Relationships Among Animal Communities, Lentic Habitats, and Channel Characteristics for Ecological Sediment Management

Abstract

This study used a multiscale analysis of relationships among the bitterling and mussel communities, lentic habitat structures with conditions and flooding frequency, and channel characteristics for application in ecological sediment management. From the Kizu River in Japan, 120 lentic habitats were sampled in 2007 and 2010. The floodplain vertical shape index (FVSI), which indicates the degree of convexity or concavity of the vertical shape of a floodplain, was used as channel characteristics using historical cross-section profiles obtained from 1960 to 2012. For examining the relationships between bitterlings/mussels and each habitat condition or structure, abundance values of bitterlings and mussels were transformed into habitat suitability index (HSI). Furthermore, the relationships between the number of habitat structures and FVSI were analyzed. The results indicated that bitterlings and mussels are more abundant in terrace ponds than in active ponds, especially so in terrace ponds located in the lower area of bars with a flooding frequency of 8–16 days/year (bitterlings), those located in the lower area of bars with a flooding frequency of 8 days/year, and those located in the upper area of bars with a flooding frequency of 16–22 days/year (mussels). These ponds tended to have less than 1 cm mud depth that was negatively related to abundance of mussels. These suitable habitat types tended to be located in channels with a floodplain vertical shape index between −0.35 and 0.05. We established countermeasures to prevent channel types with floodplain vertical shape index exceeding 0.05 instead of restoring the previous channel conditions.