Managing Water Level for Large Migratory Fish at the Poyang Lake Outlet: Implications Based on Habitat Suitability and Connectivity
, Hui Zhang 2, Lixiong Yu 2, Kun Cao 3,4, Dengqiang Wang 2, Xinbin Duan 2, Fang Ding 3,4, Zhihui Mao 3,4, Ke Wang 2, Shaoping Liu 2, Sheng Wang 5, Daqing Chen 1,2,* and Lin Wang 1,3,4,*
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Please find attached.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
Please find attached.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
The analysis combined a hydrodynamic model and habitat suitability model to simulate variations in the suitable habitat area and their connectivity under different water-level conditions. The results showed that the change in water level will significantly affect the spatiotemporal change in the suitable habitats and their connectivity. In particular, we found the existence of two thresholds that play a dominant role in illuminating the connectivity of effective suitable habitats (HC). Firstly, the maximum value of the weighted usable area (WUA) and HC can be achieved when the water level is more than 16 m. Secondly, when the water level is between 10 and 16 m, the changes in the HC are sensitive and rapid, and the area flooded at this stage is called the sensitive area. HC is a crucial element in fish migration and habitat conditions. Under the condition of continuous drought in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, our research contributes to clarifying the influence of water level on key habitats for fish and optimizes the practice of river–lake ecological management. The topic is interesting but there are some points to be addressed. The aim of the analysis should be further evidenced in the text. The results should be further discussed also in terms of policy implications. The manuscript should be English proofread because some sentences are not clear.
Author Response
Please find attached.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
This is interesting study however you have to make it tidier.
Also please write what is novelty of your ideas? Why they supposed to be useful for international audience?
Explain all abbreviations in your paper in details. What is HC? What is CCPAY? Possibly you know the full name of it but I do not.
In your conclusions you write:
The confluence is critical for maintaining the sustainable development of large river lake systems.
Please explain: What is confluence? If your paper is on confluence stress it in your paper or maybe in the title of the paper?
Your paper is on Lake outlet: implications based on habitat suitability and connectivity…. Why do you not write on it in conclusions?
Also please include 4-8 pictures of your lake and main fish. Also pictures from your field measurements.
Also please include a few important papers:
Bylak, Aneta & Kukuła, Krzysztof & Plesiński, Karol & Radecki-Pawlik, Artur. (2017). Effect of a baffled chute on stream habitat conditions and biological communities. Ecological Engineering. 106. 263-272. 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2017.05.049.
Karol Plesiński, Aneta Bylak, Artur Radecki-Pawlik, Tomasz Mikołajczyk, Krzysztof Kukuła, Possibilities of fish passage through the block ramp: Model-based estimation of permeability, Science of The Total Environment, Volumes 631–632, 2018, Pages 1201-1211,ISSN 0048-9697, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.128.
Plesinski, K.; Gibbins, C. N.; Radecki-Pawlik, A., Effects of interlocked carpet ramps on upstream movement of brown trout Salmo trutta in an upland stream, Journal of Ecohydraulics, Vol. 5, Iss. 1, 2020
Author Response
Please find attached.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 3 Report
The manuscript is improved. But please include your pictures (photos) of your lake and main fish and pictures from your field measurements into your paper so any potential reader can see them. You sent me them in the reveiw answers but I would like to see them in the manuscript, please.
Author Response
Thank you for your suggestion. We have already added the pictures to our contents. And all of the attached Figure numbers are reordered in the sequence in which they appear in the text .
Thank you again for your patient guidance !
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
