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Identification of archeological fish remains requires the use of comparative reference materials, generally in the form of disarticulated fish skeletons. Photographic or illustrative atlases provide an additional resource for the analysis of fish remains. Photographic resources exist for many marine species and for specific geographic regions, whereas freshwater European species have not been covered in great detail. Here, we present a photographic atlas for the bones of freshwater and migratory fish commonly recovered from archeological sites in Central Europe, alongside a discussion of the difficulties and considerations for the analysis of freshwater fish remains. The atlas also highlights the morphological similarity of many species and the interpretive limits of freshwater fish assemblages. The atlas aims to act as an accessible and user‐friendly resource, which can be used for basic identification purposes when access to physical collections is not possible, to supplement pre‐existing collections, or for training purposes. This paper acts as a platform from which the full atlas can be downloaded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally, governments and industry have implemented some degree of protection to reduce the impacts of forestry on aquatic ecosystems. Here, we consider the widespread application of streamside management in terms of riparian buffer retention to protect freshwaters from forestry practices across three jurisdictions with large and intensive forestry sectors (British Columbia, Finland and Sweden).This perspective was developed by working with researchers, practitioners and policymakers on mitigation measures to decrease the impacts of forestry on streams. We demonstrate that it is exceedingly rare for policies and guidelines to specify concrete objectives and measurable targets that can be assessed against riparian buffer management outcomes. Most often, policy objectives for riparian management prescribe 'to prevent or mitigate impacts', and this vagueness is insufficient to protect our waters. We argue that we should be clearer about the targets (outcomes) for riparian management and go beyond the simple idea that buffer presence, without further specification of its conditions, is always a successful protection strategy. One cannot measure the effectiveness of rules and guidelines without quantitative targets.Policy implications: In this paper, we suggest that locally developed and adjusted targets for riparian buffers must include quantifiable, measurable goals that specify what is supposed to be achieved and protected with respect to ecological functions, biological communities or other values. It should be relatively simple to move from current vague objectives such as 'protect and prevent' to a defined range of values for ecological parameters that buffers are supposed to provide. For example, these can include region‐specific shading levels and microclimate targets, large wood volumes, or riparian forest species composition. We stress that these targets must be developed through an open dialogue between agencies, practitioners, land owners and scientists. We acknowledge that there are trade‐offs between being too prescriptive and too vague. However, when excessively broad goals are the norm, we lose the capacity to effectively implement, monitor or evaluate the outcomes of protection measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inland recreational fisheries provide numerous socio‐economic benefits to fishers, families and communities. Recreationally harvested fish are also frequently consumed and may provide affordable and sustainable but undervalued contributions to human nutrition. Quantifying the degree to which recreationally harvested fish contribute to food security and subsistence is impeded by lack of data on harvest and consumption and by the difficulty in differentiating among recreational and subsistence fisheries. Recreational harvest records tend to be limited to wealthy, food‐secure countries and well‐monitored fisheries with clear regulations or permitting systems. These records often neglect components of recreational harvest among food‐insecure fishers who are potentially more likely to have consumption as a motivation. Here, we highlight the 'fuzzy boundary' that can exist between inland recreational and subsistence fisheries and argue that unreported consumption is likely to be a hidden contributor to food security in some populations. We draw on local case studies from around the world to highlight specific instances where recreationally harvested fish species contribute food and subsistence benefits to participating communities. We use these examples to highlight the diversity of ways that inland recreational fisheries contribute to human nutrition, knowledge gaps in understanding recreational fishing for food, and consequences of not accounting for them as food fisheries in policy and management. The aim of this paper is to draw the attention of resource managers and policy makers, create greater social awareness of the importance of recreational fisheries and bring to light this hidden contribution of inland fisheries to nutrition and subsistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is predicted to have dramatic effects on Arctic freshwater ecosystems through changes to the abiotic template that are expected to influence biodiversity. Changes are already ongoing in Arctic systems, but there is a lack of coordinated monitoring of Arctic freshwaters that hinders our ability to assess changes in biodiversity.To address the need for coordinated monitoring on a circumpolar scale, the Arctic Council working group, Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna, established the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program, which is an adaptive monitoring program for the Arctic centred around four ecosystem themes (i.e., Freshwater, Terrestrial, Coastal, Marine). The freshwater theme developed a monitoring plan for Arctic freshwater biodiversity and recently completed the first assessment of status and trends in Arctic freshwater biodiversity.Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program–Freshwater has compiled and analysed a database of Arctic freshwater monitoring data to form the first report of the state of circumpolar Arctic freshwater biodiversity. This special issue presents the scientific analyses that underlie the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program–Freshwater report and provides analyses of spatial and temporal diversity patterns and the multiple‐stressor scenarios that act on the biological assemblages and biogeochemistry of Arctic lakes and rivers.This special issue includes regional patterns for selected groups of organisms in Arctic rivers and lakes of northern Europe, Russia, and North America. Circumpolar assessments for benthic diatoms, macrophytes, plankton, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish demonstrate how climate change and associated environmental drivers affect freshwater biodiversity. Also included are papers on spatial and temporal trends in water chemistry across the circumpolar region, and a systematic review of documented Indigenous Knowledge that demonstrates its potential to support assessment and conservation of Arctic freshwaters.This special issue includes the first circumpolar assessment of trends in Arctic freshwater biodiversity and provides important baseline information for future assessments and studies. It represents the largest compilation and assessment of Arctic freshwater biodiversity data to date and strives to provide a holistic view of ongoing change in these ecosystems to support future monitoring efforts. By identifying gaps in monitoring data across the circumpolar region, as well as identifying best practices for monitoring and assessment, this special issue presents an important resource for researchers, policy makers, and Indigenous and local communities that can support future assessments of ecosystem change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper traces the emergence and dominance of a singular discourse about rural development. The "more water" discourse that emerged in the 2000s in Canterbury was rooted in the idea that vibrant communities depend on economic growth, which hinges on accessing more freshwater for irrigation. Using thick description of the work of a catchment committee, this paper charts the dominance of this discourse and the attempts to channel "more water" through a tightly controlled collaborative and consensus‐based approach. More democratic processes would welcome difference, questioning of prevailing approaches to development, and may lead to more diverse economies and resilient communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Declining catches of freshwater clupeids in Lake Tanganyika have recently led to widespread illegal fishing on the clupeid larvae with mosquito nets. This paper examines whether this larval fishery could have a negative impact on the exploitable biomass of the clupeid Limnothrissa miodon Boulenger and whether the sale of clupeid larvae is actually causing economic losses for the male fishers. The beach seine fishery on L. miodon larvae in the coastal zone of DR Congo was surveyed during a cruise in May 2013 from the north to the south of Lake Tanganyika. Local women fishing with their own gear were interviewed, their catch sampled, and their fishing effort evaluated. Based on catch sampling, the annual yield of larval fishing at the 17 fishing sites surveyed was about 24.5 t, worth of US $1.5 per kg. If these fish, now harvested as larvae, were allowed to grow to the average size in the lift‐net catches, they would have annually produced 620 t of fish. Applying a price of US $3.5 per kg for adult fish, and subtracting the value of larvae sold, this indicates that the current income of US $36, 800 from the larval fishery translated in to a US $2.1 million loss for the lift‐net fishery, thus accentuating the problems facing the fishing community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global trade in ornamental fish involves c. 125 countries worldwide and is worth c. US $15–30 billion each year. This total is dominated (90%) by freshwater fishes, most of which are sourced from breeding facilities located in developing countries, typically in Asia or South America, but also in Israel, USA and Europe. Some fish are still obtained from natural (wild) sources, but the exact percentage of wild‐caught fish is difficult to quantify given a lack of reliable data. Although c. 1000 species of freshwater fishes are widely available (from a total of > 5300 on sale), the most dominant freshwater fishes in the market comprise only 30 species from the orders Cyprinodontiformes, Perciformes, Characiformes and Siluriformes. In this perspectives review paper, illustrative example case studies of wild‐fish collecting (Barcelos and Rio Xingu, Brazil) and breeding projects (Java, Indonesia) are described. In addition, wild‐collecting expeditions to West Papua, Indonesia are discussed, focused on discovering novel species of rainbowfish (Melanotaeniidae) for breeding in captivity. Sustainability of the aquarium industry is considered in its broadest sense. The aquarium industry has been portrayed as both a major threat to natural ecosystems, but also as being part of the solution in terms of helping to maintain species when they have gone extinct in the wild or offering an income to impoverished citizens who might otherwise engage in much more destructive practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on ecosystem services that are derived from natural capital and mentions environmental policy documents, including the Natural Environment White Paper and the 25 Year Environment Plan. Topics discussed include the MillenniumEcosystem Assessment program, applying ecosystem services knowledge to decision-making, the use and provision of ecosystem services, and Common International Classification of EcosystemServices.

After the frequent and long drought episodes of the 1980s, a plethora of case studies have shown that West Africa remains a hot spot in the continent where despite its numerous water resources, extreme rainfall variability remains a profound challenge to the availability of freshwater for agriculture and ecosystem services. In this paper, we assess the recent flux in water availability over West Africa by investigating variations in net-precipitation (i.e. the maximum available freshwater flux) using wavelet analysis. Net-precipitation was obtained as a residual of the atmospheric water balance, and its variability compared to precipitation, temperature, evaporation, soil moisture and normalized difference vegetation index using wavelet power transforms and coherence analysis. Results from the study indicate that the variance in water flux over the region has been progressively reducing, suggesting a relative reduction in extreme hydrological conditions. Also, the wavelet coherence analysis revealed that the observed decreasing rate of available freshwater is highly coupled to a low frequency modulating El-Nino activity that induced lower changes in rainfall variance, as well as higher evaporation variance. Spatial trends in the annual-scaled average wavelet power indicated that the south-western parts of the region experienced the most reduction in rainfall flux. The highest deficit in net-precipitation flux was found in the dry sub-humid climatic zone, which is drained by major regional rivers, including the Niger and Volta. Considering the long-term variability in freshwater (i.e. from 1979 to 2010), we found the 1980s to be the driest decade and the 1990s being its recovery period, while the 2000s proved to be a considerably dry decade, suggesting a strong multi-decadal variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT After the frequent and long drought episodes of the 1980s, a plethora of case studies have shown that West Africa remains a hot spot in the continent where despite its numerous water resources, extreme rainfall variability remains a profound challenge to the availability of freshwater for agriculture and ecosystem services. In this paper, we assess the recent flux in water availability over West Africa by investigating variations in net-precipitation (i.e. the maximum available freshwater flux) using wavelet analysis. Net-precipitation was obtained as a residual of the atmospheric water balance, and its variability compared to precipitation, temperature, evaporation, soil moisture and normalized difference vegetation index using wavelet power transforms and coherence analysis. Results from the study indicate that the variance in water flux over the region has been progressively reducing, suggesting a relative reduction in extreme hydrological conditions. Also, the wavelet coherence analysis revealed that the observed decreasing rate of available freshwater is highly coupled to a low frequency modulating El-Niño activity that induced lower changes in rainfall variance, as well as higher evaporation variance. Spatial trends in the annual-scaled average wavelet power indicated that the south-western parts of the region experienced the most reduction in rainfall flux. The highest deficit in net-precipitation flux was found in the dry sub-humid climatic zone, which is drained by major regional rivers, including the Niger and Volta. Considering the long-term variability in freshwater (i.e. from 1979 to 2010), we found the 1980s to be the driest decade and the 1990s being its recovery period, while the 2000s proved to be a considerably dry decade, suggesting a strong multi-decadal variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary 1. This paper introduces, and summarises the key messages of, a series of papers that emanated from a symposium on the Role of Drought in the Ecology of Aquatic Systems, held in Australia in 2001. 2. Defining drought hydrologically is problematic because the return times, intensity, duration and long-term trends in low-flow periods are specific to regions and times. Droughts may instead be referred to as ‘significant low-flow periods’, many of which have been replaced by ‘anti-drought’ conditions in rivers as they are used increasingly as irrigation conduits. 3. Droughts can be divided into those that cause predictable, seasonal press disturbances and less predictable, protracted ‘ramp’ disturbances. However, while droughts may be ‘ramp’ disturbances, their effects on aquatic biota are most likely to be ‘stepped’ when geomorphological or hydrological thresholds are crossed, causing abrupt changes in biological community structure and ecosystem processes. 4. Physical, morphological, physiological or behavioural refugia confer resistance or resilience to riverine populations and communities that experience drought conditions. The physical and chemical parameters associated with refugia habitats and their formation, influence population parameters within, and interactions among, species and can have protracted reproductive consequences, even well after the cessation of the drought. 5. Fish, invertebrate and plant populations and assemblages seem to recover rapidly from drought. Most studies of the effects of drought, however, have arisen fortuitously and have involved relatively short temporal, and small spatial, scales. Innovative approaches, such as microsatellite DNA analyses, can reveal that the effects of drought may be profound and long-lasting, resulting in population bottlenecks and altering the course of the evolution of species. 6. During periods of drought, decreases in inputs... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater ecosystems in arid regions range from highly fragmented to highly connected, and connectivity has been assumed to be a major factor in the persistence of aquatic biota in arid environments. This review sought to synthesize existing research on genetic estimation of population connectivity in desert freshwaters, identify knowledge gaps, and set priorities for future studies of connectivity in these environments. From an extensive literature search, we synthesized the approaches applied, systems studied, and conclusions about connectivity reached in population genetic research concerning desert freshwater connectivity globally. We restrict our scope to obligate aquatic fauna that disperse largely via freshwaters and exclude those with active aerial dispersal abilities. We examined 92 papers, comprising 133 studies, published from 1987 to 2014. Most described studies of fishes and invertebrates in the deserts of Australia and North America. Connectivity declined with increasing scale, but did not differ significantly among arid regions or taxonomic classes. There were significant differences in connectivity patterns between species with different dispersal abilities, and between spring and riverine habitats at local scales. Population connectivity in desert freshwaters is typically most influenced by the ecology of the species concerned and hydrological connectivity. Most studies did not assess predefined models of connectivity, but described gene flow and/or genetic structure. Climate change and anthropogenic impacts worldwide are likely to increase the incidence and impact of habitat fragmentation in already threatened desert freshwaters. To reduce this risk, biodiversity conservation and environmental management must address connectivity, but often the required information does not exist. Researchers can provide this by explicitly considering the effects of hydrology and species' ecology on connectivity, and incorporating these into connectivity models, which are vital for understanding connectivity in desert freshwaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary1 This special issue focuses on the meiofauna of lotic freshwater systems, providing a review of the biology and ecology of this relatively poorly studied constituent of the benthos in running waters. 2 Six papers review the biology and ecology of the major groups of lotic meiofauna: microturbellarians; rotifers and gastrotrichs; nematodes; water mites; microcrustaceans and tardigrades. 3 Current knowledge of the ecology of lotic meiofauna is presented further in six papers that also highlight important future directions for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of life-history traits is increasingly recognized as an important criterion for effective management and conservation. Understanding the link between physiology and life history is an important component of this knowledge and in our view is particularly relevant to understanding marine and freshwater fishes. Such linkages (i.e. the life-history/physiology nexus) have been recently advocated for avian systems and here we explore this concept for fish. This paper highlights the gap in fisheries literature with regard to understanding the relationship between physiology and life history, and proposes ways in which this integration could improve fisheries management and conservation. We use three case studies on different fishes (i.e. the Pacific salmon, the grouper complex and tuna) to explore these issues. The physiological structure and function of fish plays a central role in determining stock response to exploitation and changes in the environment. Physiological measures can provide simple indicators necessary for cost-effective monitoring in the evaluation of fisheries sustainability. The declining state of world fisheries and the need to develop and implement restoration strategies, such as hatchery production or protected areas, provides strong incentive to better understand the influence of physiology on population and reproductive dynamics and early life history. Physiology influences key population-level processes, particularly those dealing with reproduction, which must be incorporated into the design and successful implementation of specific and broadscale initiatives (e.g. aquatic protected areas and bycatch reduction). Suggestions are made for how to encourage wider application of the physiology/life-history link, in fisheries management and conservation, as well as more broadly in education and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species richness in relation to area of habitat is extremely high in many freshwater groups, with an estimated 12 000 fish, 5000 amphibians and 2000 mollusc species dependent on freshwater habitats. Other major groups dependent upon fresh waters include, reptiles, insects, plants and mammals. The IUCN Redlist and The Nature Conservancy assessments both indicate the serious vulnerability and degradation of inland water habitats world-wide. It is evident that there are neither the resources nor the time to protect all areas where species are under threat. Clearly a method is needed for prioritising inland water sites for conservation at both local and regional scales. IUCN held a workshop in June 2002 to develop a method for prioritising important inland water sites for biodiversity conservation. The goal of the workshop was to develop a method which would help to focus on conservation efforts and funds at the regional scale and would serve as a tool for active conservation efforts at the local scale. The method was developed on the foundations of a review of the existing site prioritisation schemes for terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems. Expert representatives for a broad range of priority taxa and for existing schemes provided input to the development of the site prioritisation method. This paper describes the development of the method, the selection criteria adopted, guidelines for their use and the site selection procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the relationships between scaling and predictability in ecosystems. TIc logical basis of ecosystem modelling is explored using ideas first developed in complexity theory and analogies with the behaviour of complex adaptive systems. Any ecological model is a scale-dependent entity and both empirical and dynamic models of freshwater systems have their strengths and weaknesses. The logical basis of modelling using functional groups is explored. I conclude thatsuch an approach can be justified and that such models have predictive power. Any predictive model of freshwater systems must take the major scales of external (atmospheric and catchment) forcing into account as well as the scales of key processes in the ecosystem itself. The importance of so-called 'pink noise' spectra, which arise both fromexternal forcing and the internal dynamics of dynamic systems, is noted. Thc key scales of pattern and process in freshwater ecosystems are discussed in relation to the properties of the major functional groups. In order to have predictive power, I conclude that models of freshwater systems must include sediment exchanges and the properties of aquatic macrophytes as well as water column interactions and the pelagic components. When viewed at the scale of functional groups and the major biogeochemical processes, freshwater ecosystems may not be as complex as is often assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general climate and topography of medieval Scandinavia, with high levels of rainfall and snow on a yearly basis, combined with an abundance of lakes, rivers, and smaller streams, meant that freshwater was easily available for most people. In this paper, we present an overview of how people interacted with water—both freshwater and salt water—in medieval (ca. 1050–ca. 1500) Scandinavia's towns. By describing how the supply of freshwater was organized and what it was used for, how shipping and fishing was regulated, and the use and impact of watermills, we are able to identify some actors and attempt to discern their motivation when they engaged in a wide range of activities involving both fresh and salt water in medieval Scandinavia. We argue that understanding water and water management in medieval Scandinavia necessitates a different approach compared to more arid regions, an approach which considers water as simply one resource among many, deeply embedded in a wider economic web. This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Planning WaterHuman Water > Water GovernanceHuman Water > Water as Imagined and Represented This study presents an overview of the relationship between man and water in an environment where water was ubiquitous ‐ medieval Scandinavia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This data paper describes the native vascular aquatic plant floras of 268 Japanese lakes recorded from 1899-2011. The data were compiled from 201 literature sources, most of which were written in Japanese and published in local journals or individual reports rather than in major scientific journals. The literature was searched using web-based services (i.e., Google Scholar, ; CiNii, ; JDreamII, ; and ISI, ) and by private communication with experts or local governments. Scientific names were consolidated under currently-accepted nomenclature. Four datasets, FloraDB, LakeDB, SpeciesDB, and LiteratureDB, were created to include records of the flora of each lake in each year, the names and locations of the lakes, the scientific names and synonyms of the aquatic vascular plants, and a literature list, respectively. These data can be used to study long-term changes in the species composition and/or richness of aquatic plants in Japanese lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]