Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T03:57:44.755Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The impact of trophic changes over 45 years on the Eurasian perch, Perca fluviatilis, population of Lake Geneva

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 October 2008

Jean-Paul Dubois ,
Christian Gillet ,
Nadine Hilgert  and
Gérard Balvay
Jean-Paul Dubois
Affiliation:
INRA, UMR CARRTEL, Centre Alpin de Recherche sur les Réseaux Trophiques des Ecosystèmes Limniques, 75 avenue de Corzent, BP 511, 74203 Thonon-les-Bains Cedex, France
Christian Gillet
Affiliation:
INRA, UMR CARRTEL, Centre Alpin de Recherche sur les Réseaux Trophiques des Ecosystèmes Limniques, 75 avenue de Corzent, BP 511, 74203 Thonon-les-Bains Cedex, France
Nadine Hilgert
Affiliation:
UMR Analyse des Systèmes et Biométrie, ENSAM–INRA, 2 place Pierre Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 1, France
Gérard Balvay
Affiliation:
INRA, UMR CARRTEL, Centre Alpin de Recherche sur les Réseaux Trophiques des Ecosystèmes Limniques, 75 avenue de Corzent, BP 511, 74203 Thonon-les-Bains Cedex, France
Get access

Abstract

The change in catches and mean size of one-year-old perch (Perca fluviatilis) in Lake Geneva was studied between 1957 and 2005, and related to trophic changes and average temperature. The status of Lake Geneva, assessed on the basis of total phosphorus concentrations, switched from being oligotrophic before 1960 to eutrophic, with total phosphorus concentration reaching nearly 90 µg L−1 in 1976-1979. In response to management measures, the trophic status then returned to mesotrophy in the early 2000s. Zooplankton is the main food consumed by young perch, and quantities present (annual biovolumes of zooplankton) were recorded throughout the study period. The lake water temperature was also recorded. Data obtained from perch catches and perch spawns enabled eleven strong cohorts of perch to be identified. Strong cohorts dominated the stock for three years, until they were massively caught by fishermen. Yields have fluctuated widely, increasing rapidly until 1975, and subsequently decreasing, with an exceptional decline between 1976 and 1981. During the period 1977-1981, unfavourable climatic conditions in spring were probably the main cause of this fall in perch yields. For the other periods, perch yields and the mean size of one-year-old perch were significantly correlated with trophic parameters, total phosphorus concentration and zooplankton biovolume. Correlations are higher if only strong cohorts are taken into account. As a result of the re-oligotrophication process, perch growth has been progressively reduced, age at first maturity delayed and strong cohorts become less frequent; the mean size of 0+ individuals in strong cohorts is significantly smaller than in the other cohorts, suggesting a population density effect in the context of a limited supply of zooplankton. During the study period, trophic changes in Lake Geneva have had more impact on perch growth and yield than has temperature, since no significant correlation could be detected between water temperature and perch growth.

Keywords

Pre-Alpine lakeFishing yieldsGrowth Eutrophication Phosphorus Zooplankton Perca fluviatilis
Type
Research Article
Information
Aquatic Living Resources , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , October 2008 , pp. 401 - 410
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD, 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aalto, S.K., Newsome, G.E., 1993, Winds and the demic structure of a population of yellow perch, Perca flavescens. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 50, 496–501. CrossRef
Anneville, O., Ginot, V., Druart, J.C., Angeli, N., 2002, Long-term study (1974-1998) of seasonal changes in the phytoplankton in Lake Geneva: a multi-table approach. J. Plankton Res. 24, 993–1007. CrossRef
Anneville, O., Molinero, J.C., Souissi, S., Balvay, G., Gerdeaux, D., 2007, Long-term changes in the copepod community of Lake Geneva. J. Plankton Res. 29, 49–59. CrossRef
Balvay, G., 1998, Le zooplancton du Léman compartiment incontournable du réseau trophique. Arch. Sci. Genève 51, 45–54.
Beniston, M., 2005, Mountain climates and climatic change: an overview of processes focusing on the European Alps Pure Appl. Geophys. 162, 1587–1606.
Brinker, A., Hamers, R., 2007, Evidence for negative impact of plerocercoid infection of Triaenophorus nodulosus on Perca fluviatilis L. stock in Upper Lake Constance, a water body undergoing rapid reoligotrophication. J. Fish Biol. 71, 129–147. CrossRef
Champigneulle, A., Gerdeaux, D., 1995, Survey, management and recent rehabilitation of the Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) fishery in the French–Swiss Lake Leman. Nord. J. Freshw. Res. 71, 173–182.
Craig, J.F., Kipling, C., Le Cren, E.D., McCormack, J.C., 1979, Estimates of the numbers, biomass and year-class strengths of perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) in Windermere from 1967 to 1977 and some comparisons with earlier years. J. Anim. Ecol. 48, 315–325. CrossRef
Dubois, J.P., Gillet, C., Bonnet, S., Chevalier-Weber, Y., 1996, Correlation between the size of mature female perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) and the width of their egg strands in Lake Geneva. Ann. Zool. Fennici 33, 417–420.
Eckmann, R., Gerster, S., Kraemer, A., 2006, Yields of European perch from Upper Lake Constance from 1910 to present. Fish. Manage. Ecol. 13, 381–390. CrossRef
Forney, J.L., 1977, Evidence of inter-and intra-specific competition as factors regulating walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) biomass in Oneida Lake, New-York. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 34, 1812–1820. CrossRef
Gerdeaux, D., 2004, The recent restoration of the whitefish fisheries in Lake Geneva. Parts of the stocking, the reoligotrophication of the lake, climate change. Ann. Zool. Fennici 41, 181–189.
Gerdeaux, D., Anneville, O., Hefti, D., 2006, Fishery changes during re-oligotrophication in 11 peri-alpine Swiss and French lakes over the past 30 years. Acta Oecol. 30, 161–167. CrossRef
Gillet C., Dubois J.P., 1995, A survey of the spawning of perch (Perca fluviatilis), pike (Esox lucius), and roach (Rutilus rutilus), using artificial spawning substrates in lakes. Hydrobiologia 300/301, 409–415.
Gillet, C., Dubois, J.P., 2007, Effect of water temperature and size of females on the timing of spawning of perch Perca fluviatilis L. in Lake Geneva from 1984 to 2003. J. Fish Biol. 70, 1001–1014. CrossRef
Gillet, C., Dubois, J.P., Bonnet, S., 1995, Influence of temperature and size of females on the timing of spawning of perch, Perca fluviatilis, in Lake Geneva from 1984 to 1993. Environ. Biol. Fishes 42, 355–363. CrossRef
Hartmann, J., 1975, Der Barsch (Perca fluviatilis) im eutrophierten Bodensee. (The perch (Perca fluviatilis) in the eutrophicated Lake of Constance). Arch. Hydrobiol. 76, 269–286.
Jeppesen, E., Jensen, P.J., Sondergaard, M., Lauridsen, T., Landkildehus, F., 2000, Trophic structure, species richness and biodiversity in Danish lakes: changes along a phosphorus gradient. Freshw. Biol. 45, 201–218. CrossRef
Lang, B., Lang, C., 1983, Effets combinés de la pêche et de l'eutrophisation sur la perche (Perca fluviatilis L.) dans les eaux vaudoises du Léman. Schweiz. Z. Hydrol. 45, 480–494.
Lang, C., 1987, Mortality of perch Perca fluviatilis L., estimated from the size and abundance of egg-strands. J. Fish Biol. 31, 715–720. CrossRef
Lang, C., 1999, Abondance et taille des chaînes d'œufs et des femelles reproductrices dans la population de perche (Perca fluviatilis L.) du Léman. Bull. Soc. Vaud. Sci. Nat. 86, 175–184.
Lang, C., Büttiker, B., 1985, Abondance et survie des oeufs de perche dans le Léman et le lac de Joux. Bull. Soc. Vaud. Sci. Nat. 77, 285–295.
Lavielle, M., 2005, Using penalized constrats for the change-point problem. Signal Processing 85, 1501–1510. CrossRef
Le Cren, E.D., 1947, The determination of the age and growth of the perch (Perca fluviatilis) from the opercular bone. J. Anim. Ecol. 16, 188–204. CrossRef
Le Cren, E.D., 1958, Observations on the growth of perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) over twenty-two years with special reference to the effects of temperature and changes in population density. J. Anim. Ecol. 27, 287–334. CrossRef
Le Cren, E.D., Kipling, C., McCormack, J.C., 1977, A study of the numbers, biomass and year-class strengths of perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) in Windermere from 1941 to 1966. J. Anim. Ecol. 46, 281–307. CrossRef
Massol, F., David, P., Gerdeaux, D., Jarne, P., 2007, The influence of trophic status and large-scale climatic change on the structure of fish communities in Perialpine lakes. J. Anim. Ecol. 76, 538–551. CrossRef
Matthey, G., 1975, La pêche dans les eaux vaudoises du lac Léman. Schweiz. Z. Hydrol. 37, 200–212.
Mehner, T., Dorner, H., Schultz, H., 1998, Factors determining the year-class strength of age-0 Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) in a biomanipulated reservoir. Arch. Fish. Mar. Res. 46, 241–251.
Mélard, C., Kestemont, P., Grignard, J.C., 1996, Intensive culture of juvenile and adult Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis): Effect of major biotic and abiotic factors on growth. J. Appl. Ichthyol. 12, 175–180. CrossRef
Molinero, J.C., Anneville, O., Souissi, S., Balvay, G., Gerdeaux, D., 2006, Anthropogenic and climate forcing on the long-term changes of planktonic rotifers in Lake Geneva, Europe. J. Plankton Res. 28, 287–296. CrossRef
Nepzy, S.J., 1977, Changes in percid populations and species interactions in Lake Erie. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 34, 1861–1868. CrossRef
O'Gorman, R., Burnett, J.A.D., 2001, Fish community dynamics in northeastern Lake Ontario with emphasis on the growth and reproductive success of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and white perch (Morone americana), 1978 to 1997. J. Great Lakes Res. 27, 367–383. CrossRef
Paxton, C.G.M., Winfield, I.J., Fletcher, J.M., George, D.G., Hewitt, D.P., 2004, Biotic and abiotic influences on the recruitment of perch (Perca fluviatilis) in Windermere, U.K.J. Fish Biol. 65, 1622–1642. CrossRef
Persson, L., Byström, P., Wahlström, E., 2000, Cannibalism and competition in Eurasian perch: population dynamics of an ontogenetic omnivore. Ecology 81, 1058–1071. CrossRef
Picard, F., Robin, S., Lavielle, M., Vaisse, C., Daudin, J.J., 2005, A statistical approach for array CGH data analysis. BMC Bioinformatics 6, 1–14. CrossRef
Romare, P., 2000, Growth of larval and juvenile perch: the importance of diet and fish density. J. Fish Biol. 56, 876–889. CrossRef
Rundberg, H. 1977, Trends in harvest of pikeperch (Stizostedion lucioperca), Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis), and northern pike (Esox lucius) and associated environmental changes in lakes Mälaren and Hjälmaren, 1914-74. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 34, 1720–1724.
Sanderson, B.L., Hrabik, T.R., Magnuson, J.J., Post, D.M., 1999, Cyclic dynamics of a yellow perch (Perca flavescens) population in an oligotrophic lake: evidence for the role of intraspecific interactions. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 56, 1534–1542. CrossRef
Thorpe J.E., 1977, Synopsis of biological data on the perch Perca fluviatilis Linnaeus, 1758 and Perca flavescens Mitchill, 1874. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) Fisheries Synopsis 113.