Assessing functionality of the aquatic ecological network for fish

Abstract

Diagnosing the impacts of stream fragmentation on fish is crucial in order to efficiently restore ecological connectivity and to make the aquatic ecological network functional again. Using biotelemetry tools is a method to determine if fish can pass obstacles (e.g. dams, weirs) occurring across streams and thus assess restoration efficacy. A case study is presented concerning a survey of brown trout populations inhabiting fragmented small headwater streams in the Ile de France region.