The Impact Mechanism of Inter‐Basin Water Transfer on Fish Assemblages Was Revealed Using a Model of Terminal Reservoirs

作者：Zhenhao Cheng, Anxiang Wang, Yujing Cui, Lei Gao, Fei Cheng, Fengyue Shu, Songguang Xie · 发表于：Ecology and Evolution · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1002/ece3.72459 · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Fish Ecology and Management Studies、Isotope Analysis in Ecology、Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics

Understanding the impact mechanism of inter-basin water transfer projects (IBWTs) on fish assemblages is critical for conserving aquatic ecosystems and managing water transfer. However, direct evidence of the impact mechanism of IBWTs on fish assemblages is absent. Fish assemblages in newly built terminal reservoirs originate and assemble with diverted individuals through water transfer in IBWTs, providing a valuable model for mechanistic research. This study sampled fish quarterly using a combination net in three terminal reservoirs along the Eastern Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project (ER-SNWTP) from July 2021 to May 2022. We investigated assemblage composition and structure, calculated alpha and beta diversity indices, and analyzed the effects of environmental factors on fish assemblages. A total of 35 species were collected and indicated which species could be diverted accompanying water transfers along the ER-SNWTP. Fish assemblages were dominated by eurytopic species, but showed clear seasonal differences. The distance from Dongping Lake, operation time of the reservoirs, and water quality affected diversity indices, composition and structure of the fish assemblages in the reservoirs. Fish assemblages in the terminal reservoirs were unstable and periodically disturbed by the water transfers of the ER-SNWTP. Our results indicate that fish diverted by water transfer are likely to be the main cause of the impact of IBWTs on fish assemblages, and the distance...