。结果显示：至少有34种（亚种）鱼类在赤水市江段繁殖，其中包括长江上游特有鱼类4种，产漂流性卵的鱼类8种。鱼类繁殖期从3月持续到7月，盛期为5~7月。两年调查期间，分别经历了7次和5次繁殖高峰；在4~7月，漂流性鲫的资源量分别为3.26×108粒和5.26×108粒。复兴、丙安和太平3个江段为产漂流性卵鱼类的主要产卵场。鱼类繁殖盛期的水温范围为21℃~245℃，流量的增加可以促进产漂流性卵鱼类的繁殖。