Study on Fish Diversity and Drivers Based on Environmental DNA in Chishui River, China

Ningning Guo, Junqin Wang, Nengwen Xiao (), Xiaoqi Gao, Mei Shen, Xiaoxuan Sun and Junsheng Li
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Ningning Guo: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Junqin Wang: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Nengwen Xiao: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Xiaoqi Gao: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Mei Shen: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Xiaoxuan Sun: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Junsheng Li: Command Center for Comprehensive Survey of Natural Resources, China Geological Survey Bureau, Beijing 100037, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: Freshwater fish is facing a great crisis due to the looming threat of biodiversity loss. Certain important target areas are difficult to survey owing to their accessibility, making them susceptible to data deficiencies. In this study, we surveyed 52 sites using environmental DNA techniques to investigate fish biodiversity in the Chishui River Basin of the Yangtze River, China. A total of 96,031 valid fish sequences were read, resulting in the identification of 77 species belonging to six orders, 62 genera, and 18 families. The dominant orders were Cypriniformes, Siluriformes, and Perciformes. Among the identified fishes, 71 were native and six were exotic, with the native fishes including 16 endemic fishes from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The Shannon–Wiener and richness indices of the tributaries in the upstream section were significantly higher than those of the tributaries in the downstream section. The Datong River is the most diverse secondary tributary of the Chishui River. Among the environmental factors in the Chishui River Basin, altitude and electrical conductivity had the greatest influence on fish diversity ( p < 0.01). Our findings highlight the application of environmental DNA technology to modern biodiversity surveys and illustrate that the Chishui River Basin is primarily affected by environmental factors at this stage. However, continuing efforts are needed to protect freshwater biodiversity, and additional research is required to better understand the complex interplay between human activity and environmental factors.

Keywords: Chishui River; environmental DNA; environmental factors; fish biodiversity; human activities; influencing factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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