Geology topics

Luoliang Xu

Publications and source records attributed to Luoliang Xu.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2026

Mixed support for the temperature-size rule in wild freshwater fishes

The temperature-size rule states that species living in warmer temperatures will grow faster and mature earlier at smaller sizes. While several studies have documented patterns in average body size consistent with the temperature-size rule in wild populations, a comprehensive test is lacking. Here, we use age and length data of 1.4 million fish across 7 species from 2704 lakes to quantify temperature-related variation in growth across ontogeny. Our results show that no species fully conforms to the temperature-size rule; despite patterns of juvenile growth rate and age at maturity typically aligning with the temperature-size rule, these changes seldom translate to reduced size at maturity or maximum size. We also found evidence that faster life histories in warmer environments are associated with reduced lifespans. A deeper understanding of how temperature shapes growth in natural systems is needed to accurately predict the effects of global warming on wildlife.

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,Michigan, Minnesota, South↗

USGS2025

Disentangling the historical impacts of warming and fishing on exploited freshwater fish populations

Worldwide, exploited fish populations are increasingly affected by the combined effects of warming and fishing. Disentangling the relative effects of these factors is challenging yet crucial for designing management strategies. We used a temperature-dependent population dynamics model to assess the impacts of lake warming and fishing on 521 freshwater fish populations in the Midwestern United States—a transitional zone between cold- and warmwater species. Overall, most warmwater species (65% of populations) exhibited increases in productivity from warming, while slightly more than half of the cool-/cold-water species (53% of populations) experienced reduced productivity. Populations closer to their carrying capacity showed greater resilience to warming. For the majority of populations (92%), fishing had a more pronounced effect on population dynamics than warming during the time period examined. Therefore, while warming is likely to increasingly threaten many fish populations, effective local fishery management remains a key lever to mitigate these impacts.

Minnesota, Wisconsin↗

USGS2024

Asymmetric impacts of climate change on thermal habitat suitability for inland lake fishes

Climate change is altering the thermal habitats of freshwater fish species. We analyze modeled daily temperature profiles from 12,688 lakes in the US to track changes in thermal habitat of 60 lake fish species from different thermal guilds during 1980-2021. We quantify changes in each species’ preferred days, defined as the number of days per year when a lake contains the species’ preferred temperature. We find that cooler-water species are losing preferred days more rapidly than warmer-water species are gaining them. This asymmetric impact cannot be attributed to differences in geographic distribution among species; instead, it is linked to the seasonal dynamics of lake temperatures and increased thermal homogenization of the water column. The potential advantages of an increase in warmer-water species may not fully compensate for the losses in cooler-water species as warming continues, emphasizing the importance of mitigating climate change to support effective freshwater fisheries management.

Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minne↗