Physical habitat simulation of Rainbow trout in mountainous streams of Iran

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Research Paper 01/10/2014
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Physical habitat simulation of Rainbow trout in mountainous streams of Iran

Mahboobeh Hajiesmaeili, Seyed Ali Ayyoubzadeh , Mehdi Sedighkia, Mohammad Reza Kalbassi
J. Bio. Env. Sci.5( 4), 497-503, October 2014.
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Abstract

River physical habitat is defined as the variation of hydraulic parameters such as depth, velocity and bed cover in habitat condition of aquatic organisms. According to the previous studies physical habitat has considerable effect on habitat condition of different fish species. This study is carried out on a mountainous stream in Iran. In this research one dimensional hydraulic habitat model is used to simulate physical habitat of Rainbow trout as one of the first habitat simulation studies about the interaction between ecology and hydraulic in Iran. Based on the results as the flow increases the amount of habitat suitability decreases rapidly for fry life stage, but for adult physical habitat condition will be improved with increasing discharge. Streams with similar hydrological and geomorphic condition to the study stream can provide suitable habitat condition for different life stages of Rainbow trout in natural conditions and any changes in flow condition must occur based on the habitat time series curves. The upstream part of the stream (with slope of 0.03) has the poorest habitat condition and moving towards the downstream parts the habitat suitability condition will be improved. Habitat suitability will decrease for coldwater fish like Rainbow trout with increasing the earth temperature and the fish will be forced to move to the upstream parts in order to have suitable temperature condition and due to the unsuitable physical habitat condition of these parts ecological problems will increase in future. Thus, river restoration projects will be necessary.

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