Recurrent die-offs of adult coho salmon returning to spawn in Puget Sound lowland urban streams

Several Seattle-area streams in Puget Sound were the focus of habitat restoration projects in the 1990s. Post-project effectiveness monitoring surveys revealed anomalous behaviors among adult coho salmon returning to spawn in restored reaches. These included erratic surface swimming, gaping, fin splaying, and loss of orientation and equilibrium. Affected fish died within hours, and female carcasses generally showed high rates (>90%) of egg retention. Beginning in the fall of 2002, systematic spawner surveys were conducted to 1) assess the severity of the adult die-offs, 2) compare spawner mortality in urban vs. non-urban streams, and 3) identify water quality and spawner condition factors that might be associated with the recurrent fish kills. The forensic investigation focused on conventional water quality parameters (e.g., dissolved oxygen, temperature, ammonia), fish condition, pathogen exposure and disease status, and exposures to metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and current use pesticides. Daily surveys of a representative urban stream (Longfellow Creek) from 2002-2009 revealed premature spawner mortality rates that ranged from 60-100% of each fall run. The comparable rate in a non-urban stream was <1% (Fortson Creek, surveyed in 2002). Conventional water quality, pesticide exposure, disease, and spawner condition showed no relationship to the syndrome. Coho salmon did show evidence of exposure to metals and petroleum hydrocarbons, both of which commonly originate from motor vehicles in urban landscapes. The weight of evidence suggests that freshwater-transitional coho are particularly vulnerable to an as-yet unidentified toxic contaminant (or contaminant mixture) in urban runoff. Stormwater may therefore place important constraints on efforts to conserve and recover coho populations in urban and urbanizing watersheds throughout the western United States.     

Genetic population structure of central Oregon Coast coho salmon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oncorhynchus kisutch</Emphasis>)

We surveyed microsatellite variation from 22 spawning populations of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) from the Oregon Coast to help identify populations for conservation planning. All of our samples were temporally replicated, with most samples obtained in 2000 and 2001. We had three goals: (1) to confirm the status of populations identified on the basis of spawning location and life history; (2) to estimate effective population sizes and migration rates in order to determine demographic independence at different spatial scales; and (3) to determine if releases of Washington hatchery coho salmon in the 1980's into Oregon Coast streams resulted in measurable introgression into nearby wild Oregon Coast coho populations. For the last question, our study included a hatchery broodstock sample from 1985, after the Puget Sound introduction, and a 1975 sample taken from the same area prior to the introduction. Our results generally supported previously hypothesized population structure. Most importantly, we found unique lake-rearing groups identified on the basis of a common life-history type were genetically related. Estimates of immigrant fraction using several different methods also generally supported previously identified populations. Estimates of effective population size were highly correlated with estimates of spawning abundance. The 1985 hatchery sample was genetically similar to contemporary Washington samples, and the contemporary Oregon Coast samples were similar to the 1975 Oregon Coast sample, suggesting that introductions of Washington coho salmon did not result in large scale introgression into Oregon populations.     

城市不透水面与相关城市生态要素关系的定量分析

城市空间的快速扩展已使得原来以植被为主的自然景观逐渐被人工不透水建筑物所取代,并对区域乃至全球的生态系统造成了明显的影响.因此,准确了解城市不透水面及其与植被、水体、城市热环境的相关关系对于城市的科学规划和城市生态系统的修复具有重要的意义.以福州市为例,采用遥感空间信息技术,获得了城市不透水面、地表温度、植被和水体的信息,并对它们的关系进行了定量分析.发现了城市不透水面与地表温度之间的关系并不是一种简单的线性关系,而是一种很显著的指数函数关系,说明高不透水面比例地区的升温效应要明显高于低不透水面比例地区.多元统计分析表明不透水面是引发城市热岛的最重要因子.     

大尺度不透水面遥感估算方法比较——以京津唐为例

城市不透水面既是常用的城市化程度指标,也是衡量环境质量的重要指标。采用遥感技术准确提取城市不透水面并分析其空间扩张过程,对生态城市建设具有重要意义。基于Landsat 5 TM影像,采用NDVI二元法和线性光谱分解法,分别提取北京、天津和唐山3个城市不透水面信息,并将不透水面估算结果与近同期的ALOS影像提取结果对比验证。结果表明,线性光谱分解法获取的不透水面结果较好,RMSE为20.6%,能有效提取大范围的不透水面信息。     

基于土地利用变化的贵州坝子土地利用功能演变研究

贵州省为典型喀斯特山区,强烈的人类活动主要分布在坝地地区,研究坝子土地利用功能演变对土地可持续利用具有重要价值。基于土地利用变化,根据三生功能理论构建土地利用功能分类体系,以贵州省1990年、2000年、2010年和2016年四期遥感影像为数据源,借助ArcGIS10.2软件平台构建土地利用功能转移矩阵和坝子功能冷热点分布图。研究表明:(1)贵州省坝子土地利用功能已由以传统农业生产功能为主转为以传统农业生产功能-农村居住生活功能为主,坝子土地利用由单一功能向多功能转变;(2)1990—2016年,坝子的功能类型增加10种类型,其中8类是复合类型,坝子功能向多样性转变;(3)单一功能与复合功能坝子比例变化曲线呈"X"型,到2016年,复合功能坝子比例大于单一功能坝子;(4)1990—2000年,坝子土地利用功能变化缓慢,2000年以后坝子土地利用功能变化强烈;(5)传统农业生产功能转移最为强烈,主要转移为城镇居住生活功能、农村居住生活功能、工业生产功能及与之相关的复合功能和自然生态功能;(6)各种功能类型坝子冷热点的空间分布变化复杂,从总体上看各功能的空间分布由集聚变为分散。     

上海和纽约城市不透水面时空变化及其对生态质量影响的对比

城市空间的扩展使得大量的不透水面取代了以植被为主的自然地表景观,尤其是在规模较大的城市,其高比例的不透水面很大程度上影响了城市生态质量.本研究以中、美2个人口规模最大的城市——上海和纽约为研究区,基于上海1989、2002和2015年和纽约近同期的1991、2001和2015年的Landsat影像,利用归一化不透水面指数(NDISI)提取研究区各年份的不透水面信息,通过遥感生态指数(RSEI)评价城市不透水面大幅增长导致的城市生态质量变化,并借助景观指数分析上海和纽约两种不透水面空间分布格局对城市生态质量的影响.结果表明: 20世纪90年代初到2015年,上海和纽约的城市不透水面增长速率和空间变化模式存在显著差异.研究期间,上海不透水面的总增加面积是纽约的17.4倍,年均增长速率是纽约的62.2倍.上海的城市扩张方式主要表现为由城市中心向周边乡村扩展,而纽约的城市无明显扩张,不透水面以填充的方式在城市内部增加.2种不同的不透水面变化模式和空间分布格局对城市生态质量产生了不同影响.上海的RSEI均值从1989年的0.717下降到2015年的0.453,总体降幅达 36.8%;而1991和2015年纽约的RSEI分别为0.552和0.514,下降6.9%,其幅度远小于上海.在不透水面斑块面积大、斑块内部高度连通和聚集的区域,城市生态质量较差.     

贵州典型坝子土地利用强度空间演变及景观格局响应

基于坝子(喀斯特山区受人类活动影响最明显的特殊地貌)尺度较小的特征,运用系统网格法,结合半方差变异函数修正模型,分析贵州省境内3种类型共15个坝子2005、2010、2015年土地利用强度的空间演变特征,揭示贵州岩溶山区典型坝子土地利用强度空间演变的一般规律及其与坝子内部景观格局变化的相互关系.结果表明: 贵州坝子土地利用强度空间动态演变和景观格局响应模式展现出明显的类型差异.总体上,土地利用强度随坝子经济水平由高到低呈梯度递减.微观演变上,市县中心坝子的土地利用强度围绕坝地中心外围呈同心带状先减后增,空间演变趋势为稳定-扩张型;市县周围坝子的土地利用强度以单一“极-轴”为高强度中心,变化兼具增减,演变趋势为波动型;偏远地区坝子的土地利用强度基本稳定不变,甚至小幅减弱,演变趋势为稳定-衰弱型;坝子景观格局与土地利用强度变化因坝区主导功能差异存在5种不同的响应关系模式.研究期间,3种类型坝子土地利用强度的空间演变受自然和人文因子双重控制,各因子之间相互作用形成其空间演变的典型特征.     

Influences of catchment and corridor imperviousness on urban stream macroinvertebrate communities at multiple spatial scales

Resolving land cover hierarchy relationships in urban settings is important for defining the scale and type of management required to enhance stream health. We investigated associations between macroinvertebrate assemblages in urban streams of Hamilton, New Zealand, and environmental variables measured at multiple spatial scales comprising (i) local-scale physicochemical conditions, (ii) impervious area in multiple stream corridor widths (30, 50 and 100 m) along segments (sections of stream between tributary nodes) and for entire upstream networks, and (iii) total impervious area in stream segment sub-catchments and upstream catchments. Imperviousness was higher for stream segment sub-catchments than for entire catchments because of the agricultural headwaters of some urban streams. Imperviousness declined as corridor width declined at both segment and catchment scales reflecting the vegetated cover along most urban stream gullies. Upstream catchment imperviousness was strongly and inversely correlated with dissolved organic carbon concentration, whereas segment and upstream corridor scales were correlated with water temperature and pH. Corridor imperviousness appeared to be a stronger predictor than catchment imperviousness of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera taxa richness and the Quantitative Urban Community Index specifically developed to assess impacts of urbanisation. In contrast, imperviousness at all measured scales added only marginal improvement in assemblage-based models over that provided by the local-scale physicochemical variables of reach width, habitat quality, macrophyte cover, pH and dissolved oxygen concentration. These findings infer variable scales of influence affecting macroinvertebrate communities in urban streams and suggest that it may be important to consider local and corridor factors when determining mechanisms of urbanisation impacts and potential management options.     

基于城市地表参数变化的城市热岛效应分析

以不透水面、植被、水体为代表的地表参数的变化决定了城市的热环境质量.针对福州从一个非"火炉"城市一跃成为中国新三大"火炉"之首,对福州市1976-2006年间的地表参数变化及其对城市热环境的影响进行研究.通过Landsat卫星影像反演了福州市1976、1986、1996、2006年的不透水面、植被、水体、地面温度等主要地表参数,并对其进行空间叠加分析和相关关系的定量分析.研究发现:不透水面对地面温度的影响可接近或超过植被和水体之和,查明了福州城市主要地表参数在这30a里发生的变化及其对城市热环境的影响.总的看来,城市地表不透水面斑块的增加和集聚、植被和水体面积的减少和破碎,以及通风不畅,是造成福州成为"火炉"城市的主要因素.     

北京市主城区不透水面时空演变及其热环境效应研究

城市不透水面是表征城市化进程的重要指标,开展城市不透水面研究对生态环境监测及城市建设规划具有重要意义.以北京市主城区为研究区,基于Landsat影像采用支持向量机(SVM)和线性光谱混合分解模型(LSMM)相结合的方法提取研究区2002年、2009年和2017年三期不透水面;同时采用辐射传输方程法反演研究区地表温度,分...     

Effects of spawning Pacific salmon on the isotopic composition of biota differ among southeast Alaska streams

1. Adult Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) transport marine nutrients to fresh waters and disturb sediments during spawning. The relative importance of nutrient fertilisation and benthic disturbance by salmon spawners can be modulated by environmental conditions (e.g. biological, chemical and physical conditions in the catchment, including human land use). 2. To determine the importance of the environmental context in modifying the uptake and incorporation of salmon‐derived material into stream biota, we measured the nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) and carbon (δ¹³C) isotopic composition of benthic algae (i.e. epilithon) and juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in seven streams across a timber‐harvest gradient (8–69% catchment area harvested), both before and during the salmon run. Conditional bootstrap modelling simulations were used to assess variability in the response of epilithon and juvenile coho salmon to spawning salmon. 3. In response to spawning salmon, epilithon exhibited enrichment in both δ¹⁵N (mean: 1.5‰) and δ¹³C (2.3‰). Juvenile coho were also enriched in both δ¹⁵N (0.7‰) and δ¹³C (1.4‰). Conditional bootstrap models indicate decreased variation in data as spatial replication increases, suggesting that the number of study sites can influence the results of Pacific salmon isotope studies. 4. Epilithon isotopic enrichment was predicted by environmental conditions, with δ¹⁵N enrichment predicted by stream temperature and timber harvest (R² = 0.87) and δ¹³C enrichment by discharge, sediment size, timber harvest and spawner density (R² = 0.96). Furthermore, we found evidence for a legacy effect of salmon spawners, with pre‐spawner δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C of both epilithon and juvenile coho predicted by salmon run size in the previous year. 5. Our results show that the degree of incorporation of salmon‐derived nitrogen and carbon differs among streams. Furthermore, the environmental context, including putative legacy effects of spawning salmon, can influence background isotopic concentrations and utilisation of salmon‐derived materials in southeast Alaska salmon streams. Future studies should consider the variation in isotopic composition of stream biota when deciding on the number of study sites and samples needed to generate meaningful results.     

Assessing the urban environmental quality of mountainous cities: A case study in Chongqing,China

Despite the degradation of urban environment associated with the rapid urbanization, limited studies have examined the spatial patterns and driving factors of urban environmental quality (UEQ) in mountainous cities in China. Using a case study of Chongqing, UEQ in mountainous cities was measured in the dimensions of physical environment, built environment, and natural hazards, followed by an exploration of its spatial pattern. It was found that the UEQ has been significantly affected by the factors of pollution and dense built environment. Pollution factor was highly correlated with industrial land ratio and land surface temperature, and dense built environment factor bore close relationship with road density, impervious fraction, and floor–area ratio. Through a cluster analysis, Chongqing was classified into five UEQ clusters and their spatial distribution was found as a combined polycentric and mosaic pattern. While mountains and hill ridges, riverside banks, small hills, and streams showed high UEQ indices, valley floors exhibited low UEQ values. Polycentric urban development adapting to mountainous landscapes was believed to contributing to the extremely low UEQ in urban center and subcenters. However, polycentricity, leading to appropriate spatial match of jobs/housing, also resulted in high UEQ in the peripheries. The effects of redevelopment, relocation or suburbanization on UEQ were also discussed through four examples.     

东南诸河流域1990-2015年土地利用时空变化特征及驱动机制

土地利用/覆被变化作为影响全球环境变化的重要因素,是人类活动最直接的反映,其驱动力分析能够很好地揭示人类活动对土地资源的影响机制。运用ArcGIS空间分析和SPSS主成分分析等方法,从整个东南诸河流域片区的尺度上,研究了包含中国台湾地区在内的1990—2015年间的土地利用时空变化特征,并探究其主要驱动机制。研究结果为:(1)全流域各土地类型面积占比为:林地耕地草地城乡建设用地水域未利用土地,林地与耕地的空间分布特征均为"北聚南散,北多南少",城乡建设用地集中分布在经济较为发达的台湾海峡两岸沿海地区以及流域大陆北部靠近长江三角洲的地区。(2)全流域土地类型的面积变化量为:城乡建设用地耕地草地林地水域未利用土地。流域土地利用综合动态度为0.68%,整体用地类型转化程度先降低再增加,并以城乡建设用地和耕地为主要变化类型。流域南部各市的土地利用变化较北部剧烈,台湾地区主要土地利用变化类型为耕地和城乡建设用地。(3)大陆地区城乡建设用地变化的主要驱动力为人口数量及结构、城市化和社会经济发展,台湾地区在此基础上增加了社会工农产业结构调整因素。大陆耕地变化的主要驱动力为人口数量及结构、城市化水平和社会工农产业结构,社会工农产业结构和农业生产水平是台湾地区耕地变化的主要驱动力。本研究为东南诸河流域土地资源规划管理提供科学依据,为自然流域尺度的土地利用变化及其驱动机制研究提供可靠实例。     

Range of variability of channel complexity in urban,restored and forested reference streams

Summary 1. Channel complexity is an important ecological property of stream systems and is often targeted for restoration in channelised urban streams. However, channel complexity is rarely defined explicitly, and little research on channel complexity has been conducted in streams in urban catchments that have not been directly channelised by human activities. Therefore, it remains unclear whether restoration of non‐channelised urban streams has improved complexity. 2. We explicitly define channel complexity and use a multimetric approach to provide a comprehensive assessment of complexity in multiple restored, urban and forested streams on the Maryland Coastal Plain and two streams of differing land use in Colorado. We also expand on the Maryland and Colorado results with a literature survey of channel complexity from diverse geographical regions. 3. Many streams draining urban catchments in Maryland had relatively high values of some complexity metrics compared to forested reference streams in Maryland and compared to the values for pristine streams calculated from the literature. This suggests that streams in urban catchments that are not directly manipulated by human activities (e.g. channelisation or piping) may be able to maintain channel structures beneficial for aquatic organisms even when impervious surfaces are the dominant form of land use in the catchment. 4. Restored streams in Maryland had equal or lower values of many complexity metrics compared to streams draining urban catchments in Maryland. This suggests that restoration of streams draining urban catchments did not improve the overall channel complexity. 5. Our results highlight the need to explicitly define and measure the attributes of channel complexity that are targeted during restoration, to determine whether the streams in urban catchments are truly degraded with respect to channel complexity. 6. Combined with recent synthesis work suggesting that biodiversity may not be improved by increasing the channel complexity, these results indicate that targeting catchment processes may prove a more useful approach to restoration than attempting to move channel complexity in streams draining urban catchments towards conditions in forested reference streams.     

Trends in Developed Land Cover Adjacent to Habitat for Threatened Salmon in Puget Sound,Washington, U.S.A.

For widely distributed species at risk, such as Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), habitat monitoring is both essential and challenging. Only recently have widespread monitoring programs been implemented for salmon habitat in the Pacific Northwest. Remote sensing data, such as Landsat images, are therefore a useful way to evaluate trends prior to the advent of species-specific habitat monitoring programs. We used annual (1986-2008) land cover maps created from Landsat images via automated algorithms (LandTrendr) to evaluate trends in developed (50-100% impervious) land cover in areas adjacent to five types of habitat utilized by Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) in the Puget Sound region of Washington State, U.S.A. For the region as a whole, we found significant increases in developed land cover adjacent to each of the habitat types evaluated (nearshore, estuary, mainstem channel, tributary channel, and floodplain), but the increases were small (<1% total increase from 1986 to 2008). For each habitat type, the increasing trend changed during the time series. In nearshore, mainstem, and floodplain areas, the rate of increase in developed land cover slowed in the latter portion of the time series, while the opposite occurred in estuary and tributary areas. Watersheds that were already highly developed in 1986 tended to have higher rates of development than initially less developed watersheds. Overall, our results suggest that developed land cover in areas adjacent to Puget Sound salmon habitat has increased only slightly since 1986 and that the rate of change has slowed near some key habitat types, although this has occurred within the context of a degraded baseline condition.     

南京城市街区湿球温度时空变化特征及其影响因子

全球气候变化和局地城市热岛加剧了城市热胁迫问题,但针对城市街区的研究仍不多见。湿球温度指示气温和湿度的综合效应,能更准确地反映人体热舒适度。本研究以南京市江北新区为对象,在不同时段、季节和天空状况下,基于移动观测方法获取气温、相对湿度和地理信息等数据,分析了街区尺度湿球温度的时空分布特征;结合天空状况、地表覆盖和城市形态指标(天穹可见度),探究了城市街区湿球温度的影响机制。结果表明: 1)南京城市街区湿球温度的时空特征与气温较为一致;与水汽压相比,气温对湿球温度的变化起主导作用;该地区湿球温度的极端高值主要是由于气温和水汽压协同增长所致。2)天穹可见度在白天与湿球温度呈显著正相关,夜间为负相关关系。植被覆盖比率的增加能够降低湿球温度,不透水面则呈现相反的作用。阴天条件下,湿球温度明显降低并且空间分布更均匀。3)植被和不透水面对湿球温度的水平尺度效应存在昼夜和季节差异,并且在夜间这一效应对天空状况更敏感;与植被相比,冬季夜间不透水面的影响范围比夏、秋季更大;两者对湿球温度的水平尺度效应与气温一致。研究结果可为改善和优化城市街区热环境、缓解城市热胁迫提供有效的科学支持和理论依据。     

Leaf breakdown in streams differing in catchment land use

1. The impact of changes in land use on stream ecosystem function is poorly understood. We studied leaf breakdown, a fundamental process of stream ecosystems, in streams that represent a range of catchment land use in the Piedmont physiographic province of the south‐eastern United States. 2. We placed bags of chalk maple (Acer barbatum) leaves in similar‐sized streams in 12 catchments of differing dominant land use: four forested, three agricultural, two suburban and three urban catchments. We measured leaf mass, invertebrate abundance and fungal biomass in leaf bags over time. 3. Leaves decayed significantly faster in agricultural (0.0465 day^?1) and urban (0.0474 day^?1) streams than in suburban (0.0173 day^?1) and forested (0.0100 day^?1) streams. Additionally, breakdown rates in the agricultural and urban streams were among the fastest reported for deciduous leaves in any stream. Nutrient concentrations in agricultural streams were significantly higher than in any other land‐use type. Fungal biomass associated with leaves was significantly lower in urban streams; while shredder abundance in leaf bags was significantly higher in forested and agricultural streams than in suburban and urban streams. Storm runoff was significantly higher in urban and suburban catchments that had higher impervious surface cover than forested or agricultural catchments. 4. We propose that processes accelerating leaf breakdown in agricultural and urban streams were not the same: faster breakdown in agricultural streams was due to increased biological activity as a result of nutrient enrichment, whereas faster breakdown in urban streams was a result of physical fragmentation resulting from higher storm runoff.     

辽宁中部城市群城市非点源污染负荷评估

过去几十年我国经历了快速城市化过程,这使得不透水面大幅度增加,导致地表径流和洪峰流量增加,进入水体的污染物增多。城市非点源污染已成为河流水体恶化、生态系统退化的重要原因。在快速城市化过程中,城市群已成为城市化发展的新阶段。位于同一流域的各城市所产生的城市非点源污染导致城市群流域水环境问题越来越突出,成为制约城市群流域可持续发展的关键因素之一。现有的关于城市非点源的研究多集中于城市内部小尺度,对城市群大尺度的研究亟需发展。以位于浑河太子河流域的辽宁中部城市群为例,在沈阳市不同功能区和不同下垫面进行降雨径流采样,基于事件平均浓度(EMC)法和SWMM(Storm Water Management Model)模型相结合的方式,定量评估城市群流域城市非点源污染负荷。研究结果表明：路面径流中城市非点源污染物浓度、负荷量及其单位面积负荷要高于屋面径流和透水面径流。辽宁中部城市群TP、TN、COD、TSS的年均城市非点源污染负荷分别为265.52、852.89、2249.71、192496.74 t/a,重金属Cd、Ni、Pb、Cr、Cu、Zn的年均城市非点源污染负荷分别为347.99、9932....     

Reduced productivity of Culex pipiens and Cx. restuans (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes in parking area catch basins in the northeast Chicago metropolitan area

From June to September, 2016, 100 catch basins in eight parking areas were monitored weekly for the presence of mosquito pupae in the operational area of the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District (NSMAD) located just north of Chicago, IL, U.S.A. Weekly results from these basins were compared to weekly samples taken from residential street catch basins, the most common type of catch basin treated seasonally by the NSMAD with larvicides. Over the 17 study weeks, residential street basins had a mean rate of productivity (pupae per basin‐visit) 12 times that of parking area catch basins. The two parking area sites with the highest mean rate of productivity were associated with county forest preserves. Productivity in both street and parking area basins was positively associated with the presence of three or more deciduous trees within 20 m of basins and if they were located directly adjacent to curbs. Alternatively, productivity was negatively associated with the proportion of impervious surface within 10 m of basins and weekly rainfall. Findings suggest that reduced catch basin larvicide applications may be appropriate in many parking area sites.     

Spatial and temporal patterns in maternal energetic traits of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in Lake Erie

1. For many fish species, survival during early life stages is linked to the size and energetic condition of females prior to reproduction. For example, females in good energetic condition are often more fecund and produce larger eggs and offspring than those in poor condition. 2. We measured the characteristics of female yellow perch (Perca flavescens) that may influence annual population fluctuations. From 2005 to 2007, we measured spatial variation in female reproductive traits, such as age, length, mass and energy density (J g^?1) of somatic tissues and ovaries among four spawning aggregations of yellow perch in western and central Lake Erie. 3. Maternal traits, such as somatic energy density and spawner age distribution, differed between the western and central basin, whereas reproductive traits, such as fecundity and ovarian energy density, differed across years. 4. To understand the implications of observed differences in demographic rates (growth and mortality rates) between basins, we developed a deterministic model to simulate the total egg production in the western and central basins under different scenarios of fishing mortality. 5. High growth rates and low mortality rates combined to produce higher modelled estimates of total egg production in the central than in the western basin, and a larger proportion of eggs were produced by old age classes in the central basin than in the western basin. 6. Our results demonstrate that changing harvest levels for populations with different demographic rates can influence total reproductive output through complex interactions between age‐specific mortality, growth and size‐specific fecundity, which has implications for the population dynamics of yellow perch and related species across a broad geographic range.