Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on the spawning stock and natural reproduction of Chinese sturgeon in Changjiang River, China

Xin Gao; Pengcheng Lin; Mingzheng Li; Zhonghua Duan; Huanzhang Liu

doi:10.1007/s00343-016-5027-z

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Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on the spawning stock and natural reproduction of Chinese sturgeon in Changjiang River, China

Updated：2023-05-16

- Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on the spawning stock and natural reproduction of Chinese sturgeon in Changjiang River, China
- Journal of Oceanology and Limnology Vol. 34, Issue 5, Pages: 894-901(2016)
- Affiliations：
  
  1. Institute of Hydrobiology Chinese Academy of Sciences
  2. Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Author bio：
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s00343-016-5027-z
  CLC：
- Online First：09 January 2016，
  
  Published：2016
- Accepted：
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Gao, X., Lin, P., Li, M. et al. Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on the spawning stock and natural reproduction of Chinese sturgeon in Changjiang River, China., Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 34, 894–901 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-016-5027-z
DOI：

Gao, X., Lin, P., Li, M. et al. Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on the spawning stock and natural reproduction of Chinese sturgeon in Changjiang River, China., Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 34, 894–901 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-016-5027-z DOI：

摘要

Abstract

Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) is the flagship species of the Changjiang River. The migration route of this species is blocked by the first dam

the Gezhou Dam

and its reproduction is affected by the Three Gorges Dam (TGD)

one of the largest dams in the world. We studied the impact of the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) since 2003 on the spawning stock and the natural reproduction of the Chinese sturgeon by using our monitoring data from 1997 to 2013. Results indicate that TGR impoundment has delayed the first spawning dates of the fish from middle-late October to late November

decreased the amount of spawning activities from twice to only once each year

and significantly reduced egg production. In particular

the fish did not demonstrate any spawning activities in 2013. Therefore

TGR impoundment significantly affects the natural reproduction of the fish downstream of the TGD. The spawning stock size of the fish is also predicted to further decrease in the future

which will lead to a risk of population extinction. Ecological regulations must be imposed on decreasing the water temperature to 20°C before mid-October and increasing water discharge downstream of the TGD in October to induce spawning of the Chinese sturgeon.

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Keywords

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