2025/02/24 by Hao Du, Xuan Ban, Pengcheng Li +8 · 1 voice
Environmental Science · #Fish Ecology and Management Studies #Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
paper · doi:10.1111/1365-2664.70020
openalex publication_date 2025/02/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Abstract Sturgeons and paddlefishes (Acipenseriformes) are among the most threatened species worldwide. In the Yangtze River, all three Acipenseriformes species are either extinct or have failed natural reproduction and recruitment due to overfishing and habitat destruction. Although many conservation measures have been implemented, no natural reproduction of the Yangtze sturgeon ( Acipenser dabryanus ) has been observed in the wild since 2000. New conservation and restoration actions are urgently needed to save sturgeons from extinction in the Yangtze River. We established large‐scale ecohydraulic modelling over 600 km of the upper Yangtze River to identify the critical conditions that support sturgeon reproduction. Based on the theoretical modelling results, we conducted indoor experiments to optimize the combinations of identified key ecohydraulic parameters. Furthermore, we tested the efficacy of these optimized conditions for triggering sturgeon spawning with reconstructed habitat in the Yangtze River. Ecohydraulic conditions triggering sturgeon reproduction were jointly influenced by water velocity and riverbed morphology, including substrate grain size and riverbed slope. Theoretical modelling of historical conditions and indoor experiments revealed that suitable spawning grounds of the Yangtze sturgeon were characterized by pool–riffle sequences with fast flow and coarse substrates. Our reconstructed habitats in the Yangtze River successfully triggered spawning activities of the Yangtze sturgeon, resulting in fertilized eggs and hatched fry. In addition, we demonstrated that hydropower plants altered the ecohydrological conditions of historical spawning grounds of sturgeons in the Yangtze River, adversely affecting their reproduction and recruitment. Synthesis and applications . Our study underscores the importance of ecohydraulic conditions in triggering spawning activities of sturgeon and provides a theoretical foundation for restoration actions to revive Yangtze sturgeon populations. We highlight the need for adjusting the current conservation policy in the Yangtze Basin by allowing active habitat restoration in nature reserves and optimizing hydropower operations to revive sturgeon populations. Evidence provided by our study offers a replicable model for the conservation of migratory fish, emphasizing the potential of active habitat restoration strategies to revive populations of endangered fish species in the Yangtze Basin.