@article{fdi:010048505,
  title = {{I}mpact of climate change on the relict tropical fish fauna of {C}entral {S}ahara : threat for the survival of {A}drar mountains fishes, {M}auritania},
  author = {{T}rape, {S}{\'e}bastien},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground: {F}our central {S}ahara mountainous massifs provide habitats for relict populations of fish. {I}n the {A}drar of {M}auritania all available data on the presence and distribution of fish come from pre-1960 surveys where five fish species were reported: {B}arbus pobeguini, {B}arbus macrops, {B}arbus mirei, {S}arotherodon galilaeus, and {C}larias anguillaris. {S}ince 1970, drought has had a severe impact in the {A}drar where rainfall decreased by 35%. {T}o investigate whether the relict populations of fish have survived the continuing drought, a study was carried out from 2004 to 2008. {M}ethodology/{P}rincipal {F}indings: {A}n inventory of perennial bodies of water was drawn up using a literature review and analysis of topographical and hydrological maps. {F}ield surveys were carried out in order to locate the bodies of water described in the literature, identify the presence of fish, determine which species were present and estimate their abundance. {T}he thirteen sites where the presence of fish was observed in the 1950s -{K}sar {T}orchane, {I}lij, {M}olomhar, {A}gueni, {T}achot, {H}amdoun, {T}erjit, {T}oungad, {E}l {B}erbera, {T}imagazine, {D}ayet el {M}barek, {D}ayet et-{T}efla, {N}kedei-were located and surveyed. {T}he {K}sar {T}orchane spring -type locality and the only known locality of {B}. mirei- has dried up at the height of the drought in 1984, and any fish populations have since become extinct there. {T}he {T}imagazine, {D}ayet el {M}barek and {D}ayet et-{T}efla pools have become ephemeral. {T}he {H}amdoun guelta appears to be highly endangered. {T}he fish populations at the other sites remain unchanged. {F}our perennial pools which are home to populations of {B}. pobeguini are newly recorded. {C}onclusion/{S}ignificance: {T}he tropical relict fish populations of the {A}drar mountains of {M}auritania appear to be highly endangered. {O}f thirteen previously recorded populations, four have become extinct since the beginning of the drought period. {N}ew fish population extinctions may occur should low levels of annual rainfall be repeated.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}los {O}ne},
  volume = {4},
  numero = {2},
  pages = {e4400},
  ISSN = {1932-6203},
  year = {2009},
  DOI = {10.1371/journal.pone.0004400},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010048505},
}