摘要：Habitat connectivity supports life history requirements of many arctic fish species during periods of
flowing water. However, aquatic habitat connectivity is susceptible to change due to climate factors and
land use, particularly in the 4,600 km2 Fish Creek Watershed (FCW) located in National Petroleum
Reserve in Alaska. Varying degrees and mechanisms of connectivity between overwintering habitat and
summer foraging habitat motivated us to assess and classify aquatic habitat connectivity to help inform
management. Using geospatial analysis and field methods we classified processes affecting connectivity
within riparian corridors and upstream channels. Results show the dominant geomorphic process
affecting connectivity varied among river systems, providing general and catchment-specific guidance
as to the distribution of important migratory fish habitat. Barriers to fish passage caused by subsurface
flow were more common along river corridors with high channel migration rates, whereas wetland
flowthrough was the most common barrier in upstream catchments throughout the FCW. Coupling
both riparian and catchment connectivity showed that 28 percent of catchments were classified as
having fish-passable connectivity, indicated by no barriers present in the riparian zone or upstream
channels. Future work should evaluate how well this classification predicts fish habitat, is useful to
resource management, and is applicable to other arctic watersheds.
