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Aquatic ecology and agroecological fish pond management

Publié le 06/10/2020

In France and in Europe, some extensive fish farming environments were man-made over the past centuries, either as river by-passes, or filled by the run-off water of the catchment area. There are several dozens of thousands of such fish ponds in Europe, connected into networks and creating vast wetlands.

Les zones humides « étangs piscicoles » en Europe These small ponds (<10ha) have been mostly ignored in policies regarding water and nature. Yet, they render multiple ecosystem services : fish farming areas, hunting-hobby areas, they also support remakable biodiversity. Finally, they are supposed to play a crucial part in land adaptation to climate change (flood regulation, carbon and GHG capture…)

For more than 20 years, Isara has been working on the management of such small-scale aquatic environments, particularly those used for fish farming. Researchers have developed many programmes to gather precise data for the management of these aquatic environments:

  • How to use appropriate methods to assess their ecological condition ?
  • Which biodiversity are they home to ?
  • How to manage the fish production in an agroecological perspective, that is to say producing fish while conserving biodiversity ?
  • What are the compounds (and their quantity) transferring form the catchment to the pond networks?
  • What can these environments contribute to land adaptation to climate change ?

 

Recent or ongoing research programmes

  • 2020-2024 : PONDERFUL (H2020 Europe) : POND Ecosystems for Resilient FUture Landscapes in a changing climate
  • 2020-2023 : SEPURE (FEAMP Europe) : nouvelles stratégies de construction et de conduite de système de production en étang pour une pisciculture durable
  • 2017-2020 : SERVIPOND (INRA, Ecoserv2) : Analyse environnementale : un cadre pour évaluer les services écosystémiques ? Application aux systèmes étangs piscicoles
  • 2014-2017 : RESOTROPHIC (Région Rhône-Alpes – Conseil Général de l’Ain) : Analyse fonctionnelle du réseau trophique des étangs – Conséquences sur la gestion sociotechnique et économique de l’activité piscicole.
  • 2012-2016 : TIPPINGPOND (ERA-NET Europe BIODIVERSA) : « TIPPING points, biodiversity, resilience and ecosystem services: PONDs as model systems ».

Major publications by the team these past 10 years

  • Doledec S. Simon L., Blenus J., Rigal A., Robin J., Mermillod-Blondin F., 2021. Multiple stressors shape invertebrate assemblages and reduce their trophic niche: A case study in a regulated stream. Science of the Total Environnement, 773, in press.
  • Zamora-Marína, J.M., Ilg C., Demierre, E., Bonnet, N., Wezel, A., Robin, J., Vallod, D., Calvoe, J.F., Oliva-Paternaa, F.J., Oertli, B. , 2021. Contribution of artificial waterbodies to biodiversity: a glass half empty or half full? Science of the Total Environment 753, in preAubin, J., Thomas, M., Robin, J., Wezel, A., 2017. Agroecological management in fish pond systems. In: Wezel A., Agroecological practices for sustainable agriculture: principles, applications, and making the transition, 494p.
  • Aubin, J., Thomas, M., Robin, J., Wezel, A., 2017. Agroecological management in fish pond systems. In: Wezel A., Agroecological practices for sustainable agriculture: principles, applications, and making the transition, 494p.
  • Vanacker, M., Wezel, A., Arthaud, F., Guérin, M., Robin, J., 2016. Determination of tipping points for aquatic plants and water quality parameters in fish pond systems: A multi-year approach. Ecological Indicators, 64 : 39-48.
  • Wezel, A., Oertli, B., Rosset, V., Arthaud, F., Leroy, B., Smith, R., Angelibert, S., Bornette, G., Vallod, D., Robin, J., 2014. Biodiversity patterns of nutrient-rich fish ponds and implications for conservation. Limnology, 15: 213-223.
  • Wezel, A., Robin, J., Guerin, M., Arthaud, F., Vallod, D., 2013. Management effects on water quality, sediments and fish production in extensive fish ponds in the Dombes region, France. Limnologica Vol. 43, n°3, 210–218.
  • Rosset, V., Angelibert, S., Arthaud, F., Bornette, G., Robin, J., Wezel, A., Vallod, D., Oertli, B., 2014. Is eutrophication really a major impairment for small waterbody biodiversity? Journal of Applied Ecology, 51(2): 415-425.
  • Robin J., Wezel, A., Bornette, G., Arthaud, F., Angélibert, S., Rosset V., Oertli B., 2014. Biodiversity in eutrophicated shallow lakes: determination of tipping points and tools for monitoring. Hydrobiologia, 723:63–75.
  • Robin, J., 2013. Algues : phytoplancton, épiphytes, macroalgues. In: Oertli Beat & Frossard Pierre-André, Mares et étangs : écologie, conservation, gestion, valorisation. Presses Polytechniques et Universitaires Romandes collection « Ingénierie de l’Environnement » : 71-81.
  • Robin, J., 2013. Physico-chimie de l’eau. In: Oertli Beat & Frossard Pierre-André, Mares et étangs : écologie, conservation, gestion, valorisation. Presses Polytechniques et Universitaires Romandes, collection « Ingénierie de l’Environnement » : 46-55.
  • Prompt, E., Guillerme, N., Vallod, D., Robin, J., Wezel, A., Bornette, G., Marailhac, D., 2011. Les étangs piscicoles, un équilibre dynamique. Les cahiers techniques, Conservatoire Rhone-Alpes des Espaces Naturels, France, 27p.