First Research Meeting of the Chikuma River and Shinano River Research Project of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Held in Fiscal 2023
On Thursday, May 11, 2023, the first research meeting of the research group (research leader: Professor Hiroshi Hakoyama) of the River Erosion Control Technology Research and Development and General River Ecology Research of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism “The Importance of Habitat Continuity in Rivers - Research on Impact Assessment and Conservation Measures for River Ecosystems” was held, and the first discussion on this year’s research (survey overview, schedule for presentation of results, etc.) was held.
In this research, we use the Chikuma River system as a field and try to clarify the impact of disturbances in the river ecosystem and the presence of river construction works on the continuity of habitats, and further on the health and sustainability of populations and communities.
Freshwater fish use different habitats by dispersing and migrating. Habitat fragmentation and flooding disturbances that impede such habitat use affect the movement and distribution of fish and the survival of populations. In fact, there are concerns about a significant decline in fish populations in the Chikuma River and the Shinano River, and we believe that a major cause is habitat fragmentation. Therefore, after understanding the continuity of river habitats and the quality of each habitat, we would like to evaluate the impact of river construction and flood disturbances that impede fish migration on the decline of fish populations, and propose a plan to restore fish habitat use throughout the river system by improving fish passes, etc.