What is cited as a major factor severely impacting the American eel population by restricting movement between feeding grounds and spawning grounds?
Answer
Habitat fragmentation due to hydropower dams and other obstructions
Habitat fragmentation, primarily caused by the presence of hydropower dams and other physical obstructions, severely impacts the eels' ability to move between their freshwater feeding grounds and the distant oceanic spawning grounds.
Related Questions
What term describes the American eel's life cycle of living in freshwater and spawning in saltwater?Where does the entire adult population of the American eel migrate to spawn and subsequently die?While the American eel's body appears scaleless, what is factually true about its scales?What is the name given to the tiny larvae of the American eel that drift on ocean currents after hatching?During which life stage does the American eel spend the majority of its life, sometimes for decades, growing and feeding in rivers?Which physiological change occurs in the silver eel stage, preparing it for the oceanic migration?Besides swimming upstream, what unique method can American eels employ to bypass short, low barriers or reach isolated ponds?In their yellow eel stage, what is the primary ecological role of the American eel in freshwater ecosystems?Beyond the Atlantic coastal river systems, where else in North America can American eels be found, demonstrating their upstream adaptability?What is cited as a major factor severely impacting the American eel population by restricting movement between feeding grounds and spawning grounds?