Ecological State of the River Tenojoki –
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Regional Environmental Publications Regional Environmental Publications 417 417 Ecological State of the River Tenojoki – Communities Macrozoobenthos and Fish – Periphyton, Ecological State of the River Tenojoki Sari Sivonen (ed.) Periphyton, Macrozoobenthos and Fish Communities The transboundary River Tenojoki running between Finland and Norway is a sub-arctic, oligotrophic river. The river is one of the biggest and the most Ecological State of the River Tenojoki – productive Atlantic salmon rivers in the world that is still in its natural state. The brooks, tributaries and main channel of the River Tenojoki form a river Periphyton, Macrozoobenthos and Fish Communities reach in excess of 1 000 km long that is a suitable habitat for salmon and has potential areas for spawning. This publication includes four articles, which describe and assess the ecological state of the River Tenojoki. The article on periphyton survey was written by Juha Miettinen (University of Joensuu) and the articles concerning macro- zoobenthos, fish communities and effects of culvert restorations on juvenile Atlantic salmon were written by Heikki Erkinaro and Jaakko Erkinaro (Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute). These articles were drawn up as a part of an Interreg III A North project named ”Preservation of the River Tenojoki as a salmon river in its natural state – environmental work, ecological condition and monitoring”. The project was carried out during years 2002–2006 by the Lapland Regional Environment Centre and Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate. The publication is also available in the Internet: http://www.environment.fi/publications ISBN 11-2156-4 ISBN 11-2157-2 (PDF) ISSN 1238-8610 Fos sale at: Lapland Regional Environment Centre P.O. Box 8060 96101 Rovaniemi, Finland phone +358 16 329 4111 fax +358 16 310 340 ..................................................... LAPLAND REGIONAL P.O. Box 8060 LAPLAND REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT CENTRE ENVIRONMENT CENTRE 96101 ROVANIEMI, FINLAND Regional Environmental Publications 417 Sari Sivonen (ed.) Ecological State of the River Tenojoki – Periphyton, Macrozoobenthos and Fish Communities ROVANIEMI 2006 ................................ LAPLAND REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT CENTRE The publication is also available in the Internet http://www.environment.fi/publications ISBN 952-11-2156-4 ISBN 952-11-2157-2 (PDF) ISSN 1238-8610 Cover photos: Marja-Leena Nenonen (big photo) and Ari-Matti Aho (smaller photos) Craphics processing: Hannu Lehtomaa Layout: Kyllikki Koskela University of Lapland Printing Centre Rovaniemi 2006 ○○○○○ 2 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Regional Environmental Publications 417 Table of Contents Preface ............................................................................................. 4 Part I Juha Miettinen: Periphyton Survey 2003 .......................................... 5 Part II Heikki Erkinaro and Jaakko Erkinaro: Ecological status of the River Tenojoki system: macrozoobenthos in rivers ................... 47 Part III Heikki Erkinaro and Jaakko Erkinaro: Ecological status of the River Tenojoki system: fish communities in rivers and lakes ..... 79 Part IV Heikki Erkinaro and Jaakko Erkinaro: Effects of culvert restoration in distribution and abundance of juvenile Atlantic salmon in small tributaries of the River Tenojoki............. 105 Documentation pages .................................................................. 120 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Regional Environmental Publications 417 ○○○○○○○○ 3 Preface The transboundary River Tenojoki running between Finland and Norway is a sub- arctic, oligotrophic river. The river is 382 km long and the total catchment area of the Tenojoki River Basin is 16 386 km2, of which approximately 70 % lies in Norway. The River Tenojoki is one of the biggest and the most productive Atlantic salmon rivers in the world that is still in its natural state. The brooks, tributaries and main channel of the River Tenojoki form a river reach in excess of 1 000 km long that is a suitable habitat for salmon and has potential areas for spawning. During years 2002–2006, the Lapland Regional Environment Centre, Nor- wegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate and County Governor in Finn- mark carried out a project named Preservation of the River Tenojoki as a salmon river in its natural state – environmental work, ecological condition and monitoring. The aim of the project was to conserve the river as a salmon river in its natural condition and to develop recreational use of the river according to the principles of sustainable development. The project was financed by the EU / Interreg III A North, Finnish Ministry of Labour / Employment and Economic Development Centre, Ministry of the Environment / Lapland Regional Environment Centre, and the Municipalities of Utsjoki, Inari, Tana and Karasjok, and the State of Norway. The project consisted of six different sub-projects: 1. Completing the survey of obstacles to fish migration in tributaries 2. Restoring areas downstream from culverts to allow fish migration 3. Landscaping of erosion constructions along the river 4. Environmental work; development of recreational use and tourism 5. Mapping the ecological and hydrological state of the River Tenojoki 6. Developing a watershed model and data exchange This publication includes four articles that were drawn up to describe the ecological state of the River Tenojoki. The article on the periphyton survey was written by Juha Miettinen (University of Joensuu) and the articles concerning macrozoo- benthos, fish communities and effects of culvert restorations on juvenile Atlantic salmon were written by Heikki Erkinaro and Jaakko Erkinaro (Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute). ○○○○○ 4 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Regional Environmental Publications 417 Part I Juha Miettinen River Tenojoki: Periphyton Survey 2003 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Regional Environmental Publications 417 ○○○○○○○○ 5 Table 1 Objectives ...................................................................................... 7 2 Material and methods ................................................................... 8 2.1 Sites .............................................................................................................................. 8 2.2 Sampling and laboratory treatments ..................................................................... 9 2.3 Identifications .......................................................................................................... 10 2.4 Similarity of parallel samples ............................................................................... 10 2.5 Multivariate methods: ordinations ...................................................................... 10 2.6 Inferences of trophy level, saprobity and pH .................................................... 11 3 Results ......................................................................................... 12 3.1 Similarity of parallel samples ............................................................................... 13 3.2 Ordinations .............................................................................................................. 13 3.3 Species composition in the River Tenojoki ......................................................... 15 3.4 Inferred pH ............................................................................................................... 16 3.5 Indicators of eutrophy in the samples ................................................................. 16 3.6 The saprobic system ................................................................................................ 18 3.7 Results of the Biological Diatom Index (IBD) .................................................. 19 4 Discussion .................................................................................... 20 4.1 Tenojoki ....................................................................................................................20 4.2 Tributaries .................................................................................................................20 5 Conclusions.................................................................................. 22 6 Yhteenveto .................................................................................. 23 7 Sammendrag ............................................................................... 24 8 Èoahkkáigeassu ........................................................................... 25 References ..................................................................................... 26 Appendix......................................................................................... 28 ○○○○○ 6 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Regional Environmental Publications 417 Objectives ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ 1 Phytobenthos was studied in the River Tenojoki (Tana) and its tributaries to assess the ecological status of the waters in 2003. Phytobenthos assemblages are mainly defined by water quality, whereas benthic fauna and fish reflect more also the bottom quality of the rivers. In rivers water quality varies greatly. Chemical measurements give only momentary values for the water quality. Low discharge causes increases in the concentrations of nutrients, and high discharge dilution, making interpretations of nutrient or other loading difficult in rivers. Biological assemblages reflect the conditions in rivers over their life cycle periods.