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River flow intermittence is a natural phenomenon intensified by human activities, such as water abstraction and the effects of climate change. A growing number of rivers are predicted to experience intermittent flows, which may impact the diversity and abundance of freshwater species. Dry riverbeds directly diminish the availability of habitats for freshwater organisms, and suitable environments can turn into ecological traps with reduced survival rates, posing a significant threat to population persistence. Even though fish movements can enable drought-affected populations to persist, little is known about individual fish movement between intermittent and perennial reaches. Here, we study the movement of individual PIT-tagged Italian riffle dace (Telestes muticellus) in an intermittent and perennial river reach before, during and after two severe drying events. A high proportion of fish from the intermittent reach survived the drying riverbed through directed upstream migration. This was manifested in fish living in the intermittent reach of the river displaying significantly higher linear ranges, and net travelled distances during the monitoring period than fish in the perennial reach, which remained resident with limited linear range and net distances travelled. This finding underscores the importance of conserving longitudinal river connectivity in the face of increased water scarcity and intermittent flow patterns.

Variation in thermal conditions during embryogenesis can have far-reaching impact throughout ontogeny and may give rise to behavioural variation. Many animals, such as salmonids, exhibit behavioural trade-offs related to foraging and predator avoidance. How embryonic temperature affects these behaviours has remained unexplored. Not only abiotic conditions during embryogenesis but also biotic factors such as predator conditioning may affect fish behaviour, especially anti-predator responses. We examined how elevated temperatures and predator odours throughout embryogenesis affect the behaviour of 28-37 mm young-of-the-year brown trout (Salmo trutta) in encounters with predators, namely Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar; 20 cm) and burbot (Lota lota; 40 cm). Juvenile brown trout were more active and aggressive if they were incubated in warmer water as eggs than if they were incubated in colder water, and trout remained inactive longer when encountering predators if they were cold incubated. Brown trout were less active and aggressive when an Atlantic salmon was present than when a burbot or no predator was present. Behavioural responses did not differ between trout that had been subjected to water with versus without predator odours during embryogenesis, possibly because brown trout were not subjected to conspecific alarm cues during egg incubation. This study shows that thermal conditions during embryogenesis can influence fish behaviour early in life and thus contribute to behavioural variation, with potential effects on life history. Considering the rapid warming of northern regions, elevated embryonic temperatures may contribute substantially to variation in salmonid behaviour in the near future. Variation in environmental conditions during embryogenesis of salmonids can have far-reaching impact throughout ontogeny and may give rise to variation in anti-predator behaviour. In a laboratory experiment, we showed that elevated temperatures throughout embryogenesis increas

Sub-daily fluctuations in streamflow may have adverse effects on the biota downstream of dams in hydropeaking-regulated rivers. Although the stranding of salmonid fry is one documented effect of hydropeaking, little is known about the species-specific behavioural and subsequent growth effects of sub-daily flow fluctuations. We investigated the effects of sub-daily flow fluctuation on growth, mortality and behaviour of sympatric Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and brown trout (S. trutta) fry (29–34 mm) in a laboratory experiment. The fluctuating flow treatment negatively affected growth and increased mortality for trout but not for salmon. The level of aggressive behaviour was similar in the fluctuating- and stable-flow treatments. Within the fluctuating flow treatment, there was a trend that more fishes were visibly active above the substrate during low than high flow. These findings suggest that hydropeaking-induced flow fluctuations may affect fry of different salmonid species in different ways and that brown trout fry may be more vulnerable to hydropeaking effects than Atlantic salmon fry. It can therefore be important to consider the possibility of divergent reactions by different fish species under hydropeaking situations and to incorporate species-specific strategies to conserve culturally and economically relevant riverine fish species.

Objectives: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has long been a cornerstone in treatment of advanced prostate cancer (PCa), and is known to improve the results of radiotherapy (RT) for high-risk disease. The purpose of our study was to use a multiplexed immunohistochemical (mIHC) approach to investigate the infiltration of immune cells in PCa tissue after eight weeks of ADT and/or RT with 10 Gy. Methods: From a cohort of 48 patients divided into two treatment arms, we obtained biopsies before and after treatment and used a mIHC method with multispectral imaging to analyze the infiltration of immune cells in tumor stroma and tumor epithelium, focusing on areas with high infiltration. Results: Tumor stroma showed a significantly higher infiltration of immune cells compared to tumor epithelium. The most prominent immune cells were CD20(+) B-lymphocytes, followed by CD68(+) macrophages, CD8(+) cytotoxic T-cells, FOXP3(+) regulatory T-cells (Tregs), and T-bet(+) Th1-cells. Neoadjuvant ADT followed by RT significantly increased the infiltration of all five immune cells. Numbers of Th1-cells and Tregs significantly increased after single treatment with ADT or RT. In addition, ADT alone increased the number of cytotoxic T-cells and RT increased the number of B-cells. Conclusions: Neoadjuvant ADT in combination with RT results in a higher inflammatory response compared to RT or ADT alone. The mIHC method may be a useful tool for investigating infiltrating immune cells in PCa biopsies to understand how immunotherapeutic approaches can be combined with current PCa therapies.

Climate change causes warming of rivers and may increase discharge, particularly during winter. Downstream of hydropower plants, fluctuating water temperature and flow create dynamic overwintering conditions for juvenile salmonids. We used inSTREAM 7.2-SD to simulate the effects of increased temperature (+2 & DEG;C) and discharge (+10%) on the overwinter growth and mortality of one-summer- and two-summer-old Atlantic salmon and brown trout in a river with a hydropeaking flow regime in a 2 x 2 design with replicated simulations. Water temperature had a major positive relationship with growth for both species and year classes, whereas increased flow alone had no major general effect on overwinter growth. For one-summer-old trout experiencing the high temperature regime, however, increased flow resulted in reduced growth. There were no major effects from temperature and flow on the survival rate of the two-summer-old fishes. On the other hand, there were significant interaction effects for the one-summer-olds, indicating that the effect of flow depended on temperature. For one-summer-old salmon, high flow resulted in increased survival in the low temperature regime, whereas it resulted in reduced survival in high temperature. In contrast, for one-summer-old trout, high flow resulted in reduced survival in the low temperature regime and increased survival in the high temperature. Different hydropower operation alternatives may interact with warming, affecting the relative competitive abilities of stream salmonids. Ecological models that predict the effects of different environmental conditions, such as temperature and flow regimes, may offer insight into such effects when in situ experiments are not feasible.

Understanding how the physical habitat influences growth and behaviour is essential for developing effective habitat restoration programmes of threatened and endangered fish species. In our study, we compared the growth and behaviour of juvenile European eel during 13 weeks in aquaria with either sand (0.8-2 mm) or pebbles (25-40 mm) as bottom substrate. In aquaria with the pebble substrate, eel grew significantly faster than in aquaria with sand (specific growth rate 0.15 vs. 0.11% day(-1)). Moreover, growth rates varied more for individuals inhabiting aquaria with sand than in those with pebbles (coefficient of variation 1.26 vs. 0.67). Habitat-dependent growth rates may partly be explained by the observed differences in behavioural patterns. In aquaria with sand, eel left the substrate more often and moved close to the bottom or freely in water column. In aquaria with pebbles, eel remained hidden in the substrate to a high degree, also during feeding. These results may be important for prioritising connectivity- and habitat-restoring measures and for optimization of restocking programmes.

Invasive slugs cause damage to biodiversity as well as to horticultural and agricultural crops. To develop methods to mitigate problems with recently emerging invasive species, basic ecological knowledge about them in their new environment is crucial. We investigated the egg-laying substrate preference of Krynickillus melanocephalus in a laboratory experiment in which the slugs could choose between four different substrates. Slugs were mainly observed in contact with birch leaf compost, and less so with gravel, potting soil and sphagnum moss. Almost 90% of the eggs were found buried in birch leaves, although eggs were found also in the other substrates. In addition, we tested the winter survival of the eggs by examining their susceptibility to low temperatures. Eggs subjected to freezing temperatures did not survive, and at 8 °C, 60–70% of the eggs hatched after three months (640 degree days). In areas where K. melanocephalus is present, transporting any soil, gravel or compost material could potentially contribute to spreading the species. Particularly, leaf composts may warrant attention in this areas.

Conditions early in ontogeny can have considerable effects later on in life. Many salmonids spawn during the autumn, and temperature during subsequent embryogenesis may have far-reaching effects on life-history traits, especially when considering ongoing climate change. Even biotic conditions during embryogenesis, such as predation threat, may affect later life stages. Here, we examined how predator odours and increased temperatures affect embryonic growth and development of a fish (brown trout Salmo trutta). We found that embryos had lower body mass and greater yolk volume close to hatching when subjected to predator odours. Trout embryos incubated at temperatures representing natural winter conditions were larger than embryos incubated at higher temperatures, although the latter hatched earlier. Fry sizes at emergence did not differ between treatments, perhaps because of compensatory growth during spring. This study shows that predator presence can have similar effects on embryonic growth of salmonids as warming winters, with possible impact later in ontogeny.

During winter, stream fishes are vulnerable to semi-aquatic predators like mammals and birds and reduce encounters by being active in darkness or under surface ice. Less is known about the behavior of fishes towards instream piscivorous fishes. Here, we examined how surface ice and light affected the anti-predator behavior of juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758) in relation to piscivorous burbot (Lota lota Linnaeus, 1758) and northern pike (Esox lucius Linnaeus, 1758) at 4 degrees C in experimental flumes. Trout had lower foraging and swimming activity and spent more time sheltering when predators were present than when absent. In daylight, trout's swimming activity was not affected by predators, whereas in darkness trout were less active when predators were present. Trout consumed more drifting prey during the day when ice was present, and they positioned themselves further upstream when under ice cover, regardless of light conditions. Trout stayed closer to conspecifics under ice, but only in the presence of pike. Piscivorous fishes thus constitute an essential part of the predatory landscape of juvenile trout in winter, and thus loss of ice cover caused by climate warming will likely affect trout's interactions with predators., This paper was included as a manuscript in doctoral thesis entitled "Early life stages of brown trout - Anti-predator responses under warming winters" 2022:2

We developed an individual-based model (IBM) to understand the effects of hydropeaking on growth, survival and distribution of age 0+ to 1+ juveniles for high-conservation value populations of native brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Atlantic salmon (S. salar) in River Gullspång, Sweden. We parameterized and applied inSTREAM (7.2-SD) and calibrated the model by comparing predicted versus observed growth under the current hydropeaking regime (n= > 1,200 model fish for 365 days). Our objective was to model growth, survival and distribution under flow scenarios with and without hydropeaking. We observed that hydropeaking generally resulted in modest (~10%) negative effects on growth and survival of both species. Survival was more affected than was growth, smaller fish more affected than larger fish. On-peak (high) hydropeaking flows resulted in less profitable feeding conditions (less growth) and higher predation (lower survival). Thus, inSTREAM 7.2-SD appears to capture ecologically-relevant behavioral patterns under hydropeaking, e.g., habitat selection, in response to rapid flow changes. Understanding such patterns for large rivers via manipulative field studies, even if possible, would be time-consuming and costly. Our study demonstrates the potential of IBMs as powerful tools for testing research questions and assessing and prioritizing alternative management strategies in regulated rivers.

Modeller för att simulera effekter av flöde på strömlevande fiskpopulationer är kraftfulla verktyg för att avväga miljönytta och kostnad i samband med åtgärder för att minimera vattenkraftens miljöpåverkan. Vi jämförde en korrelativ och en individbaserad fiskhabitatmodell med avseende på vilka flöden respektive modell bedömde var gynnsammast för en potentiell havsöringspopulation i naturfåran vid Blankaströms kraftverk i Emån. Den korrelativa modellen förutspådde att ett optimalt flöde för att maximera arean med högkvalitativt öringhabitat låg mellan 2 och 3 m3/s. Den individbaserade modellen fann att flöde spelade mindre roll för överlevnad hos den yngsta årsklassen (0+), samt att tillväxten hos dessa var som högst vid 3 m3/s. Högre flöden krävdes dock för lyckad reproduktion och att överlevnaden och tillväxten hos äldre juveniler (1+) gynnades av flöden mellan 5 och 8 m3/s. Korrelativa modeller kan vara användbara, då de är enkla att använda, men det är möjligt att de framförallt förutsäger habitatförekomst för 0+-öringar och sämre speglar de miljöförhållanden som krävs för 1+-öringars uppväxt samt lekfiskars reproduktionsframgång. Individbaserade modeller, å andra sidan, är något mer komplicerade, men genererar mångfacetterad data för olika livsstadier, ger mekanistiska förklaringar till observerade fenomen och kan anpassas till dynamiska flöden.

We developed an individual-based model (IBM) to understand the effects of hydropeaking on growth, survival and distribution of age 0+ to 1+ juveniles for high-conservation value populations of native brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Atlantic salmon (S. salar) in River Gullspång, Sweden. We parameterized and applied inSTREAM (7.2-SD) and calibrated the model by comparing predicted versus observed growth under the current hydropeaking regime (n= > 1,200 model fish for 365 days). Our objective was to model growth, survival and distribution under flow scenarios with and without hydropeaking. We observed that hydropeaking generally resulted in modest (~10%) negative effects on growth and survival of both species. Survival was more affected than was growth, smaller fish more affected than larger fish. On-peak (high) hydropeaking flows resulted in less profitable feeding conditions (less growth) and higher predation (lower survival). Thus, inSTREAM 7.2-SD appears to capture ecologically-relevant behavioral patterns under hydropeaking, e.g., habitat selection, in response to rapid flow changes. Understanding such patterns for large rivers via manipulative field studies, even if possible, would be time-consuming and costly. Our study demonstrates the potential of IBMs as powerful tools for testing research questions and assessing and prioritizing alternative management strategies in regulated rivers.

Freshwater mussels in the order Unionida are highly adapted to parasitize fish for the primary purpose of dispersal. The parasitic larval stage affixes itself to the gills or fins of the host where it becomes encysted in the tissue, eventually excysting to develop into a free-living adult. Research on the parasitic interactions between unionids and their host fishes has garnered attention recently due to the increase in worldwide preservation efforts surrounding this highly endangered and ecologically significant order. With the exception of heavy infestation events, these mussels cause minor effects to their hosts, typically only observable effect in combination with other stressors. Moreover, the range of effect intensities on the host varies greatly with the species involved in the interaction, an effect that may arise from different evolutionary strategies between long- and short-infesting mussels; a distinction not typically made in conservation practices. Lower growth and reduced osmotic potential in infested hosts are commonly observed and correlated to infestation load. These effects are typically also associated with increases in metabolic rate and behaviour indicative of stress. Host fish seem to compensate for this through a combination of rapid wound healing in the parasitized areas and higher ventilation rates. The findings are heavily biased towards Margaritifera margaritifera, a unique mussel not well suited for cross-species generalizations. Furthermore, the small body of molecular and genetic studies should be expanded as many conclusions are drawn from studies on the ultimate effects of glochidiosis rather than proximate studies on the underlying mechanisms.

Interspecific competition among terrestrial gastropods has previously been considered to have little effect on population dynamics and local distribution. Recent studies, however, demonstrate several cases in which interspecific competition plays a major role in structuring terrestrial gastropod communities. To explore the general importance of interspecific competition for the ecology of slugs, we conducted a semi-systematic literature review, synthesizing available peer-reviewed literature relating interspecific interactions to the following: (1) mortality and reproduction; (2) activity, movement, feeding and growth; and (3) habitat use and geographical distribution of slugs. To support the literature on slugs, we also reviewed literature on terrestrial snails. The body of available literature is relatively limited, but the effect of interspecific competition on survival, reproduction, movement and activity has clearly been demonstrated in laboratory experiments for different slug species. The occurrence of interspecific competition seems, however, to be species specific, and no negative effects due to the presence of heterospecifics have been reported for many of the species combinations investigated to date. Most of the studies demonstrating interspecific effects between slug species involved interference from a few aggressive species (mainly Limax maximus as the aggressor). In addition, several correlative studies have indicated that in terrestrial gastropods, habitat use and geographical distribution might be mediated by interspecific competition. Further, well-designed experiments are needed to explore the general importance of interspecific competition among slugs, potentially with a focus on interactions between invasive and native species, where the lack of a shared evolutionary history and niche separation may increase the intensity of competition. Such experimental studies may produce information that has implications for the conservation of native speci

Known as the “king of fishes”, the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, Salmonidae) is an iconic freshwater species whose contribution to human wellbeing has long been recognized, as have widespread declines in its abundance, partly due to river regulation. To understand how salmon conservation has been addressed within the ecosystem services (ES) framework, we synthesized the peer-reviewed literature on ES provided by salmon in regulated rivers. We developed a search string to capture allusions to provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural ES and assessed the results to identify knowledge gaps. The effects of hydropower on fisheries catches and on modelled populations were shown is several publications. Overall, few studies focused explicitly on ES from salmon and hydropower; this is surprising given the considerable body of literature on salmon in regulated rivers. Wild salmon as a food source and other provisioning services are less important today than historically. Because predators such as salmon are important for facilitating biodiversity by cycling nutrients and controlling food webs, there is a scope of work for future assessments of these regulating and supporting services. Few papers explicitly addressed cultural ES, despite the salmon’s longstanding iconic status; this is a knowledge gap for future ES assessments in relation to hydropower. The influence of ES assessments for policy makers is growing through the Intergovernmental Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the post-2020 biodiversity strategy. Explicitly addressing ES poses an opportunity for river managers to raise awareness of aquatic conservation efforts and well-informed decision-making for sustaining ES.

The loss of longitudinal connectivity in regulated rivers, both up- and downstream, has been detrimental for biodiversity worldwide. While progress has been made regarding upstream fish passage solutions, many questions remain unanswered regarding downstream passage alternatives. To address these knowledge gaps, we used Atlantic salmon (S. salar) smolts to experimentally assess the guidance efficiency and passage rates produced by several common screen-and-bypass fish guidance systems. Vertical screens with horizontally oriented bars extending across a turbine intake channel at a shallow angle (angled guidance screens), combined with a single, full-depth bypass entrance at their downstream end, were on average 20% more effective and produced passage rates that were 10 times higher than screens which extended perpendicularly across a turbine intake channel with vertically oriented bars that rose gradually towards the surface (inclined guidance screens) and with a bypass at the surface, on either side of the screen. Among inclined screens, gap width was negatively associated with guidance efficiencies and the smallest gap width (15 mm) exhibited a 41% greater guidance efficiency than the largest (30 mm). Among angled screens, performance was more closely linked to construction material as metal racks produced passage rates over three times faster than flexible Kevlar netting. Overall, passage through the guidance screens, and therefore into a tentative turbine intake area, was positively associated with gap width and was twice as prevalent among the inclined relative to angled guidance screens. Ultimately, an angled guidance screen with a 30 mm gap width produced the highest guidance efficiency and passage rates (a 30% improvement over the next best screen), while an inclined screen with a 30 mm gap width produced the lowest guidance efficiencies and passage rates. These results have implications for the suitability and performance of downstream fish passage solutions

Arionid slugs can be serious pests on horticultural and agricultural crops. Using slug movement barriers is a potentially effective method to control slug damage. We evaluated the performance of waterglass (sodium silicate) and copper foil as barriers against Arion vulgaris movement both in a controlled experiment and in a semi-field validation under natural conditions. We used strawberry fruits as baits behind the barriers and monitored slug movement and damage to the strawberries. In the controlled experiment, copper foil barriers delayed but did not prevent passage, whereas waterglass barriers completely hindered slugs from passing. Barrier width (3, 4 or 6 cm) did not affect the passability of the barriers. In the semi-field validation, there was no difference in slug damage events between pots with and without copper foil barriers. Waterglass barriers applied to the pots reduced slug damage events by 50 % compared with pots without a barrier. Using waterglass to hinder slug movement may prove to be a cost-effective method to control slug damage in horticulture without any adverse side effects on non-targeted organisms., This study was funded by Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry (KSLA) , grant number GFS2019-0050.

To predict the effects of habitat alterations on animal populations we need insight into how the habitat configuration influences local scale movements. This relationship may be particularly important for effective management of pest species. We tracked 80 PIT-tagged Spanish slugs (Arion vulgaris) in 16 × 16 m arenas with manipulated habitat fragmentation. The arenas had habitat patches consisting of high grass residing within a matrix of short grass, and the arenas with a high degree of fragmentation had 12 large (2 × 2 m), 13 medium-sized (1 × 1 m) and 12 small (0.5 × 0.5 m) patches, whereas the arenas with low fragmentation had four 4 × 4 m patches, resulting in equal amounts of total habitat patch area in the two treatments. The measured mean distance moved per day was 3.8 m, and between 0 and 25% of the slugs left the arenas each day. Fragmentation treatment had no effect on these two measurements. In the treatment with patches of different sizes, slugs distributed themselves among the patch size classes according to the total amount of habitat area for each habitat patch class, whereas patch edge did not explain the distribution pattern. All in all, fragmentation per se seems to play a minor role in the local movement and distribution of Spanish slugs.

Reliable methods for assessing the ecological status of degraded rivers are essential for evaluating restoration efforts in lotic habitats. Several methods are based on biological indicators, such as benthic macroinvertebrates. The Hester–Dendy multi‐plate sampler is a commonly used tool for sampling macroinvertebrates, but its performance under different environmental conditions is not well understood. In a laboratory experiment, we assessed if fluctuating and increasing water velocity influences the performance of Hester–Dendy samplers, by studying colonization of the samplers in relation to a pre‐determined composition of benthic macroinvertebrates. Biodiversity (Shannon‐Wiener index) of colonizing macroinvertebrates was higher in a constant than in a fluctuating flow treatment, but there was no effect on the number of colonizing individuals. The results suggest a potential bias in the interpretation of biodiversity data from sites with sub‐daily flow changes, for example, downstream of hydropeaking power plants., This study was funded by Energiforsk (HOPE, ref. VKU19112)., Energiforsk (HOPE, ref. VKU19112)

Cost‐effective implementation of fish‐friendly hydropower flow operation and habitat restoration measures require an understanding of their effects on fitness‐related behaviours of stream fish. Here, we investigated how changes in flow and bottom structure influence the social behaviour of European grayling, using large experimental flumes (700 L s−1), with and without added boulders (i.e., restored and unrestored habitat). Grayling increased their distance to nearest neighbour at the start of flow ramping up and after a flow peak compared to stable base flow. At the start of ramping up the flow, grayling made less position changes (movements >1 m) than at stable base flow and after a flow peak. In the unrestored habitat, the proportion of time grayling spent actively swimming was lower before a flow peak than it was both at the start of ramping up the flow and after the peak, an effect not found in the restored habitat. In addition, we compared two static flows, and habitat restoration mediated their effect on distance to nearest neighbour. Grayling in the restored habitat were positioned closer to each other in the low (~10 cm s−1) than in the intermediate static flow (~40 cm s−1), whereas in the unrestored habitat, grayling showed the opposite pattern. Moreover, grayling reduced their number of position changes in the intermediate static flow, which was reflected by a reduction in active swimming. Stomach analysis after the trials revealed that foraging success was higher in variable than in the stable flow treatment. These results show that flow magnitude, flow changes and instream structure play important roles in the behaviour of stream fishes.