Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2020
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Effects of climate and land-use changes on fish catches across lakes at a global scale
Kao, Yu-Chun; Rogers, Mark W.; Bunnell, David B.; Cowx, Ian G.; Qian, Song S.; Anneville, Orlane; Beard, T. Douglas, Jr.; Brinker, Alexander; Britton, J. Robert; Chura-Cruz, Rene; Gownaris, Natasha J.; Jackson, James R.; Kangur, Kulli; Kolding, Jeppe; Lukin, Anatoly A.; Lynch, Abigail J.; Mercado-Silva, Norman; Moncayo-Estrada, Rodrigo; Njaya, Friday J.; Ostrovsky, Ilia;Show more authors
Abstract
Globally, our knowledge on lake fisheries is still limited despite their importance to food security and livelihoods. Here we show that fish catches can respond either positively or negatively to climate and land-use changes, by analyzing time-series data (1970-2014) for 31 lakes across five continents. We find that effects of a climate or land-use driver (e.g., air temperature) on lake environment could be relatively consistent in directions, but consequential changes in a lake-environmental factor (e.g., water temperature) could result in either increases or decreases in fish catch in a given lake. A subsequent correlation analysis indicates that reductions in fish catch was less likely to occur in response to potential climate and land-use changes if a lake is located in a region with greater access to clean water. This finding suggests that adequate investments for water-quality protection and water-use efficiency can provide additional benefits to lake fisheries and food security. Lake fisheries are vulnerable to environmental changes. Here, Kao et al. develop a Bayesian networks model to analyze time-series data from 31 major fisheries lake across five continents, showing that fish catches can respond either positively or negatively to climate and land-use changes.Published in
Nature Communications2020, volume: 11, number: 1
Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
Authors' information
Kao, Yu-Chun
Michigan State Univ
Rogers, Mark W.
Tennessee Technol Univ
Bunnell, David B.
US Geol Survey
Cowx, Ian G.
Univ Hull
Qian, Song S.
Univ Toledo
Anneville, Orlane
Univ Savoie Mt Blanc
Beard, T. Douglas
US Geol Survey
Brinker, Alexander
Fisheries Res Stn Baden Wurttemberg
Britton, J. Robert
Bournemouth Univ
Chura-Cruz, Rene
Inst Mar Peru
Gownaris, Natasha J.
Gettysburg Coll
Jackson, James R.
Cornell Univ
Kangur, Kulli
Estonian Univ Life Sci
Kolding, Jeppe
Univ Bergen
Lukin, Anatoly A.
Minist Agr Russia
Lynch, Abigail J.
US Geol Survey
Mercado-Silva, Norman
Univ Autonoma Estado Morelos
Moncayo-Estrada, Rodrigo
Inst Politecn Nacl CICIMAR and COFAA
Njaya, Friday J.
Malawi Dept Fisheries
Ostrovsky, Ilia
Israel Oceanog and Limnol Res
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG14 Life below water
SDG13 Climate action
SDG2 Zero hunger
UKÄ Subject classification
Fish and Aquacultural Science
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14624-2
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/106645