Next Article in Journal
Geosystem Properties and Services in Global South Cities: Examples of São Paulo and Johannesburg
Previous Article in Journal
Examining the Formation of Resident Support for Tourism: An Integration of Social Exchange Theory and Tolerance Zone Theory
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

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

1
State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
2
Command Center for Comprehensive Survey of Natural Resources, China Geological Survey Bureau, Beijing 100037, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2025, 17(11), 4922; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114922
Submission received: 2 April 2025 / Revised: 19 May 2025 / Accepted: 21 May 2025 / Published: 27 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology, Biodiversity and Sustainable Conservation)

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 Chishui River; environmental DNA; environmental factors; fish biodiversity; human activities; influencing factors

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Guo, N.; Wang, J.; Xiao, N.; Gao, X.; Shen, M.; Sun, X.; Li, J. Study on Fish Diversity and Drivers Based on Environmental DNA in Chishui River, China. Sustainability 2025, 17, 4922. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114922

AMA Style

Guo N, Wang J, Xiao N, Gao X, Shen M, Sun X, Li J. Study on Fish Diversity and Drivers Based on Environmental DNA in Chishui River, China. Sustainability. 2025; 17(11):4922. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114922

Chicago/Turabian Style

Guo, Ningning, Junqin Wang, Nengwen Xiao, Xiaoqi Gao, Mei Shen, Xiaoxuan Sun, and Junsheng Li. 2025. "Study on Fish Diversity and Drivers Based on Environmental DNA in Chishui River, China" Sustainability 17, no. 11: 4922. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114922

APA Style

Guo, N., Wang, J., Xiao, N., Gao, X., Shen, M., Sun, X., & Li, J. (2025). Study on Fish Diversity and Drivers Based on Environmental DNA in Chishui River, China. Sustainability, 17(11), 4922. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114922

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop