Distribution, abundance, and diversity of stream fishes under variable environmental conditions

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M Taylor ◽  
Thomas L Holder ◽  
Riccardo A Fiorillo ◽  
Lance R Williams ◽  
R Brent Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Fish Distribution ◽  
Stream Fish ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Regional Patterns ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

The effects of stream size and flow regime on spatial and temporal variability of stream fish distribution, abundance, and diversity patterns were investigated. Assemblage variability and species richness were each significantly associated with a complex environmental gradient contrasting smaller, hydrologically variable stream localities with larger localities characterized by more stable flow regimes. Assemblages showing the least variability were the most species-rich and occurred in relatively large, stable environments. Theory suggests that species richness can be an important determinant of assemblage variability. Although this appears to be true in our system, we suggest that spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the environment largely determines both assemblage richness and variability, providing a more parsimonious explanation for the diversity–variability correlation. Changes in species richness of local assemblages across time were coordinated across the landscape, and assemblages formed spatially and temporally nested subset patterns. These results suggest an important link between local community dynamics and community-wide occurrence. At the species level, mean local persistence was significantly associated with regional occurrence. Thus, the more widespread a species was, the greater its local persistence. Our results illustrate how the integrity of local stream fish assemblages is dependent on local environmental conditions, regional patterns of species distribution, and landscape continuity.

Community dynamics in Fijian coral reef fish communities vary with conservation and shark-based tourism

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 363
Author(s):  
Mallory G. McKeon ◽  
Joshua A. Drew
Keyword(s):  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Fish Abundance ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Feeding Methods ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Unprotected Area

Marine protected areas (MPAs) effectively improve the biomass and diversity in heavily exploited marine systems, but often fail to reach their full potential because they require more space, time, and consistency of regulation. Recently, shark-based tourism, which utilises some of the remaining shark strongholds as tourism hotspots, has brought about increased awareness to exploited reef systems. In Fiji, specifically, shark diving companies include local community members in their operations to promote better understanding of their reefs. We seek to investigate whether seemingly denser shark populations during feeding times influence community composition and structure. Visual census data were collected from 50-m belt transects at four different reefs in Fiji: two MPAs with shark-based ecotourism with food provisioning, one MPA without shark-based ecotourism, and one unprotected area without shark-based tourism. Paradoxically, indices of evenness and diversity were highest in the non-protected site. However, there was significantly higher fish abundance and species diversity within reserves than outside of reserves. Within reserves, sites with shark feeding had lower fish abundance and higher richness, diversity, and evenness. Mean trophic level was highest at sites with shark feeding. Use of chum increased average fish abundance and diversity within shark-dive sites. These results indicate that there are evident differences between MPAs that do and do not offer trophic supplementation for shark-based ecotourism. Thus, tourism may be facilitating a shift of ecosystem composition in such areas. Furthermore, the results suggest that feeding methods may augment the impacts of shark-based tourism on the reef at large.

scholarly journals Seascape context modifies how fish respond to restored oyster reef structures

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 1131-1139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben L Gilby ◽  
Andrew D Olds ◽  
Christopher J Henderson ◽  
Nicholas L Ortodossi ◽  
Rod M Connolly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Oyster Reef ◽  
Pivotal Role ◽  
Oyster Reefs ◽  
Total Abundance ◽  
Fish Recruitment ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract The seascape context of coastal ecosystems plays a pivotal role in shaping patterns in fish recruitment, abundance, and diversity. It might also be a principal determinant in structuring the recruitment of fish assemblages to restored habitats, but the trajectories of these relationships require further testing. In this study, we surveyed fish assemblages from 14 restored oyster reefs and 14 control sites in the Noosa River, Queensland, Australia, that differed in the presence or absence of seagrass within 500 m, over four periods using baited cameras. Fish assemblages at oyster reefs differed from those at control sites, with higher species richness (1.4 times) and more individuals of taxa that are harvested by fishers (1.8 times). The presence or absence of seagrass nearby affected the abundance of a key harvestable fish species (yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus australis) on oyster reefs, but not the overall composition of fish assemblages, species richness, or the total abundance of harvestable fishes overall. These findings highlight the importance of considering species-specific patterns in seascape utilization when selecting restoration sites and setting restoration goals, and suggest that the effects of restoration on fish assemblages might be optimized by focusing efforts in prime positions in coastal seascapes.

scholarly journals Long-Term Patterns of Amphibian Diversity, Abundance and Nutrient Export from Small, Isolated Wetlands

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 598
Author(s):  
Carla L. Atkinson ◽  
Daniel D. Knapp ◽  
Lora L. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Animal Movement ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Isolated Wetlands

Seasonally inundated wetlands contribute to biodiversity support and ecosystem function at the landscape scale. These temporally dynamic ecosystems contain unique assemblages of animals adapted to cyclically wet–dry habitats. As a result of the high variation in environmental conditions, wetlands serve as hotspots for animal movement and potentially hotspots of biogeochemical activity and migratory transport of nutrient subsidies. Most amphibians are semi-aquatic and migrate between isolated wetlands and the surrounding terrestrial system to complete their life cycle, with rainfall and other environmental factors affecting the timing and magnitude of wetland export of juveniles. Here we used a long-term drift fence study coupled with system-specific nutrient content data of amphibians from two small wetlands in southeastern Georgia, USA. We couple environmental data with count data of juveniles exiting wetlands to explore the controls of amphibian diversity, production and export and the amphibian life-history traits associated with export over varying environmental conditions. Our results highlight the high degree of spatial and temporal variability in amphibian flux with hydroperiod length and temperature driving community composition and overall biomass and nutrient fluxes. Additionally, specific life-history traits, such as development time and body size, were associated with longer hydroperiods. Our findings underscore the key role of small, isolated wetlands and their hydroperiod characteristics in maintaining amphibian productivity and community dynamics.

scholarly journals The influence of environmental variables on the functional structure of headwater stream fish assemblages: a study of two tropical basins in Central Brazil

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 349-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Assis Carvalho ◽  
Francisco Leonardo Tejerina-Garro
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Headwater Stream ◽  
Stream Fish ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Dissimilarity Matrix ◽  
Species Trait ◽  
Stream Fish Assemblages

We investigated functional patterns of fish assemblages of two adjacent basins (Araguaia and Tocantins) to test whether their headwater stream fish assemblages are more functionally (dis)similar than expected by chance and whether these (dis)similarities are related to differences of environmental conditions between basins. We used an analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) on a functional dissimilarity matrix to test for (dis)similarities between fish assemblages of both basins. We performed RLQ and fourth-corner analyses to determine fish species trait-environment relationship. Our results revealed functional dissimilarities between fish assemblages of both basins and significant species trait-environment relationships, suggesting that environmental conditions are driving such dissimilarities. Inter-basin dissimilarities are mainly driven by altitudinal and water temperature gradients, whereas dissimilarities among streams within the basins are influenced by channel depth, turbidity and conductivity. These five environmental variables mostly affected six fish species traits (body mass, water column position, substrate preference, parental care, foraging locality and migration) in different manners. This study is an attempt to understand functional trends of fish assemblages in a tropical region that remains poorly known but severely threatened.

Assemblages of fish along a mangrove - mudflat gradient in temperate Australia

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Leslie Payne ◽  
Bronwyn May Gillanders
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Fish Abundance ◽  
Fish Distribution ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Total Abundance ◽  
Total Fish ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Habitat Scale

Mangroves are considered to support rich assemblages of fish and invertebrates. Fishes inhabiting mangrove habitats and at various distances from mangroves across mudflats were sampled to: (1) compare fish assemblages between habitats; and (2) determine the influence of mangrove proximity on fish abundance and diversity in three southern Australian estuaries between November 2005 and January 2006. Based on their distribution, fish species were classified as mangrove residents, mudflat residents, generalists or rare species. The assemblage structure of fish in mangroves differed from assemblages 500 m away; however, neither total abundance nor species richness differed significantly between mangroves and mudflats. Mangrove residents and Aldrichetta forsteri (yellow-eyed mullet) displayed strong associations with mangrove habitats, whereas mudflat residents were associated with mudflat habitats. No other fish groups or individual species occurred in higher abundances in either habitat. Total fish abundance, mangrove residents and A. forsteri were positively correlated with pneumatophore density, indicating that the structural complexity of the mangroves might influence the distributions of certain fish species. The current study demonstrated that mangrove habitats in temperate Australia support no greater abundance or diversity of fish than adjacent mudflat habitats and that mangrove proximity does not influence fish distribution at a habitat scale.

Effects of an anti-salt intrusion dam on tropical fish assemblages

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuantong Jutagate ◽  
Amonsak Sawusdee ◽  
Thanitha Thapanand-Chaidee ◽  
Sovan Lek ◽  
Gaël Grenouillet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Tropical Fish ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Salt Intrusion ◽  
Open Phase ◽  
Salinity Gradients

Following the construction of an anti-salt intrusion dam in Pak Panang River, Thailand, changes in the environmental conditions and fish assemblages were monitored both in the estuary and in the river. The present study was conducted during two different phases: when the sluices were open; and when they were closed. Salinity in the estuary declined (P < 0.001), but increased in the river during the open phase (P = 0.002). In the river, the pH increased (P < 0.001) during the closed phase, but was relatively constant in the estuary. No differences were found for water temperatures, chlorophyll a and abundance of phytoplankton. During the closed phase, the abundance of zooplankton was higher in the estuary, but the abundance of benthos in the river declined. Ninety-four fish species were collected. Species richness and the diversity index did not differ in the estuary, but were significantly different in the river; abundance was higher during the open phase. Fish moved between the two systems during the open phase and changes in fish assemblages correlated with salinity gradients and food sources. Sluice regulation to allow fish to move between the river and the estuary is recommended.

scholarly journals Temporal Microbial Community Dynamics Within a Unique Acid Saline Lake

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noor-Ul-Huda Ghori ◽  
Michael J. Wise ◽  
Andrew S. Whiteley
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Fungal Diversity ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Hypersaline Lake ◽  
Microbial Community Dynamics ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

Lake Magic is an extremely acidic, hypersaline lake found in Western Australia, with the highest concentrations of aluminum and silica in the world. Previous studies of Lake Magic diversity have revealed that the lake hosts acid- and halotolerant bacterial and fungal species. However, they have not canvassed microbial population dynamics across flooding, evapo-concentration and desiccation stages. In this study, we used amplicon sequencing and potential function prediction on sediment and salt mat samples. We observed that the bacterial and fungal diversity in Lake Magic is strongly driven by carbon, temperature, pH and salt concentrations at the different stages of the lake. We also saw that the fungal diversity decreased as the environmental conditions became more extreme. However, prokaryotic diversity was very dynamic and bacteria dominated archaeal species, both in abundance and diversity, perhaps because bacteria better tolerate the extreme variation in conditions. Bacterial species diversity was the highest during early flooding stage and decreased during more stressful conditions. We observed an increase in acid tolerant and halotolerant species in the sediment, involved in functions such as sulfur and iron metabolism, i.e., species involved in buffering the external environment. Thus, due to activity within the microbial community, the environmental conditions in the sediment do not change to the same degree as conditions in the salt mat, resulting in the sediment becoming a safe haven for microbes, which are able to thrive during the extreme conditions of the evapo-concentration and desiccation stages.

Within-basin fish assemblage structure: the relative influence of habitat versus stream spatial position on local species richness

2004 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Grenouillet ◽  
D Pont ◽  
C Hérissé
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Spatial Autocorrelation ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Spatial Position ◽  
Stream Fish ◽  
Fish Assemblage Structure ◽  
Local Species Richness ◽  
Local Species ◽  
Stream Fish Assemblages ◽  
Local Habitat

Local species richness (LSR) in stream fish assemblages is related to both local habitat conditions and stream spatial position. In this study, we examined the within-basin distribution of LSR in the Upper Saône River (France). We describe the longitudinal patterns in LSR and assess the relative effects of both local habitat and spatial (upstream and downstream) influences on species richness. We showed that among the different local habitat variables, only stream width and gradient significantly influenced LSR. Spatial factors also influenced the within-basin distribution of LSR and resulted in spatial autocorrelation, highlighting contagious biotic processes in structuring stream fish assemblages. However, we did not confirm other published predictions that headwater streams entering large rivers directly should have greater species richness. The spatial autocorrelation was only significant downstream (from 4th- to 7th-order streams), suggesting that the relative importance of local habitat and biotic processes may depend on the position along the longitudinal gradient.

scholarly journals Immigration from the metacommunity affects bdelloid rotifer community dynamics most

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Debortoli ◽  
Frederik De Laender ◽  
Karine Van Doninck
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Bdelloid Rotifer ◽  
Rotifer Community ◽  
Dominant Process ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Community Variability ◽  
Different Levels

AbstractDispersal is an important driver of local community dynamics. It has been proposed that, for communities composed of microscopic organisms, dispersal could well be the dominant process, outpacing local processes driven by environmental conditions and species interactions. This is because microscopic organisms often reproduce asexually, fostering rapid colonization, and are easily dispersed by water or air current. We studied the case of bdelloid rotifers belonging to the genus Adineta, microscopic asexual animals with dried stages that are easily dispersed by wind to investigate the relative effects of dispersal and local processes on their community dynamics. To this end, we constructed a classic competition model to theoretically examine how spatial and local biodiversity dynamics varied with fitness and dispersal characteristics of bdelloid Adineta species. Next, we compared our predictions with an experimental dataset containing spatio-temporal Adineta community dynamics from the wild. This comparison suggested that immigration from the local meta-community was the most critical parameter under the conditions tested. One Adineta vaga species, abundant in the surrounding area, rapidly colonized our experimental habitats and dominated most of the communities. We also ran the model under different levels of environmental conditions (permissive, intermediate and harsh) to simulate seasonal community variability and found that communities experience important bottlenecks yearly in winter but that the same community re-established. The dissimilarities observed between roof communities suggest differences in adaptation or immigration capacities. Besides their asexual reproduction and extreme desiccation tolerance, a key characteristic of bdelloid ecology identified here, is the spatio-temporal dynamic of abundant bdelloid clones present in the meta-community that rapidly colonize empty patches to establish new populations.

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