[MCN] Ecology of Freshwater Fish 30 November 2025 -- Predicted Fish Vulnerability to Stream Drying in the Western U.S.A.

[Lance Olsen]

 <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/16000633>
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Predicted Fish Vulnerability to Stream Drying in the Western U.S.A.
Elizabeth A. Rieger <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Rieger/Elizabeth+A.>, Niall G. Clancy <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Clancy/Niall+G.>, Ryan R. McShane <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/McShane/Ryan+R.>, Roy Sando <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Sando/Roy>, Annika W. Walters <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Walters/Annika+W.>
First published: 30 November 2025 https://doi.org/10.1111/eff.70030  VIEW METRICS
Funding: Funding was provided by the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) and the North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center.
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 <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eff.70030>PDF <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eff.70030>PDFTOOLS <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eff.70030#> SHARE <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eff.70030#>
ABSTRACT
The frequency, magnitude and extent of stream drying is increasing due to climate change and human water demand. Fish vulnerability to increased stream drying is a combination of sensitivity (innate tolerance to low streamflow) and exposure to stream drying. To understand fish tolerance to low flow and susceptibility to decline under changing streamflow conditions, we estimated species-specific measures of sensitivity to low streamflow, determined relationships to species traits and evaluated vulnerability to future reductions in streamflow for 60 species. We found that sensitivity varied across species, and some variation was explained by life history strategy, spawning strategy and body size. Periodic life history strategy, pelagic spawning and larger size corresponded to an increased sensitivity to stream drying. Under future projections of August streamflow, 90% of sites were predicted to decrease in flow magnitude. Vulnerability to changes in streamflow, the combination of sensitivity and exposure, varied slightly across the study species, with the percent of inhospitable sites under future climate scenarios increasing for 87% of the species. Despite being relatively insensitive to low streamflow, vulnerability was high for multiple species dominant in mountainous areas, driven by high levels of exposure to stream drying. Our results illustrate the potential for species traits to predict sensitivity to low streamflow and demonstrate that exposure may play a large role when defining species vulnerability to stream drying. The ability to predict species tolerances and susceptibility to decline will become increasingly important in prioritising conservation efforts under changing environmental conditions.


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"The most penetrating criticism I’ve seen of renewable energy is that it’s being promoted at massive scale to reassure us that we can go on as before, with little if any change of lifestyle, no implications for the pursuit of convenience and comfort. And yet, it raises a big and uncomfortable question. Do we mine, baby, mine, to ensure no reduction of convenience and living standards, no uncomfortable change of lifestyle?”

“There’s no doubt that we need to build and buy the machinery needed to generate renewable energy from solar and wind. The mining basic to the building is going to happen. IRA has put the incentives to the buying in place. The need for building solar and wind capacity is too great to deny.

“But there’s no denying that much of the demand is driven by striving for a comfort zone and easy conveniences beyond anything that deserves the name of need. Recognizing this uncomfortable reality, 50 non-governmental organizations have recently scolded the World Bank for its Climate-Smart Mining proposal—which focuses a lot on how much mining would need to increase and not at all on how we need to reduce consumption.

The Paradox Of Building America's Green Lifestyle Grid (Edited)
Lance Olsen
https://mountainjournal.org/renewable-energy-solves-one-problem-but-creates-another

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