Temporal dynamics of a local fish community are strongly affected by immigration from the surrounding metacommunity

A 5‐year time series of annual censuses was collected from a large floodplain lake to determine how dynamics of the local fish community were affected by changes in hydrological connectivity with the surrounding metacommunity. The lake was disconnected from the metacommunity for 1 year prior to our study and remained disconnected until 3 months before our third annual census, when a flood reconnected the lake to the metacommunity. We determined how changes in connectivity affected temporal dynamics of (1) local community composition and (2) the population composition, condition, and growth of catfish, to shed light on how immigration of other species might affect local population dynamics. Before reconnection, the community was likely shaped by interactions between the local environment and species traits. The reconnection caused significant immigration and change in community composition and correlated with a significant and abrupt decline in catfish condition, growth, and abundance; effects likely due to the immigration of a competitor with a similar trophic niche: carp. The community was slow to return to its preconnection state, which may be due to dispersal traits of the fishes, and a time‐lag in the recovery of the local catfish population following transient intensification of species interactions. The dynamics observed were concordant with the species sorting and mass‐effects perspectives of metacommunity theory. Floods cause episodic dispersal in floodplain fish metacommunities, and so, flood frequency determines the relative importance of regional and local processes. Local processes may be particularly important to certain species, but these species may need sufficient time between floods for population increase, before the next flood‐induced dispersal episode brings competitors and predators that might cause population decline. Accordingly, species coexistence in these metacommunities may be facilitated by spatiotemporal storage effects, which may in turn be regulated by flood frequency.     

Effects of a Severe Flood on the Movements of Japanese Fluvial Sculpin

I studied the movements of adult Japanese fluvial sculpin, Cottus pollux, in a Japanese mountain stream. An exceptionally severe flood in late September had negative impacts on refuge abundance, condition and population density of the sculpin. The mean distance moved monthly correlated positively with water discharge, but not with water temperature or with population density. Overall, the mean distance sculpins moved after the flood was significantly greater than before the flood, and sculpins tended to move into riffle-raceways after the flood. Comparisons of refuge-site limitation for adults and water depths between habitats indicated that the flood affected riffle-raceways less than pools. Fish in poorer conditions were likely to move extensively, and the condition of fish captured initially in pools deteriorated more significantly than that of sculpins captured in riffle-raceways. Movement bias into riffle-raceways by the sculpins after the flood suggests they sought suitable habitat with available refuges. The results suggest vulnerability to flood disturbance of the sculpins inhabiting the interstitial spaces of the substrate.     

Organization of measures for the prevention of infectious diseases in the Karachai-Chercassian Republic during a natural disaster

Information on the character and scope of destructions and damage in the systems of the life provision of the population as the result of the high flood in the Karachai-Chercassian Republic is presented. The materials on the organization and realization of sanitary, hygienic and prophylactic measures, taken on the territory of the affected regions during the period of the liquidation of the emergency situation caused by of the high flood, have been summarized.     

Severe flooding causes a crash in production of white stork (Ciconia ciconia) chicks across Central and Eastern Europe

Recent theoretical and field studies show that stochastic, extreme ecological events may influence the dynamics of populations for many years. However, to date, studies have focused only on the short-term effect of ecological catastrophes and/or extremes on population dynamics. In this paper, we present results from the great flood of July 1997 in Central and Eastern Europe and how it affected the white stork (Ciconia ciconia), a long-lived bird species. Using long-term data collected in 1987–2003, we examined the effect of the great flood on population size and chick production and we focussed on the 10 years preceding and 6 years following the flood. Habitats of 18 of the 25 stork populations studied were inundated during the flood of 1997. The flooded populations had a massive loss of chicks in 1997 but quickly recovered to about 85% of expected normal chick production compared to the control populations. This suggests a relatively minor but long-term consequence on population dynamics over a large geographic scale resulting from the extreme flooding event.     

Organization and execution of the use of disinfectants, insecticides and rodenticides in the period of the eradication of the medical and sanitary consequences of a flood in Stavropol Territory in 2002

Materials on the organization and execution of disinfection, disinfestations and deratization works at the period of the liquidation of the medico-sanitary consequences of the high flood in the Stavropol Territory in 2002 are presented. Timely and full-scope treatment, carried out in the course of these works, played a positive role in preventing epidemiological aggravations among the affected population.     

Drawdown flushing in a chain of reservoirs—Effects on grayling populations and implications for sediment management

We used an information theoretic approach to assess the effects of an ecologically adjusted sediment management scheme on grayling (Thymallus thymallus L. 1758) populations. Additionally to reservoir operation, candidate models included a variety of parameters and processes that may influence grayling populations such as flow, temperature, density dependence, and bird predation. Population parameters analyzed included total densities, young of the year numbers, and larval densities. These analyses were supplemented by a characterization of sediments and sedimentation patterns in the reach. Investigations were carried out in six sites affected by flushing and in one control site. A total of thirteen flushing operations have been undertaken within the study period leading to considerable remobilization of fine sediments and gravel. Due to seasonal and hydrological restrictions, not every flood could be used for flushing. These limitations led to an interrupted management throughout the chain of reservoirs as well as to long time intervals between flushing events with possible effects on spawning habitat quality. None of the investigated population parameters was affected by flushing, and thus, the study generally supports the current reservoir management scheme. Our analyses revealed the magnitude and timing of high water events, temperature, and density‐dependent effects, that is, population densities the year before, as the most influential variables for grayling population dynamics in the investigated stretch. The siltation of reservoirs is a significant problem for reservoir storage, flood protection, river deltas, and coastal zones. Its management—which is inevitable to safeguard river deltas and secure flood protection—poses also the challenge to safeguard riverine ecosystems below reservoirs. Based on our experience, we propose a periodic flushing regime in concordance with the hydrograph thereby mimicking the timing, magnitude, frequency, and duration of natural SSC pulses and gravel transport. This flushing regime minimizes adverse downstream environmental impacts and maximizes benefits.     

Anti-epidemic provision for the population in emergency situations in the Krasnodar Territory

Information on natural calamities, caused by hydrologically dangerous phenomena (high flood, tornado, mountain torrents) which took place in the Krasnodar Territory in summer 2002) are presented. As the result of the emergency situations 110 settlements with the population exceeding 116,000 inhabitants were inundated. At the peak of the high flood more than 36,000 homesteads were inundated, more than 56,000 persons had to be evacuated. The aggravation of the epidemiological situation in the affected settlements and in the territory as a whole could be prevented due to the timely planning and realization of measures aimed at the sanitary and epidemiological provision of the population of the Krasnodar Territory (the sanitation and disinfection of settlements, the campaign for the immunoprophylaxis of the population with respect of infectious diseases, etc.), unprecedented in their scope.     

Soil seed bank dynamics in response to an extreme flood event in a riparian habitat

A significantly increased water regime can lead to inundation of rivers, creeks and surrounding floodplains- and thus impact on the temporal dynamics of both the extant vegetation and the dormant, but viable soil-seed bank of riparian corridors. The study documented changes in the soil seed-bank along riparian corridors before and after a major flood event in January 2011 in southeast Queensland, Australia. The study site was a major river (the Mooleyember creek) near Roma, Central Queensland impacted by the extreme flood event and where baseline ecological data on riparian seed-bank populations have previously been collected in 2007, 2008 and 2009. After the major flood event, we collected further soil samples from the same locations in spring/summer (November–December 2011) and in early autumn (March 2012). Thereafter, the soils were exposed to adequate warmth and moisture under glasshouse conditions, and emerged seedlings identified taxonomically. Flooding increased seed-bank abundance but decreased its species richness and diversity. However, flood impact was less than that of yearly effect but greater than that of seasonal variation. Seeds of trees and shrubs were few in the soil, and were negatively affected by the flood; those of herbaceous and graminoids were numerous and proliferate after the flood. Seed-banks of weedy and/or exotic species were no more affected by the flood than those of native and/or non-invasive species. Overall, the studied riparian zone showed evidence of a quick recovery of its seed-bank over time, and can be considered to be resilient to an extreme flood event.     

Interaction of Press and Pulse Disturbance on Crayfish Populations: Flood Impacts in Pasture and Forest Streams

Interactions between press and pulse disturbances can significantly impact benthic macroinvertebrate (crayfish) populations. Press disturbances such as land-use change can make crayfish more vulnerable to the detrimental effects of pulse disturbances, by changing the habitats available to crayfish. The impact of a pulse disturbance, a major flood (1 in 28 years return period), on crayfish (Paranephrops planifrons) was significantly greater in pasture than native forest streams. Population densities of crayfish in three forest and three pasture streams had been measured seasonally for 2 years prior to the flood and many crayfish had been marked with individually identifiable tags. Low numbers of marked crayfish were recaptured after the flood in the forest streams, but no marked crayfish were identified in any pasture stream. Crayfish densities in one pasture stream declined from an average of 5 m^–2 prior to the flood to <1 m^–2 soon after the flood and it took 3 years for the population to show evidence of recovery. Macrophytes and cobbles, the dominant habitats of crayfish in pasture streams, did not appear to provide stable refugia during the flood. Habitat stability was linked to the riparian zone in forest streams where undercut banks, tree roots, and pools were important habitats for crayfish. Frequent pulse disturbance could affect population persistence of refugia-dependent species when the pressure of land-use change affects the stability of habitats, but this may only be evident over long time scales.     

流域土地利用变化对不同重现期洪水的影响——以奉化江皎口水库流域为例

土地利用变化对流域洪水过程产生显著影响,并导致设计洪水发生变化。为进一步指导流域防洪及水库洪水设计,以浙东沿海奉化江皎口水库流域为例,应用HEC-HMS水文模型模拟分析土地利用/覆被变化(LUCC)对不同重现期暴雨洪水事件的影响。结果表明,流域内1985—2003年土地利用变化引起不同重现期洪水过程与洪水量级发生改变,其中,洪量和洪峰均增加,洪量较洪峰变化明显。LUCC对小洪水过程影响更明显,5年一遇以上洪水的洪峰和洪量分别平均增加3%和7.6%,而小于2年一遇洪水的洪峰和洪量分别平均增加5.41%和11.91%。同时,LUCC使100年、50年和25年一遇洪水重现期分别提前了15、6a和2a,即其对量级最高的特大洪水的重现期影响最大。此外,不同的土地利用转变方式对洪水的影响程度不一,其中,林地向裸地转变对洪水影响最大,林地向灌草地转变次之,林地向耕地变化对洪水影响最小,且这种差异性在低重现期洪水表现更明显。     

Habitat structure modified by an invasive grass enhances inundation withstanding in a salt-marsh wolf spider

Vegetation and underground structures are known to influence flood avoidance and flood resistance in invertebrates. In bimonthly-flooded European salt marshes, recent invasions by the nitrophilous grass Elymus athericus strongly modified usual habitat structure, notably by the production of a deep litter layer. Consequently, invaded habitats provide more interstitial spaces that may act as a refuge during flood events. By using both controlled and field designs, we tested whether invaded habitats may change the ability to resist flooding by the creation of new refuges during tides for a ground-living, predatory arthropod. The wolf spider Arctosa fulvolineata was employed as a model species since it occurs abundantly in both invaded and uninvaded salt-marsh habitats. In the field, its abundance strongly decreased (divided by three) after tidal flooding in uninvaded habitats by but did not change in invaded patches. Under controlled laboratory conditions, ten times more individuals withstood simulated flooding in the presence of litter and less decided to float. The presence of litter did not influence flood resistance, i.e. survival underwater. Our results show that habitat structure (i.e. the presence of litter) influences flood-avoiding behavior of A. fulvolineata, by providing more refuges. As the invasion of E. athericus alters salt-marsh habitat structure, it may enhance population size of a rare predatory spider by changing its behavior during flooding and resulting in less deleterious impacts of tides. Yet biological invasions are detrimental for biodiversity conservation, our study shows that an invasive species might indirectly benefit a few mobile rare species in a flood-disturbed habitat.     

基于土地利用变化情景的城市暴雨洪涝灾害风险评估——以深圳市茅洲河流域为例

近年来频发的暴雨洪涝成为威胁城市可持续发展的主要灾害类型,而土地利用变化改变了区域原有的景观结构和水文过程,是城市暴雨洪涝灾害风险加剧的重要诱因,定量探讨土地利用变化对暴雨洪涝灾害及其风险影响具有重要意义。以深圳市茅洲河流域为例,基于CLUE-S模型、SCS模型及等体积淹没算法等,对12种暴雨洪涝致灾-土地利用承灾情景下的城市暴雨洪涝灾害风险进行定量模拟。研究结果显示,相同土地利用空间格局下城市暴雨洪涝灾害随暴雨致灾危险性增加风险加剧显著;在同等致灾危险性水平下随建设用地面积增加,中等风险和高风险区面积均呈现较为明显的增加趋势,中、高风险区面积与建设用地面积的增加率表现出较高的协同变化特征;以50年遇危险性水平为例,随着建设用地面积由基期的15368.85hm~2增加至近期16076.07hm~2和远期16750.89hm~2,高风险区面积由254.07hm~2增加至276.48hm~2和286.2hm~2。由此可见,尽管暴雨强度的增加是城市暴雨洪涝灾害风险加剧的根本诱因,但是以建设用地面积增加为表征的土地利用变化对暴雨洪涝灾害风险的影响不容忽视。     

Lernaea cyprinacea (Copepoda, Lernaeidae) from crucian carp Carassius carassius from the Dlinnoje Lake in the middle stream of the Vychegda River

Till 1996 the Vychegda River's flood lakes at the territory of the biological station of the Syktyvkar University were overflowed every spring by water so that fishing took place from time to time. In 1996 a low flood level and intensive fishing resulted in the change of the infection rate of crucians by Lernaea, as well as in the change of the size and sex ratios of the crucian population in the Dlinnoje Lake. Thus, the size pattern of the crucian population became simpler, and it led to the changes in parasite-host relation. As a result, the intensity of the invasion of crucians by Lernaea cyprinacea have increased and the distribution of the parasite in the host population does not fit by the negative-binomial distribution. Crucian females and males play an equal role in the maintenance of the parasite population. In 1984 crucian females of medium and large body length played the main role in that process. Functions of other host groups (fishes of small body length, males) were different. Up to 2001 a significance of "k"-exponent of the negative-binomial distribution, describing the number of copepods in the mature part of crucian population, changed with a small range that suggests a stability of parasite-host relationship in the investigated crucian groups. We suppose that after a period of an unstable state in 1997-2000 the population of the parasite reached a new stable state.     

Forest–flood relation still tenuous – comment on 'Global evidence that deforestation amplifies flood risk and severity in the developing world' by C. J. A. Bradshaw, N.S. Sodi, K. S.-H. Peh and B.W. Brook

In a recent paper in this journal, Bradshaw and colleagues analyse country statistics on flood characteristics, land cover and land cover change, and conclude that deforestation amplifies flood risk and severity in the developing world. The study addresses an important and long-standing question, but we identify important flaws. Principal among these are difficulties in interpreting country statistics and the correlation between population and floods. We review current knowledge, which suggests that the removal of trees does not affect large flood events, although associated landscape changes can under some circumstances. Reanalysis of the data analysed by Bradshaw and colleagues shows that population density alone already explains up to 83% of the variation in reported flood occurrences, considerably more than forest cover or deforestation (<10%). Feasible explanations for this statistical finding – whether spurious or causative – are not difficult to conceive. We, therefore, consider the conclusion of Bradshaw and colleagues to be unsupported. However, their study is a valuable first step to show how these or similar flood data might be used to further explore the relationship between land cover and flooding.     

Temporal changes in allele frequencies in a small marble trout Salmo marmoratus population threatened by extreme flood events

The effect of extreme floods on the genetic composition of marble trout Salmo marmoratus living in Lipovscek, a tributary of the Soca River in Slovenia, which has been affected by multiple destructive flood events for centuries was investigated. By monitoring genetic variability during the period 2004–2011, apparent signatures of genetic erosion including a decline in observed and expected heterozygosities and allelic richness were observed. Contemporary effective population size was estimated between 11 and 55 individuals, which is congruent with census data. The data suggest asymmetric gene flow between the two sections of the river. The existence of substantial downstream migration (15–19%) was confirmed by paternity analysis. A small (1–3%) upstream migration was also suggested, which was confirmed by tagging data. Overall, low genetic diversity has not prevented the survival of the Lipovscek population, which might be a common feature of salmonid freshwater populations.     

Extreme streams: species persistence and genomic change in montane insect populations across a flooding gradient

The ecological and evolutionary consequences of extreme events are poorly understood. Here, we tested predictions about species persistence and population genomic change in aquatic insects in 14 Colorado mountain streams across a hydrological disturbance gradient caused by a one in 500‐year rainfall event. Taxa persistence ranged from 39 to 77% across sites and declined with increasing disturbance in relation to species' resistance and resilience traits. For taxa with mobile larvae and terrestrial adult stages present at the time of the flood, average persistence was 84% compared to 25% for immobile taxa that lacked terrestrial adults. For two of six species analysed, genomic diversity (allelic richness) declined after the event. For one species it greatly expanded, suggesting resilience via re‐colonisation from upstream populations. Thus, while resistance and resilience traits can explain species persistence to extreme disturbance, population genomic change varies among species, challenging generalisations about evolutionary responses to extreme events at landscape scales.     

黑龙江省大豆生长季旱涝时序特征及其对产量的影响

气候变化背景下黑龙江省降水时空分布不均,旱涝转换频繁,不利于黑龙江省的大豆安全生产。为研究黑龙江省大豆生长季旱涝对大豆产量的影响机制,基于黑龙江省60个气象站点1961—2018年逐日降水量数据和同期大豆单产数据,选取标准化降水指数(SPI)为旱涝判识指数,分析黑龙江省大豆生长季旱涝的时序特征,以及大豆不同生育阶段旱涝对其产量的影响。结果表明: 1961—2018年,大豆生长季干旱影响范围整体呈微弱的减小趋势,雨涝影响范围整体呈现弱的增加趋势;而同期干旱和雨涝强度总体均呈微弱的增加趋势,以雨涝强度稍强;干旱和雨涝同时发生的几率占比60.3%。大豆生长季或将进入一个较湿润阶段,2012—2018年间,雨涝的影响范围和发生强度均明显高于干旱,有6年均发生了全域性或区域性雨涝,其中,5年发生中度雨涝。不同区域大豆生长季旱涝对其产量影响程度有所差异,西北部、北部和东部地区雨涝的影响均明显大于干旱的影响,中部地区干旱和雨涝的影响程度相差不大,西南部、南部、东南部地区干旱的影响远大于雨涝的影响。在大豆开花-鼓粒期,旱涝与大豆产量的波动密切相关,西北部、西南部、中部、南部、东南部地区降水正常略偏多对大豆增产有利,但中度及以上雨涝仍会造成大豆减产;北部地区大豆产量波动主要受雨涝影响严重,东部地区干旱和雨涝对大豆产量波动造成的影响程度相似。     

Climate change and nesting behaviour in vertebrates: a review of the ecological threats and potential for adaptive responses

Nest building is a taxonomically widespread and diverse trait that allows animals to alter local environments to create optimal conditions for offspring development. However, there is growing evidence that climate change is adversely affecting nest‐building in animals directly, for example via sea‐level rises that flood nests, reduced availability of building materials, and suboptimal sex allocation in species exhibiting temperature‐dependent sex determination. Climate change is also affecting nesting species indirectly, via range shifts into suboptimal nesting areas, reduced quality of nest‐building environments, and changes in interactions with nest predators and parasites. The ability of animals to adapt to sustained and rapid environmental change is crucial for the long‐term persistence of many species. Many animals are known to be capable of adjusting nesting behaviour adaptively across environmental gradients and in line with seasonal changes, and this existing plasticity potentially facilitates adaptation to anthropogenic climate change. However, whilst alterations in nesting phenology, site selection and design may facilitate short‐term adaptations, the ability of nest‐building animals to adapt over longer timescales is likely to be influenced by the heritable basis of such behaviour. We urgently need to understand how the behaviour and ecology of nest‐building in animals is affected by climate change, and particularly how altered patterns of nesting behaviour affect individual fitness and population persistence. We begin our review by summarising how predictable variation in environmental conditions influences nest‐building animals, before highlighting the ecological threats facing nest‐building animals experiencing anthropogenic climate change and examining the potential for changes in nest location and/or design to provide adaptive short‐ and long‐term responses to changing environmental conditions. We end by identifying areas that we believe warrant the most urgent attention for further research.     

A comparison of the composition of the juvenile fish catch from the Sokoto–Rima floodplain, Nigeria in years preceding and immediately after upstream dam completion

The species composition of the juvenile fish catch from part of the Sokoto–Rima floodplain was monitored over four seasons. In three of the years, 1981–1984, the flood pattern of the river was normal. During the 1984–1985 season the cycle was disrupted by completion of the Goronyo Dam, approximately 100 km upstream from the sampling area. The composition of the juvenile fish catch was markedly altered during this season and the diversity greatly reduced. Ways in which fish species could be affected by the change in flood regime are discussed.     

Condition-dependent dispersal of a patchily distributed riparian ground beetle in response to disturbance

In common with many habitat elements of riverine landscapes, exposed riverine sediments (ERS) are highly disturbed, naturally patchy and regularly distributed, whose specialists are strongly adapted to flood disturbance and loss of habitat due to succession. Investigations of dispersal in ERS habitats therefore provide an important contrast to the unnaturally fragmented, stable systems usually studied. The present investigation analysed the three interdependent stages of dispersal: (1) emigration, (2) inter-patch movement and (3) immigration of a common ERS specialised beetle, Bembidion atrocaeruleum (Stephens 1828) (Coleoptera, Carabidae), in a relatively unmodified section of river, using mark–resight methods. Dispersal was correlated with estimates of local population size and density, water level and patch quality in order to test for condition-dependent dispersal cues. Flood inundation of habitat was found to increase strongly the overall rate of dispersal, and the rate of emigration was significantly higher from patches that were heavily trampled by cattle. Strongly declining numbers of dispersers with distance suggested low dispersal rates during periods of low water level. Dispersal in response to habitat degradation by cattle trampling would likely lead to a higher overall population fitness than a random dispersal strategy. Dispersal distances were probably adapted to the underlying habitat landscape distribution, high-flow dispersal cues and ready means of long-distance dispersal through hydrochory. Species whose dispersal is adapted to the natural habitat distribution of riverine landscapes are likely to be strongly negatively affected by reduced flood frequency and intensity and habitat fragmentation through flow regulation or channelisation.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available to authorised users in the online version of this article at .