Guglielmo Sonnino Sorisio , Andy Don , Jo Cable , Catherine A.M.E. Wilson
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Culverts are high velocity barriers that pose a challenge for fish navigation. The high velocities generated within culverts have the potential to halt migrations and fragment habitats. Passage solutions for small, river resident, freshwater fish are scarce and eel tiles present a possible multi-species solution. In this study, moulded tiles designed to promote eel passage were mounted in a recirculating open channel flume, we quantified the associated hydrodynamics and assessed whether a sentinel species, the three spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) could navigate fixed flow conditions in the presence and absence of tiles, either alone or in shoals of three fish. The tiles produced a large reduction in streamwise velocity within them as well as around them and did so consistently for all flow conditions. The vertical and horizontal Reynolds shear stresses produced by the tiles was similar to canopy flow turbulence but the turbulent structures were not as discrete. The hydrodynamics of the tiles appear appropriate for fish passage due to the induced slow flow and moderate turbulence. The tiles significantly decreased impingement on the downstream flow straightener and exhaustion. Shoaling significantly increased passage, but in harsher local velocity conditions fish in shoals did not maintain cohesion. The tiles benefitted the fish by providing lower flow velocities but produced turbulence that in some cases destabilised the swimming fish. Despite this the tiles improved the swimming ability of minor species in areas where they would have otherwise become quickly exhausted.
期刊介绍:
Ecological engineering has been defined as the design of ecosystems for the mutual benefit of humans and nature. The journal is meant for ecologists who, because of their research interests or occupation, are involved in designing, monitoring, or restoring ecosystems, and can serve as a bridge between ecologists and engineers.
Specific topics covered in the journal include: habitat reconstruction; ecotechnology; synthetic ecology; bioengineering; restoration ecology; ecology conservation; ecosystem rehabilitation; stream and river restoration; reclamation ecology; non-renewable resource conservation. Descriptions of specific applications of ecological engineering are acceptable only when situated within context of adding novelty to current research and emphasizing ecosystem restoration. We do not accept purely descriptive reports on ecosystem structures (such as vegetation surveys), purely physical assessment of materials that can be used for ecological restoration, small-model studies carried out in the laboratory or greenhouse with artificial (waste)water or crop studies, or case studies on conventional wastewater treatment and eutrophication that do not offer an ecosystem restoration approach within the paper.