<p>Effekterna på öringens (Salmo trutta) diet till följd av en avverkning av kantzonsvegetationen har undersökts i ett fältexperiment, där två av de potentiella effekterna av en skogsavverkning simulerades. Fokus låg på de två faktorerna ökad ljusinstrålning och minskat nedfall av terrestra evertebrater. Ökad ljusinstrålning har simulerats med hjälp av montage av lysrör och nedfall av terrestra evertebrater med hjälp av plasttält. Frågeställningarna rör andelen terrester föda i olika behandlingar och årstider, dietskillnader mellan äldre och yngre öringindivider, skillnader i mängden akvatisk föda vid ökad ljusinstrålning samt en taxonomisk översikt av dietens sammansättning. Signifikanta skillnader mellan behandlingarna fanns, där individerna i kontrollbehandlingen åt signifikant mer terrester föda än individer i tältbehandlingen och den kombinerade tält- och ljusbehandlingen. Signifikanta skillnader fanns även mellan provtagningstillfällena där en högre andel terrester föda återfinns senare på säsongen. Inga signifikanta skillnader fanns med avseende på andelen terrester föda mellan äldre och yngre individer, ej heller mellan mängd akvatisk föda mellan de olika behandlingarna. Den akvatiska födan var mer varierad och divers än den terrestra, och daggmaskar (Lumbriculidae) var en mycket vanlig födopartikel.</p> / <p>The effects on the diet of brown trout (Salmo trutta) of a clear cutting of the riparian vegetation has been investigated in a field-experiment, where two of the potential effects of a clear cut were simulated. The focus was placed on the two factors increased light and input of terrestrial invertebrates. The increase of ligth was manipulated by placing fluorescent lights over the brook and the input of terrestrial invertebrates was manipulated by placing plastic tents over the brook. Issues discussed are the percentage terrestrial food in the different treatments and at the different times of sampling, differences in the percentage terrestrial food between older and younger individuals of brown trout, differences in the amount of aquatic food in the light-treatment and a taxonomic summary of the composition of the diet. There were significant differences between the the different treatments, where the individuals in the control treatment ate significantly more terrestrial food as compared to the individuals in the tent and in the combined light and tent treatment. There was also a significant difference between the different times of sampling, more terrestrial food was consumed later in the season. No sigificant differences were detected between older and younger individuals concerning the percentage of terrestrial food eaten, nor between the different treatments concearning the amount of aquatic food consumed. The aquatic food showed a wider variation and was more diverse as compared to the terrestrial food, and earthworms (Lumbriculidae) was a very common food item.</p>

<p>Det svenska skogsbruket har lett till minskade vedmängder i skogsbäckarna. Detta kan undvikas genom att orörda kantzoner lämnas. Kantzonsvegetatioen har även visats påverka nedfallet av terrestra evertebrater, vilket visats minska andelen terrestra evertebrater i laxfiskars diet. Ofta lämnas dock inga kantzoner. Vedmängden kan återställas genom ett vedtillskott. Ett vedtillskott leder till ökat antal och högre biomassa av laxfiskar och högre mängd bottenlevande evertebrater i de behandlade områdena. Nyligen nedsänkt ved koloniseras snabbt av evertebrater. I denna studie undersöktes effekterna av ett vedtillskott och reducerat evertebratnedfall på öringens (Salmo trutta) diet i ett fältexperiment i en skogsbäck, från juni till augusti 2007. Tillskottet av ved ledde till signifikant högre totalbiomassa i dieten i juli men inte i augusti Vedtillskottet ledde även till en lägre andel Dipteraadulter i dieten i juli. Reduktionen av evertebratnedfallet hade ingen påverkan på den totala andelen terrestra evertebrater i öringens diet. Reduktionen gav dock upphov till lägre Formicidae och Dipteraadult andel, i juli och lägre Formicidaebiomassa i dieten i juli. En kombination av ett vedtillskott och reducerat evertebratnedfall hade ingen påverkan på öringens diet. Slutsatserna var att den högre dietbiomassan vedtillskottet gav upphov till i juli, troligen berodde på en initial ökning i bytesförekomsten. Att andelen terrestra evertebrater i dieten inte minskade när evertebrat nedfallet reducerades berodde troligen på att reduktionen inte var tillräckligt stor för att ett dietskifte skulle ske. Frånvaron av signifikanta skillnader för behandlingen med både vedtillskott och reducerat nedfall berodde antagligen på att reduktionen i nedfallet motverkade effekten ett vedtillskott gav på dietbiomassan.</p> / <p>The Swedish forestry has caused a decrease in amounts of woody debris in the forest streams. This can be avoided by leaving an untouched riparian strip. A lack of riparian strip vegetation has also been shown to reduce the input of terrestrial invertebrates, which has been shown to reduce the proportion of terrestrial invertebrates in the diet of salmonides. In many cases such strips are not left. The amount of woody debris in a stream can be restored by a supplement of woody debris. That has been shown to lead to higher salmonide abundance and biomass and higher abundance of benthic invertebrates in the treated area. It has also been shown that newly submerged wood is rapidly colonised by invertebrates. In this study the effects of a supplement of woody debris and reduced input of terrestrial invertebrates on the diet of brown trout (Salmo trutta) was examined in a field experiment. The study took place with enclosures in a Swedish boreal stream, from June to August 2007. Introduction of woody debris caused a significantly higher diet biomass in July but not in August. The wood treatment also caused a decrease in the proportion of Diptera adults in the diet in July. The reduction of terrestrial invertebrate input didn’t affect the total proportion of terrestrial invertebrates in the trout diet. Nevertheless there was a significant decrease in the proportion and biomass of Formicidae and the proportion of Diptera adults in the diet in June. The combination of both treatments didn’t have any significant effect on the trout diet. The conclusions were that the higher diet biomass in July caused by woody debris addition, probably was due to an initial increase in the abundance of available aquatic invertebrates. The lack off effect from the reduced input of terrestrial invertebrate on the trout diet, was most likely due to the fact that the decrease in terrestrial invertebrate input probably wasn’t large enough to cause a dietary switch. The lack of effect of a combination of the two treatments indicated that the reduced input of terrestrial invertebrates cancelled out the effect of the added woody debris.</p>

Effekterna på öringens (Salmo trutta) diet till följd av en avverkning av kantzonsvegetationen har undersökts i ett fältexperiment, där två av de potentiella effekterna av en skogsavverkning simulerades. Fokus låg på de två faktorerna ökad ljusinstrålning och minskat nedfall av terrestra evertebrater. Ökad ljusinstrålning har simulerats med hjälp av montage av lysrör och nedfall av terrestra evertebrater med hjälp av plasttält. Frågeställningarna rör andelen terrester föda i olika behandlingar och årstider, dietskillnader mellan äldre och yngre öringindivider, skillnader i mängden akvatisk föda vid ökad ljusinstrålning samt en taxonomisk översikt av dietens sammansättning. Signifikanta skillnader mellan behandlingarna fanns, där individerna i kontrollbehandlingen åt signifikant mer terrester föda än individer i tältbehandlingen och den kombinerade tält- och ljusbehandlingen. Signifikanta skillnader fanns även mellan provtagningstillfällena där en högre andel terrester föda återfinns senare på säsongen. Inga signifikanta skillnader fanns med avseende på andelen terrester föda mellan äldre och yngre individer, ej heller mellan mängd akvatisk föda mellan de olika behandlingarna. Den akvatiska födan var mer varierad och divers än den terrestra, och daggmaskar (Lumbriculidae) var en mycket vanlig födopartikel. / The effects on the diet of brown trout (Salmo trutta) of a clear cutting of the riparian vegetation has been investigated in a field-experiment, where two of the potential effects of a clear cut were simulated. The focus was placed on the two factors increased light and input of terrestrial invertebrates. The increase of ligth was manipulated by placing fluorescent lights over the brook and the input of terrestrial invertebrates was manipulated by placing plastic tents over the brook. Issues discussed are the percentage terrestrial food in the different treatments and at the different times of sampling, differences in the percentage terrestrial food between older and younger individuals of brown trout, differences in the amount of aquatic food in the light-treatment and a taxonomic summary of the composition of the diet. There were significant differences between the the different treatments, where the individuals in the control treatment ate significantly more terrestrial food as compared to the individuals in the tent and in the combined light and tent treatment. There was also a significant difference between the different times of sampling, more terrestrial food was consumed later in the season. No sigificant differences were detected between older and younger individuals concerning the percentage of terrestrial food eaten, nor between the different treatments concearning the amount of aquatic food consumed. The aquatic food showed a wider variation and was more diverse as compared to the terrestrial food, and earthworms (Lumbriculidae) was a very common food item.

Det svenska skogsbruket har lett till minskade vedmängder i skogsbäckarna. Detta kan undvikas genom att orörda kantzoner lämnas. Kantzonsvegetatioen har även visats påverka nedfallet av terrestra evertebrater, vilket visats minska andelen terrestra evertebrater i laxfiskars diet. Ofta lämnas dock inga kantzoner. Vedmängden kan återställas genom ett vedtillskott. Ett vedtillskott leder till ökat antal och högre biomassa av laxfiskar och högre mängd bottenlevande evertebrater i de behandlade områdena. Nyligen nedsänkt ved koloniseras snabbt av evertebrater. I denna studie undersöktes effekterna av ett vedtillskott och reducerat evertebratnedfall på öringens (Salmo trutta) diet i ett fältexperiment i en skogsbäck, från juni till augusti 2007. Tillskottet av ved ledde till signifikant högre totalbiomassa i dieten i juli men inte i augusti Vedtillskottet ledde även till en lägre andel Dipteraadulter i dieten i juli. Reduktionen av evertebratnedfallet hade ingen påverkan på den totala andelen terrestra evertebrater i öringens diet. Reduktionen gav dock upphov till lägre Formicidae och Dipteraadult andel, i juli och lägre Formicidaebiomassa i dieten i juli. En kombination av ett vedtillskott och reducerat evertebratnedfall hade ingen påverkan på öringens diet. Slutsatserna var att den högre dietbiomassan vedtillskottet gav upphov till i juli, troligen berodde på en initial ökning i bytesförekomsten. Att andelen terrestra evertebrater i dieten inte minskade när evertebrat nedfallet reducerades berodde troligen på att reduktionen inte var tillräckligt stor för att ett dietskifte skulle ske. Frånvaron av signifikanta skillnader för behandlingen med både vedtillskott och reducerat nedfall berodde antagligen på att reduktionen i nedfallet motverkade effekten ett vedtillskott gav på dietbiomassan. / The Swedish forestry has caused a decrease in amounts of woody debris in the forest streams. This can be avoided by leaving an untouched riparian strip. A lack of riparian strip vegetation has also been shown to reduce the input of terrestrial invertebrates, which has been shown to reduce the proportion of terrestrial invertebrates in the diet of salmonides. In many cases such strips are not left. The amount of woody debris in a stream can be restored by a supplement of woody debris. That has been shown to lead to higher salmonide abundance and biomass and higher abundance of benthic invertebrates in the treated area. It has also been shown that newly submerged wood is rapidly colonised by invertebrates. In this study the effects of a supplement of woody debris and reduced input of terrestrial invertebrates on the diet of brown trout (Salmo trutta) was examined in a field experiment. The study took place with enclosures in a Swedish boreal stream, from June to August 2007. Introduction of woody debris caused a significantly higher diet biomass in July but not in August. The wood treatment also caused a decrease in the proportion of Diptera adults in the diet in July. The reduction of terrestrial invertebrate input didn’t affect the total proportion of terrestrial invertebrates in the trout diet. Nevertheless there was a significant decrease in the proportion and biomass of Formicidae and the proportion of Diptera adults in the diet in June. The combination of both treatments didn’t have any significant effect on the trout diet. The conclusions were that the higher diet biomass in July caused by woody debris addition, probably was due to an initial increase in the abundance of available aquatic invertebrates. The lack off effect from the reduced input of terrestrial invertebrate on the trout diet, was most likely due to the fact that the decrease in terrestrial invertebrate input probably wasn’t large enough to cause a dietary switch. The lack of effect of a combination of the two treatments indicated that the reduced input of terrestrial invertebrates cancelled out the effect of the added woody debris.

Two distinct stress coping strategies, proactive and reactive, have been stated in various animal studies, each associated with a set of behavioural and physiological characteristics. In a given challenging situation, proactive animals show more aggression, a higher general activity and a predominant sympathetic reaction. In contrast, the reactive copers respond more with immobility and avoidance, and a predominant parasympathetic/hypothalamic activation. This divergence in coping has also been indicated in salmonid fish. Interestingly, many of the differences reported between sea-ranched and wild fish resembles characteristics that differentiate proactive and reactive copers. In the present thesis it is shown that individuals with divergent stress coping styles are identifiable in several brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations. Further, the results show that the distribution of individuals displaying these distinct stress coping strategies differs between populations. This strongly indicates that these traits are heritable and that the variation in selection regime in the native rivers influences these traits. In addition, the results show that populations with hatchery origin are biased towards having higher frequencies of trout displaying a proactive style than populations having wild origin. Also, even though the frequency of early sexual maturation, known as a viable alternative life history in salmonids, differs between populations of brown trout, no link between stress coping strategy and early sexual maturation were found. However, this thesis show that maternal contribution, in the form of egg size, is of major importance whether the progeny will sexually mature early and that it also might be of importance for stress coping strategy. Further, correlations of traits commonly associated with stress coping strategies and behavioural syndromes across context and over time is investigated. The results show that individuals with a strong sympathetic reactivity are more prone to change their behaviour than others.

Genetic variation is essential for biological evolution, for maintaining viability of populations, and to ensure ecosystem resilience. Increased human exploitation and environmental change result in rapid loss of biological variation, including genetic diversity. Measures to halt this trend require that biological diversity is assessed and monitored. Assessment of biodiversity includes identifying patterns of distribution of genetic variation within individual species. This thesis focuses on spatial genetic structure and assessment of units for conservation in continuous environments without apparent migration barriers. Empirical data refer to Scandinavia and the model species are northern pike (Esox lucius), brown trout (Salmo trutta), and harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). Questions regarding monitoring genetic diversity and releases of alien populations are also addressed.  The spatial genetic structure of the northern pike in the Baltic Sea is characterized by isolation by distance and continuous genetic change. Positive genetic correlation was found among pike within geographical distances of less than 150 km. This distance may be used to suggest management units in this area. For the brown trout, genetic monitoring identified two sympatric populations within a small mountain lake system. The situation is characterized by a clear genetic but no apparent phenotypic dichotomy. Scientific support for a genetically distinct Baltic harbour porpoise population is limited, and the spatial genetic structure of the harbour porpoise in Swedish waters needs to be clarified. Data for launching conservation genetic monitoring programs is available for only a few Swedish species. Millions of forest trees, fish, and birds are released annually in Sweden and the documentation on these releases is poor. To meet responsibilities of safeguarding biodiversity and surveying biological effects of releases, there is an urgent need for studies aimed at evaluating genetic diversity. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript.

Juday Creek, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, has been designated a salmonid stream due to its reproducing population of brown trout (Salmo trutta). Increasing development in the watershed in recent years has been accompanied by deterioration of the stream habitat. The purpose of this project is to analyze a proposed golf course project and develop a set of recommendations for best management practices (BMP's) which will mitigate the effects of the golf course on the trout habitat of Juday Creek.Site features were inventoried, and the design program was formulated to include aesthetics, playability, impact to fisheries and wildlife, and groundwater quality. Current stormwater best management practices were assessed for their applicability to this project. Additionally, cultural best management practices currently utilized in the golf course industry were reviewed. BMP recommendations include: 1. Use of temporary erosion control practices during construction to avoid sedimentation of the stream.2. Use of Integrated Pest Management including selection of low maintenance grass species.3. Use of vegetated swales to filter and divert golf course runoff to out-of-play areas for further filtering.4. Use of vegetated storm filter/infiltration/wetland retention areas as stormwater filters in out- of-play areas.5. Supplemental tree planting along the stream corridor to provide additional shading of the stream.6. Restoration of structure such as logs, boulders, and cobble in the stream to improve fish habitat. / Department of Landscape Architecture

The objectives of this thesis relate to questions needed to be addressed in the context of genetic monitoring for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity for the gene level. Genetic monitoring is quantifying temporal changes in population genetic metrics. Specific goals of this thesis include i) synthesizing existing information relevant to genetic monitoring of Swedish species, ii) providing a genetic baseline for the Swedish moose, iii) evaluating the relative performance of nuclear versus organelle genetic markers for detecting population divergence, iv) actually monitoring the genetic composition, structure, level of variation, and effective population size (Ne) and assessing the relation between Ne and the actual number of individuals for an unexploited brown trout population. The concept of conservation genetic monitoring is defined and Swedish priority species for such monitoring are identified; they include highly exploited organisms such as moose, salmonid fishes, Norway spruce, Atlantic cod, and Atlantic herring. Results indicate that the Swedish moose might be more genetically divergent than previously anticipated and appears to be divided into at least three different subpopulations, representing a southern, a central, and a northern population. The relative efficiency of nuclear and organelle markers depends on the relationship between the degree of genetic differentiation at the two types of markers. In turn, this relates to how far the divergence process has progressed. For the monitored brown trout population no indication of systematic change of population structure or allele frequencies was observed over 30 years. Significant genetic drift was found, though, translating into an overall Ne-estimate of ~75. The actual number of adult fish (NC) was assessed as ~600, corresponding to an Ne/NC ratio of 0.13. In spite of the relatively small effective population size monitoring did not reveal loss of genetic variation.

A multi-scale approach for restoration site selection is presented and applied to an upland catchment, the River Ure, North Yorkshire. Traditional survey methods, advances in remote sensing, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and risk-based fine sediment modelling using the SCIMAP module are combined to gather data at the catchment-scale through to the in-stream habitat-scale. The data gathered have been assessed against spatially distributed brown trout fry populations using Pearson’s correlation and multiple stepwise regressions. Fine sediment was shown to have a positive correlation with fry populations when upland drainage channels (grips) were added to the SCIMAP model. This suggests risk from peatland drainage is realised further down the catchment where eroded sediments are deposited. Farm-scale SCIMAP modelling was tested against farmers’ knowledge with variable results. It appears there is a cultural response to risk developed over generations. Management of meadows and pasture land through sub-surface drainage and stock rotation resulted in the risk being negated or re-routed across the holding. At other locations apparently low-risk zones become risky through less sensitive farming methods. This multi-scale approach reveals that the largest impacts on brown trout recruitment operate at the habitat-adjacent scale in tributaries with small upstream areas. The results show a hierarchy of impact, and risk-filters, arising from different intensity land management. This offers potential for targeted restoration site selection. In low-order streams it seems that restoration measures which exclude livestock, and provide bankside shading, can be effective. At such sites the catchment-scale shows a reduced signal on in-stream biota. Thus, brown trout stocks could be significantly enhanced by targeting restoration at riffle-habitat zones and adjacent land in order to disconnect the stream from farm-derived impacts and through adding structure to the stream channel.

Abstract Despite the great amount of in-stream restorations conducted in the past decades there is still a disturbing lack of knowledge about the outcome of these measures. The overall goal of this study was to assess the effect of enhanced streambed heterogeneity on the ecology of stream salmonids and stream retention efficiency. Substratum heterogeneity is often considered as one of the most important limiting factors for organisms living in running waters. Winter ecology of rivers has not been broadly studied regardless of the general belief that wintertime conditions strongly influence the survival and population size of stream salmonids. In an experimental study, the paucity of wintertime habitat in simplified channels caused temporary mass loss in age-0 trout. In late spring, channelized stream trout performed catch-up growth with potentially negative effects on long-term fitness. A management implication of this study is that increasing cover availability by in-stream restoration structures may enhance the long term success of juvenile salmonids although the short term effects were minor. Densities of salmon parr in the River Kiiminkijoki showed no response to streambed restoration. Suitable habitat area for salmon parr increased after restoration under summer conditions. However, restoration-induced benefits to winter habitats were marginal, with one study reach indicating even negative values. Most of the areas with good habitat values were located along river margins, indicating that restoration measures had only limited impact on the mid-sections of the river channel. Dredging of small streams may have caused depletion of allochthonous organic matter due to the reduction of retentive structures. In a leaf release experiment, moss cover enhanced retentiveness as well as did various restoration structures (boulders, large wood). Only a very high amount of wood clearly enhanced retention capacity. This underlines the importance of wood as an effective retention structure in headwater streams. This study indicates that habitat complexity as such may be less important than life-stage specific habitat requirements of fish (e.g. cover for overwintering salmonids). Importantly, restoration may only be successful if the measures used target the limiting factor(s) of the ecosystem or the species; for salmonids, habitat complexity does not seem to be this factor. / Tiivistelmä Uiton jälkeisten kunnostustoimenpiteiden määrä Suomessa on ollut huomattava, mutta vaikutusten arviointi, pelkästään kalastonkin kannalta, on jäänyt vähäiselle huomiolle. Tässä työssä selvitettiin kunnostusten merkitystä lohen ja taimenen poikasvaiheille, huomioiden etenkin pohjan rakenteellisen monimuotoisuuden vaikutus. Työssä selvitettiin myös kunnostusten vaikutuksia lehtikarikkeen pidätyskykyyn, joka on erityisesti latvapurojen ekosysteemien tärkeimpiä perustoimintoja. Lohikalojen talviekologinen tutkimus on viime aikoihin saakka ollut vähäistä, vaikka talviolosuhteiden uskotaan rajoittavan pohjoisten virtavesien eliöstön elinmahdollisuuksia. Kokeellisessa työssä rännimäisissä uomissa talvehtiminen aiheutti taimenenpoikasille tilapäisen painon alenemisen ja nopean kompensaatiokasvun loppukeväällä. Kompensaatiokasvu voi vaikuttaa negatiivisesti koko kalan eliniän, joten kunnostusten tuoma hyöty sopivien suojapaikkojen lisääntymisenä voi edesauttaa lohikalojen pitkäaikaista menestymistä. Kiiminkijoella lohenpoikasten tiheydet eivät muuttuneet kunnostuksen myötä ja vuosien välinen vaihtelu oli kuuden vuoden seurantajaksolla huomattavan suurta. Elinympäristömallinnuksen perusteella soveltuvan elinympäristön lisäys ei ollut merkittävää, koska etenkin talviaikaisten alueiden puute jäi huomattavaksi. Suurin osa soveltuvasta elinympäristöstä sijaitsi joen reuna-alueilla, joten kunnostusvaikutus joen keskiosaan jäi odotettua pienemmäksi. Uittoperkaus on voinut johtaa latvavesien ekosysteemien köyhtymiseen maalta tulevan orgaanisen aineksen pidättymiskyvyn vähentyessä. Kokeellisen työn perusteella kuitenkin nykypäivän tilanne vuosikymmeniä uiton loppumisen jälkeen osoittautui lähes yhtä pidättäväksi kuin nykyisin käytetyt kunnostusrakenteet (kivi tai puu). Kunnostusrakenteeseen tulisi lisätä huomattava määrä puuta, jotta lehtikarike pidättyisi korkeallakin virtaamatasolla. Tulosten perusteella elinympäristöjen muuttaminen monimuotoisemmiksi ei takaa kunnostustoimien onnistumista, sillä etenkin kalapopulaatioita rajoittavat yleensä useat tekijät. Jos kuitenkin elinympäristö on populaatiota rajoittava resurssi ja sitä pystytään lisäämään (kuten talviaikaiset suojapaikat), voidaan kunnostuksella saada näkyviä tuloksia. On ilmeistä, että kunnostustoimien tulisi olla nykyistä kattavampia ja paremmin suunnattuja rajoittaviin tekijöihin, jotta tulokset näkyisivät.