Status of natural feed resources and habitat of crayfish in the basin of the Sal River

Crayfish is a well-established fishing target in the basin of the Sal River within the Rostov Region. The climate change causing unstable hydrological conditions, as well as the extensive anthropogenic activity have a significant impact on aquatic biological resources. This work was aimed at the investigation of the status of the water bodies and exploitable biological resources (crayfish) in the water bodies of the Sal River Basin, with the anthropogenic pressure and climate changes taken into account. A retrospective analysis of the following parameters has been carried out: hydrological regime of the Sal River Basin since 1937, of the habitat conditions and status of the crayfish population (2012–2021), and the status of its feeding resources (2000–2013) in the context of anthropogenic activities and climate change. It has been found out that the hydrological regime of the water-deficient basin of the Sal River since the mid-1970s has been characterized by a decreased runoff during the spring flood and an increased runoff during the winter and summer–autumn low water period due to air temperature increase in the cold season. Due to the decrease in the water content of the Sal River Basin, the stream water supply lessened and the content of sulfates, chlorides and total dissolved solids in water increased, which resulted in the change of the water type from the hydrocarbonate to the sulfate one. These changes in the concentrations and ratios of salt-forming ions have been also caused by decreased precipitation and an increased feed of ground- and underground waters to the rivers of this basin. The priority toxicants and active ingredients of the pesticides of modern classes found in the water and bottom sediments of the Sal River did not affect the growth and reproduction of the crayfish. Commercial productivity of crayfish stock has shown a trend toward decrease, which resulted from the changes in some observed climate parameters (an increase in air temperature, a decrease in water content in the Sal River Basin), as well as from the increase in total dissolved solids in the water. However, the hydrochemical regime remains to be relatively favorable for life sustenance of the bottom species of aquatic animals, and the anthropogenic pollution of the ecosystem with priority toxicants is low, which makes it possible for the population to maintain stable length composition and similar quantitative values for different length classes of crayfish, as well as its reproduction capacity.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Saenko, E.M., Zhukova, S.V., Kosenko, Yu.V., Korablina, I.V., Trushkov, A.V., Marchenko, A.O., Valiullin, V.A., Zinchuk, O.A., Karpushina, Yu.E., Taradina, E.A., Burlachko, D.S., Lutynskaya, L.A., Podmareva, T.I.
Format:	Journal Contribution biblioteca
Language:	Russian
Published:	2022
Subjects:	Heavy metals, Precipitation, Habitats, Organochlorine pesticides, Polychlorinated biphenyls, Toxicants, Тяжелые металлы, Минерализация воды, Полихлорированные бифенилы, Хлорорганические пестициды, Ракопродуктивность, ASFA_2015::C::Crayfish fisheries, ASFA_2015::A::Anthropogenic effects, ASFA_2015::F::Food resources,
Online Access:	http://hdl.handle.net/1834/42514
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