Fish Species Distribution and Water Chemistry in Nova Scotia Lakes

Smith, D. L.; Underwood, J. K.; Ogden, J. Gordon; Sabean, B. C.

doi:10.1007/978-94-009-3385-9_47

Cited by 3 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…O or less, especially in water of low conductivity (Trojnar 1977;Baker and Schofield 1982). Therefore, white sucker were found in the Westfield River and Halfway Brook, as they were in Nova Scotia lakes (Smith et al 1986), at pH levels below those known to inhibit reproduction. However, the absence of juvenile white sucker past the fry stage in Halfway Brook and the low proportion of juveniles ( I + to 3+ age-classes) in the population of the Westfield River are most likely indicative of low pH effects.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The distribution of fish species among the three streams indicates interspecific differences in acid tolerance, and reflects the relative tolerance inferred from lowest pH at which those species occurred in Nova Scotia lakes (Smith et al 1986). The low pH limits are also generally within the range of minimum pH established for the same species in other surveys (Beamish et al 1975;Beamish 1976;Harvey 1980;Rahel and Magnuson 1983).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Reproduction appears to be successful, with some survival to the fry stage even at the lowest pH levels. White sucker are often considered to be relatively tolerant of acid conditions, on the basis of distribution, and are found at pH levels below 5.0 (Beamish et al 1975;Beamish 1976;Harvey 1980;Smith et al 1986). However, recruitment failure usually occurs as pH levels decrease to 5.0 (Beamish et al 1975;Schindler et al 1985).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Similarly, the absence of cyprinids from Halfway Brook and their very low densities in the Westfield River are most likely the result of high acidity. Cyprinids include some of the most acid-sensitive species, and are usually absent at pH levels less than about 5.5 (Harvey 1980;Rahel and Magnuson 1983), except for golden shiner and lake chub, which are found at pH levels as low as 4.8 and 5.1, respectively, in Nova Scotia lakes (Smith et al 1986). The absence of young age-classes of lake chub and the low proportion of young creek chub in the populations of the Westfield River, where autumnal and winter pH levels are usually less than 5.0, are also considered to be indicative of low pH effects in that stream.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In eastern Canada, fish community surveys in relation to acidity have mostly been conducted in acidic headwater lakes, and generally rely on presence-absence data (Kelso et al 1986;Smith et al 1986). Watt et al (1983) did establish a relationship between juvenile Atlantic salmon densities and acidity in the major river systems of Nova Scotia, but, in general, few attempts have been made to estimate fish density for populations in acidified streams.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fish community structure in relation to acidity in three Nova Scotia rivers

Lacroix¹

1987

Can. J. Zool.

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LACROIX, G. L. 1987. Fish community structure in relation to acidity in three Nova Scotia rivers. Can. J. Zool. 65: 2908-2915.The occurrence, density, and age-class structure of endemic fish species were compared over a period of 24 months in three Nova Scotia streams of differing pH. The absence of acid-sensitive species and very low densities of fish characterized the stream with a pH range of 4.5-5.0. Fish densities were lower in the stream with apH range of 4.7-5.4 than in the stream with apH range of 5.6-6.3. Juvenile salmon and cyprinids were the most abundant species in the least acidic stream. Their densities were considerably lower in the stream with pH levels of 4.7-5.4, and the young age-classes of the cyprinid species were rare or absent. Both salmon and cyprinids were absent in the most acidic stream. In contrast, American eels were most abundant in the two streams with pH levels less than 5.5, and they accounted for an increasingly large proportion of the fish biomass at the lowest pH levels. White sucker was the most abundant species at the lowest pH levels, but its contribution to biomass was unimportant because of the absence of most age-classes older than O+ . Several other species found in the most acidic stream were not very abundant, and old age-classes were usually absent for most of these. The observed distributional patterns were considered to be mostly pH related.LACROIX, G. L. 1987. Fish community structure in relation to acidity in three Nova Scotia rivers. Can. J. Zool. 65 : 2908-2915.La prksence, I'abondance et la structure des classes d'iges des especes de poissons indigenes ont Ct C comparCes en trois rivieres de la Nouvelle-Ecosse a pH diffkrents au cours d'une pCriode de 24 rnois. La riviere a pH 4,5-5,O Ctait caractCrisCe par I'absence d'especes sensibles a I'aciditC et par la densit6 rCduite des poissons. L'abondance des poissons Ctait plus faible dans la riviere a pH 4,7-5,4 que dans la riviere a pH 5,6-6,3. Les jeunes saurnons et les cyprinidCs Ctaient les especes les plus abondantes dans la riviere la rnoins acide. Leurs densitCs Ctaient considCrablement moindres dans la riviere a pH 4,7-5,4 et les jeunes classes d'ige de cyprins Ctaient rares ou absentes. Les saumons et les jeunes cyprins Ctaient absents de la riviere la plus acide. En revanche, les anguilles Ctaient plus abondantes dans les deux rivieres acides a pH infkrieurs a 5,5 et elles reprksentaient une proportion de la biomasse des poissons de plus en plus importante aux pH les moins ClevCs. Le Meunier noir Ctait l'espece la plus abondante aux pH les plus bas, mais sa biomasse Ctait faible car la plupart des classes d'ige supCrieures a 0 + manquaient. Quelques autres especes Ctaient prksentes dans la riviere la plus acide, mais elles Ctaient peu abondantes et comptaient peu de poissons d'ige avancC. La repartition des poissons observCe dans ces trois rivikres est attribuable aux pH diffkrents.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fish community structure in relation to acidity in three Nova Scotia rivers

Lacroix¹

1987

Can. J. Zool.

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Responses of several fish species to pH gradients

Peterson¹,

Coombs²,

Power³

et al. 1989

Can. J. Zool.

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The responses of 11 fish species to a continuous pH gradient (usually pH 4–10) were observed to obtain information on avoidance–preference behavior. Under uniform pH conditions, all species were found most frequently near the ends of the apparatus, particularly near the inflow. Imposition of a pH gradient altered the distribution for most species, with the region of lowest pH usually being avoided. Estimated low pH avoidance thresholds were 4.1 for yellow perch, 4.5 for white sucker, 4.7 for brook charr, 5.1 for banded killifish, 5.2 for Arctic charr, 5.4 for common shiner and blacknose dace, 5.5 for threespine stickleback, 5.7 for creek chub, and 5.9 for rainbow trout. Preferred pH ranges were usually 5–7 to 7–9. The distribution of rainbow trout in calcium gradients was not significantly different from that in uniform calcium conditions. Avoidance thresholds of the various species were generally similar to pH levels limiting natural distributions as derived from various lake and stream surveys.

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Water quality in the Okavango Delta

Mmualefe¹,

Torto²

2011

WSA

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The Okavango Delta ecosystem sustains a large number of plant and animal species as well as providing resources for the livelihood of the riparian human population. Despite changes in flow patterns, rainfall and other climatic conditions over the past decades, the system has responded well to maintain low salt-water balances through evapotranspiration and chemical precipitation processes. The electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids are generally low, with values less than 200 µS•cm -1 and averaging 40 mg•ℓ -1, respectively. The dissolved oxygen and dissolved organic carbon range from 1.8 to 8.8 and 5 to 15 mg•ℓ -1 , respectively, while pH ranges from 6.7 to 10.3. Total nitrogen and phosphorus are generally low with maximum concentrations of 1.7 and 1.6 mg•ℓ -1 , respectively, recorded downstream of the Delta. Even though most of these quality parameters are within limits for potable water, the Delta's ecosystem needs to be protected from anthropogenic activities. Past use of persistent organic pollutants requires monitoring of impacts of their residues on the plants and animal species within the ecosystem, in order to maintain its rich biodiversity. This review focuses on chemical quality data for water and sediments in the Okavango Delta published between 2000 and 2010. Despite the shortage of published data, it is hoped that this review will provide an overall picture of the status quo of the Delta's water and will set the direction for future monitoring efforts.

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Fish Species Distribution and Water Chemistry in Nova Scotia Lakes

Cited by 3 publications

References 5 publications

Fish community structure in relation to acidity in three Nova Scotia rivers

Fish community structure in relation to acidity in three Nova Scotia rivers

Responses of several fish species to pH gradients

Water quality in the Okavango Delta

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