Amur River Basin, Mongolia)
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Technische Universität Dresden Faculty of Environmental Sciences Institute of Hydrobiology Ecological assessment of salmonid populations in a country undergoing rapid environmental and socioeconomic transitions (Mongolia) DISSERTATION In fulfilment of the requirements for the academic degree Doctor rerum naturalium (Dr. rer. nat.) Presented by: Andrew Kingsley Kaus 20th September 1981, Roma, Queensland, Australia Reviewers: Prof. Dr. Dietrich Borchardt Department of Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis and Management Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Magdeburg, Germany Prof. Dr. Markus Weitere Department of Applied River Ecology Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Magdeburg, Germany Prof. Dr. Stefan Schmutz Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria Submitted: Dresden, September 22nd 2017 Defended: Dresden, February 6th 2018 Declaration of Conformity I, Andrew Kingsley Kaus, hereby confirm that this copy conforms with the original dissertation on the topic: “Ecological assessment of salmonid populations in a country undergoing rapid environmental and socioeconomic transitions (Mongolia)” Dresden, 8th February 2018 Andrew Kingsley Kaus Table of Contents DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY .................................................................................................... I TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................................... V LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................................................. VI LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................................... VII LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................... VIII SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. IX SUMMARY IN GERMAN / ZUSAMMENFASSUNG AUF DEUTSCH .................................................... XII SUMMARY IN MONGOLIAN / ХУРААНГУЙ ................................................................................. XVI INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 1 1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND HYPOTHESES .............................................................................. 1 1.1 OVERALL THESIS OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................... 6 2 MONGOLIA’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................. 7 2.1 GEOGRAPHIC ECOREGIONS ............................................................................................................. 7 2.2 CLIMATIC CONDITIONS ................................................................................................................... 7 2.3 HYDROLOGICAL NETWORKS ............................................................................................................ 8 2.4 FRESHWATER FISH FAUNA .............................................................................................................. 9 3 ANTHROPOGENIC FORCINGS ................................................................................................ 11 3.1 CURRENT SOCIOECONOMIC TRANSITIONS ........................................................................................ 11 3.2 INTENSIFYING FISHING ACTIVITIES .................................................................................................. 11 3.3 CONTAMINATION OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS .................................................................................... 12 3.4 IMMINENT THREATS .................................................................................................................... 15 RESEARCH CHAPTERS .................................................................................................................. 17 4 AN EMERGING RECREATIONAL FISHERY IN MONGOLIA’S URBANISING SOCIETY: A THREAT TO ITS PRISTINE FISH STOCKS? ......................................................................................................... 17 4.1 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. 17 4.2 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 18 4.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS ........................................................................................................... 20 4.4 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................... 22 4.5 DISCUSSION................................................................................................................................ 29 5 REGIONAL PATTERNS OF HEAVY METAL EXPOSURE AND CONTAMINATION IN THE FISH FAUNA OF THE KHARAA RIVER BASIN (MONGOLIA) ................................................................................ 36 5.1 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. 36 5.2 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 37 5.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS ........................................................................................................... 39 5.4 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................... 43 ii 5.5 DISCUSSION................................................................................................................................ 49 6 MOVEMENTS AND BEHAVIOUR OF AN ARCHAIC TROUT, BRACHYMYSTAX LENOK (PALLAS, 1773) UNDER EXTREME ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN MONGOLIA ....................................... 57 6.1 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. 57 6.2 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 57 6.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS ........................................................................................................... 60 6.4 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................... 64 6.5 DISCUSSION................................................................................................................................ 71 7 SEASONAL HOME RANGE SHIFTS OF THE SIBERIAN TAIMEN (HUCHO TAIMEN; PALLAS, 1773): EVIDENCE FROM PASSIVE ACOUSTIC TELEMETRY IN THE ONON RIVER AND BALJ TRIBUTARY (AMUR RIVER BASIN, MONGOLIA) .......................................................................................................... 78 7.1 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. 78 7.2 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 79 7.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS ........................................................................................................... 81 7.4 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................... 84 7.5 DISCUSSION................................................................................................................................ 88 8 FISH CONSERVATION IN THE LAND OF STEPPE AND SKY: EVOLUTIONARY SIGNIFICANT UNITS OF THREATENED SALMONID SPECIES IN MONGOLIA MIRROR MAJOR RIVER BASINS .................... 95 8.1 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. 95 8.2 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 95 8.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS ........................................................................................................... 98 8.4 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................. 101 8.5 DISCUSSION.............................................................................................................................. 108 DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................. 115 9 SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES IN MONGOLIA .................................................... 115 9.1 OVERVIEW AND LINKAGES OF KEY RESEARCH FINDINGS ................................................................... 115 9.2 FRESHWATER FISH CONSERVATION IN A TRANSITIONAL SOCIETY ....................................................... 118 9.3 ADDRESSING MANAGEMENT SHORTFALLS TO CURB INTENSIFYING FISHING ACTIVITIES ......................... 119 9.4