Fish habitat modeling: from conceptual framework to functional tools

Authors
Citation
D. Boisclair, Fish habitat modeling: from conceptual framework to functional tools, CAN J FISH, 58(1), 2001, pp. 1-9
Citations number
60
Categorie Soggetti
Aquatic Sciences
Journal title
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES
ISSN journal
0706652X → ACNP
Volume
58
Issue
1
Year of publication
2001
Pages
1 - 9
Database
ISI
SICI code
0706-652X(200101)58:1<1:FHMFCF>2.0.ZU;2-0
Abstract
Natural and anthropogenic perturbations do not always equally affect all pa rts of an ecosystem, and all parts of an ecosystem do not equally contribut e to maintain fish communities. The increasing pressure to use natural reso urces and to modify habitats led to the development of approaches to identi fy areas of key importance for fish communities. Following these approaches , aquatic systems could be perceived as puzzles, composed of a multitude of pieces with temporally flexible physical attributes and biological roles. Such a spatially explicit framework requires models that may allow one to p redict fish distribution patterns and fish net energy gain once they have a dopted a specific distribution pattern. Despite the conceptual appeal of sp atially explicit approaches, functional tools may be obtained only after th eir assumptions have been tested and their models have been validated. Effo rts must be deployed to identify temporal and spatial scales at which fish distribution and abundance should be estimated and modeled. Studies on fish behaviour and the energetic consequences of these behaviours must be condu cted to insure that bioenergetic criteria used to define fish habitat quali ty do not depend on arbitrary assumptions about fish activity costs.