ASSESSMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON FISH SPECIES IN WEST LAKE

Abstract

In order to assess the potential impacts of climate change on the fish species of West Lake, the updated fish - species composition in West Lake has been classified into 6 groups namely: (i) Group A: annually stocked fish, 6 species; (ii) Group B: exotic species, 4; (iii) Group C (6 species) as being threatened to extinction including group C1 to be precious species listed in the Red Book and group C2 to be endemic species; (iv) Group DS: Originate from the South, 3 species; (v) Group LE: Low tolerance in terms of environment, 9 species; (vi): Group HT: High tolerance.

The vulnerability to climate change of fish species in West Lake have been assessed. The International Union for Conservation Nature (IUCN) assessment method have been used with 3 basic indicators including (i) sensitivity,(ii) adaptive capacity and (iii) exposed level to the climate change. The results show that group A will be extinct, group B will reach maximum growth quantity and group C1 and C2 will be extinct or decreased in quantity (only Channa macnlatus could be developed). Group DS could increase, group LE could decrease in terms of quantity when temperature increases and group HT could be growth as usual.