Ecohydrological changes and potential Salmon habitat suitability since pre-industrial times at the Mulde River (Germany)
Channel patterns and river connectivity are widely recognized to be an integral descriptive parameter for the geomorphic behaviour and ecohydrological properties of rivers. They are sensitively affected by climate and land-use changes and, in turn, can indicate the habitat suitability for the aquatic fauna, i.a. expressed by the diversity of channel width, flow velocity and depositional regimes. Both, habitat potential and the overall river connectivity are additionally influenced by barriers such as weirs and dams, at least since Medieval times. Here we present the results of a multi-temporal study investigating river morphology, river connectivity and floodplain land use in the Mulde River system. The study is motivated by the local extinction of the Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) within the last two centuries and low-success reintroduction endeavours. In order to test for a relation to water body structures, we make use of old maps (‘Sächsische Meilenblätter’, 1780-1821; ‘Von Deckersche Quadratmeilenblätter’, 1816-1821) to pinpoint (i) historical barriers and (ii) historical floodplain land use as a pollution proxy that may have affected migratory fish populations. Furthermore, we (iii) evaluate anthropogenic changes in channel patterns assuming that these also influence salmon habitat suitability. Preliminary results point to a negative relation between an increasing number of cumulative barriers, increased floodplain land use and the occurrence of salmon populations during the past. Sinuous and meandering channel patterns correspond with higher probabilities of salmon occurrence.
Details
Author
Martin* Offermann1, Michael Hein2, Ronja Hegemann3, Kay Gödecke3, Lucas Hegner3, Yamuna Henke3, Nele Schäfer3, Hanna Shelukhina3, Erik Liebscher4, Severin Opel5, Johannes Rabiger-Völlmer3, Lukas Werther6, Christoph Zielhofer1Institutionen
1Institute for Geography, Physical Geography unit, Leipzig University, Germany;Leipzig Lab, Historical Anthropospheres working group, Leipzig University, Germany; 2Institute for Geography, Physical Geography unit, Leipzig University, Germany;Leipzig Lab, Historical Anthropospheres working group, Leipzig University, Germany;Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany; 3Institute for Geography, Physical Geography unit, Leipzig University, Germany; 4Department of History, Chair of Early Modern History, Leipzig University, Germany; 5Digital Humanities Center, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany; 6German Archaeological Institute – DAI, Romano-Germanic Commission – RGK, Frankfurt (Main), GermanyVeranstaltung
Geo4Göttingen 2025Datum
2025DOI
10.48380/c567-g741Geolocation
Germany, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt
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