Land use structures fish assemblages in reservoirs of the Tennessee River

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 526
Author(s):  
L. E. Miranda ◽  
J. M. Bies ◽  
D. A. Hann
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Fish Assemblage Structure ◽  
Forested Catchments ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Agricultural Catchments ◽  
Tennessee River ◽  
Terrestrial Inputs

Inputs of nutrients, sediments and detritus from catchments can promote selected components of reservoir fish assemblages, while hindering others. However, investigations linking these catchment subsidies to fish assemblages have generally focussed on one or a handful of species. Considering this paucity of community-level awareness, we sought to explore the association between land use and fish assemblage composition in reservoirs. To this end, we compared fish assemblages in reservoirs of two sub-basins of the Tennessee River representing differing intensities of agricultural development, and hypothesised that fish assemblage structure indicated by species percentage composition would differ among reservoirs in the two sub-basins. Using multivariate statistical analysis, we documented inter-basin differences in land use, reservoir productivity and fish assemblages, but no differences in reservoir morphometry or water regime. Basins were separated along a gradient of forested and non-forested catchment land cover, which was directly related to total nitrogen, total phosphorous and chlorophyll-a concentrations. Considering the extensive body of knowledge linking land use to aquatic systems, it is reasonable to postulate a hierarchical model in which productivity has direct links to terrestrial inputs, and fish assemblages have direct links to both land use and productivity. We observed a shift from an invertivore-based fish assemblage in forested catchments to a detritivore-based fish assemblage in agricultural catchments that may be a widespread pattern among reservoirs and other aquatic ecosystems.

scholarly journals Influences of Multiscale Land Cover Characteristics and Specific Conductivity on Fish Assemblages in the Nolichucky River Watershed, Tennessee

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayley S. Gotwald ◽  
J. Brian Alford
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Specific Conductivity ◽  
Fish Assemblage Structure ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
River Watershed

We evaluated the potential of using fish species and functional traits as indicators of land use impacts to fish assemblages. We used environmental data collected at multiple spatial scales (local, reach, and upstream catchment) for 19 tributary and main stem sites in the Nolichucky River watershed in Tennessee. Canonical correspondence analyses showed that temperature, elevation, specific conductivity, sediment yield, impervious surfaces, and row crop cover at the catchment scale were strongly associated with fish assemblage structure, as well as forest cover from all three spatial scales. Blocked indicator species analysis, with stream size as the block, showed that significantly strong indicators of the least-impacted riparian land use condition (≥60% forest cover) were Saffron Shiner (Notropis rubricroceus), Rainbow Trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss), Longnose Dace (Rhynichthys cataractae), Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), and Mottled Sculpin (Cottus bairdi). Traits indicative of the least-impacted sites were the herbivorous trophic guild, mean female age-at-maturity, longevity, rock-gravel spawners, montane geology and pelagic swimmers. Specific conductivity was strongly related to multiple catchment-scale land use variables, and was a strong local-scale influence on fish assemblage structure. Our results show promise for using a relatively common but endemic southern Appalachian fish species, the Saffron Shiner, as an indicator for land-use related impacts to these streams.

Advances in Understanding Landscape Influences on Freshwater Habitats and Biological Assemblages

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Urban Land ◽  
Urban Land Use ◽  
Stream Fish ◽  
Landscape Variables ◽  
Stream Fish Assemblages ◽  
Anthropogenic Land Use ◽  
Assemblage Metrics

<i>Abstract.</i>—Anthropogenic activities including urbanization, agriculture, and dams degrade stream habitats and are a dominant reason for global biodiversity declines in fluvial fish assemblages. Declining diversity trends have been well documented in many regions of the world; however, fishes vary regionally in response to anthropogenic land use, resulting from complex relationships between landscape variables and mechanisms controlling stream fish assemblages. To test for differences in regional fish response to anthropogenic land use, we conducted our study across five freshwater ecoregions in the temperate mesic portion of the United States and evaluated data characterizing stream fish assemblages from 10,522 locations across all study freshwater ecoregions. Fishes were summarized by metrics describing assemblage structure, trophic groupings of species, levels of tolerance to anthropogenic stressors, and life history characteristics, with seven metrics used for analyses. Natural and anthropogenic landscape variables were assessed across freshwater ecoregions, and we tested for regionally specific influences of percent catchment urbanization, percent catchment agriculture, and catchment densities of dams and stream-road crossings on stream fishes. We used cascade multivariate regression trees to quantify variance explained in fish metrics by these landscape variables after controlling for influences of natural landscape variables, including catchment area, catchment lithology, and elevation of study sites. Results indicated differences in dominant influences by freshwater ecoregion, as well as differences in the levels of anthropogenic land use influencing fishes within and across freshwater ecoregions. For example, urban land use was the most influential anthropogenic land use in both Appalachian Piedmont and Chesapeake Bay freshwater ecoregions, with fish assemblage metrics showing responses at 10% and 1% catchment urban land use, respectively. In contrast, dam density in the network catchment was the most influential anthropogenic variable on fish assemblage metrics in both the Laurentian Great Lakes and Middle Missouri freshwater ecoregions. Also, large amounts of agriculture in the catchment was the most influential anthropogenic land use on fish assemblage metrics in the Upper Mississippi freshwater ecoregion. Knowledge of regional differences in the top contributing anthropogenic landscape variables and the levels at which fish assemblages respond to these variables lends insight into mechanisms controlling stream fish assemblages by freshwater ecoregions and can aid in development of region-specific conservation strategies to prevent biodiversity loss from current and future anthropogenic land use.

scholarly journals Cambodian Freshwater Fish Assemblage Structure and Distribution Patterns: Using a Large-Scale Monitoring Network to Understand the Dynamics and Management Implications of Species Clusters in a Global Biodiversity Hotspot

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 2506
Author(s):  
Kakada Pin ◽  
Savat Nut ◽  
Zeb Hogan ◽  
Sudeep Chandra ◽  
Samadee Saray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indicator Species ◽  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Mekong River ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspots ◽  
Fish Assemblage Structure ◽  
Assemblage Composition ◽  
Tonle Sap Lake ◽  
Tonle Sap ◽  
High Diversity

Mekong River Basin is one of the world’s fish biodiversity hotspots. Fisheries of the Cambodian Mekong are characterized by high diversity and productivity. However, few studies have focused on broad scale patterns and fish assemblage structure of this important system at a national level. Here, we describe spatial and seasonal variation in fish assemblages by analyzing one year of daily fish catch data sampled at 32 sites covering Cambodia’s main inland water bodies. We recorded 125 fish species. Four clusters were distinguished based on assemblage composition similarity, and 95 indicator species were identified to characterize each of the identified assemblage clusters. High diversity fish assemblages were associated with the upper Mekong system and Mekong/Bassac/Tonle Sap Rivers in Kandal Province and southern Tonle Sap Lake while lower diversity assemblages were observed in the Mekong River in Kratie and the northern area of the Tonle Sap Lake. We find significant variation in the assemblage composition between wet and dry seasons, indicating strong seasonal species turnover within clusters. Length–weight relationship analysis indicated a negative allometric growth among a majority of indicator species, reflecting suboptimal conditions for growth. Our study establishes contemporary structure and diversity patterns in the Lower Mekong River system of Cambodia, which can be used to map fish biodiversity hotspots and assess key indicative fish stocks’ statuses for conservation and management.

scholarly journals Temporal Dynamics of Fish Assemblages as a Reflection of Policy Shift from Fishing Concession to Co-Management in One of the World’s Largest Tropical Flood Pulse Fisheries

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 2974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bunyeth Chan ◽  
Peng Bun Ngor ◽  
Zeb S. Hogan ◽  
Nam So ◽  
Sébastien Brosse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Flood Pulse ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Fish Assemblage Structure ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
Fisheries Governance ◽  
Inland Fisheries ◽  
Fish Catch

Inland fisheries management in Cambodia has undergone two major policy reforms over the last two decades. These reforms led to the abolishment of a century-old commercial fishing lot system in 2012 and the establishment of new fish sanctuary and community fishing areas. However, the status of fisheries and fish assemblages following the reforms is not well understood. Here, we investigated the temporal changes in fish catch weight and fish assemblage structure for the period 1995–2000 before fishing lot abolishment (BLA) and for the period 2012–2015 after the removal of all fishing lots (after lot abolishment-ALA) using time-series fish catch data recorded from the Tonle Sap Lake (TSL), one of the world largest inland fisheries. We found (i) mean catch trends vary seasonally, with stable catch trends during the BLA and decreasing catch trends during the ALA and (ii) significant shifts in fish assemblage composition, notably a shift from large-bodied, migratory, and/or predatory species during the BLA toward more short-distance migratory and/or floodplain, small-bodied species during the ALA. Fishing lot abolishment coincided with substantial changes to floodplain habitats and increases in fishing pressure, threatening TSL fish stocks. Flow alterations caused by dams and climate change may exacerbate the problem. Therefore, to realize the fisheries reform objectives, it is imperative to strengthen the fisheries’ governance and management system, including effective law enforcement, institutional strengthening, improved planning, cooperation, and coordination as well as clearly defined roles and responsibilities among concerned stakeholders at all levels.

scholarly journals Fish assemblages in a coastal bay adjacent to a network of marine protected areas in southern Brazil

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Pereira Cattani ◽  
Fábio Gonçalves Daura Jorge ◽  
Gisela Costa Ribeiro ◽  
Leonardo Liberali Wedekin ◽  
Paulo César de Azevedo Simões Lopes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Fish Assemblage Structure ◽  
Principal Coordinates ◽  
Coastal Bay

Abstract Baía Norte (North Bay) in Santa Catarina State is considered a typical coastal bay and is surrounded by a network of Marine Protected Areas. The objectives of this study were to describe the composition of the demersal fish assemblage, identify seasonal and spatial structures on a fine scale and evaluate the role of habitat descriptors and abiotic variables affecting the fish assemblage structure. Seasonal samplings were conducted in 2005, using bottom trawls in six pre-established areas in Baía Norte in summer, fall, winter and spring. Simultaneously with each trawl, environmental data were collected with a multiparameter probe. Temporal and spatial differences in fish abundance were tested by a PERMANOVA. To illustratethe differences detected graphically we ran a canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP). The influence of environmental variables on the fish fauna was evaluated using a Distant Based Linear Model (DistLM) with Akaike's information criterion (AIC). A total of 9,888 specimens, distributed in 27 families and 62 species, were collected. Citharichthys spilopterus was the most abundant species. PERMANOVA detected differences for abundance between seasons, areas and interaction among all the factors. The DISTLM selected temperature and pH. The results highlight seasonality as an important factor in the structuring of fish fauna of the study place.

scholarly journals Regional, watershed, and site-specific environmental influences on fish assemblage structure and function in western Lake Superior tributaries

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1254-1270 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C Brazner ◽  
Danny K Tanner ◽  
Naomi E Detenbeck ◽  
Sharon L Batterman ◽  
Stacey L Stark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
Brook Trout ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Lake Superior ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Assemblage Structure ◽  
Fish Assemblage Structure ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
And Function

The relative importance of regional, watershed, and in-stream environmental factors on fish assemblage structure and function was investigated in western Lake Superior tributaries. We selected 48 second- and third-order watersheds from two hydrogeomorphic regions to examine fish assemblage response to differences in forest fragmentation, watershed storage, and a number of other watershed, riparian, and in-stream habitat conditions. Although a variety of regional, fragmentation, and storage-related factors had significant influences on the fish assemblages, water temperature appeared to be the single most important environmental factor. We found lower water temperatures and trout–sculpin assemblages at lower fragmentation sites and higher temperatures and minnow–sucker–darter assemblages as storage increased. Factors related to riparian shading and flow separated brook trout streams from brown trout (Salmo trutta) – rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) streams. Functionally, fish assemblages at lower fragmentation sites were dominated by cold-water fishes that had low silt tolerance and preferred moderate current speeds, while fishes with higher silt tolerances, warmer temperature preferences, and weaker sustained swimming capabilities were most common at higher storage sites. Our results suggest that site-specific environmental conditions are highly dependent on regional- and watershed-scale characters and that a combination of these factors operates in concert to influence the structure and function of stream fish assemblages.

scholarly journals Fish Assemblage Structure Comparison between Freshwater and Estuarine Habitats in the Lower Nakdong River, South Korea

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 496
Author(s):  
Joo Myun Park ◽  
Ralf Riedel ◽  
Hyun Hee Ju ◽  
Hee Chan Choi
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Estuarine Fish ◽  
Freshwater Species ◽  
Fish Assemblage Structure ◽  
Nakdong River ◽  
Structure Comparison ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Freshwater Habitats ◽  
The Nakdong River

Variabilities of biological communities in lower reaches of urban river systems are highly influenced by artificial constructions, alterations of flow regimes and episodic weather events. Impacts of estuary weirs on fish assemblages are particularly distinct because the weirs are disturbed in linking between freshwater and estuarine fish communities, and migration successes for regional fish fauna. This study conducted fish sampling at the lower reaches of the Nakdong River to assess spatio-temporal variations in fish assemblages, and effects of estuary weir on structuring fish assemblage between freshwater and estuary habitats. In total, 20,386 specimens comprising 78 species and 41 families were collected. The numerical dominant fish species were Tachysurus nitidus (48.8% in total abundance), Hemibarbus labeo (10.7%) and Chanodichthys erythropterus (3.6%) in the freshwater region, and Engraulis japonicus (10.0%), Nuchequula nuchalis (7.7%) and Clupea pallasii (5.2%) in the estuarine site. The fish sampled were primarily small species or the juveniles of larger species at the estuary region, while all life stages of fishes were observed at the freshwater habitats. The diversity patterns of fish assemblages varied greatly according to study site and season, with higher trends at estuarine sites during the warm-rainy season. No significant difference in diversity between freshwater and estuarine sites during the cold-dry season were found. Multivariate analyses of fish assemblage showed spatial and seasonal differences of assemblage structures. Higher effects of between-site variability but not within seasonal variability at each site were observed. Variations in assemblage structures were due to different contributions of dominant species in each habitat. Common freshwater species characterized the fish assemblage in the freshwater region, while marine juveniles were significantly associated with the estuarine habitat. The results from the ecological guild analyses showed distinct ecological roles for freshwater and marine species, and overlapping roles for fish sampled at the fishways. The lower reaches of the Nakdong River are an important ecosystem for both freshwater and marine juveniles. Nakdong River estuarine residents and migrant fishes, however, have been negatively affected by the construction of the weir (gravity dam), due to the obstruction to migration from and to freshwater habitats. Conservation and management policies aimed at minimizing anthropogenic influences on estuary ecosystems should focus on evaluating ecological functions of estuary weirs.

The effect of agriculture on cave-stream invertebrate communities

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (11) ◽  
pp. 1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierce M. McNie ◽  
Russell G. Death
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Ecological Health ◽  
Land Use Impacts ◽  
Invertebrate Community ◽  
Forested Catchments ◽  
Invertebrate Communities ◽  
Agricultural Catchments ◽  
Stream Communities ◽  
The Relationship

The impacts that land-use changes have on cave-stream fauna have not been considered widely in the investigations of land-use impacts on stream ecology. The present study examines how above-ground agriculture may influence cave-stream invertebrate communities. The invertebrate communities in four cave streams and their surface counterparts were sampled in 2014–2015, including two drained predominantly agricultural catchments and two drained forested catchments. These communities were examined alongside habitat and GIS land-use data to determine the relationship between above-ground land use and the stream communities. Invertebrate community composition and ecological health for surface streams was different between the agricultural and forest catchments. These differences were less pronounced within the cave-stream communities. Sedimentation was the principal agricultural stressor in the cave streams. The overall effects of agriculture were lower within the cave streams than on the surface; this is likely to be due to the reduced number of potentially deleterious stressors on cave streams.

Temporal variability in fish assemblage structure and recruitment in a freshwater-deprived estuary: The Coorong, Australia

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (11) ◽  
pp. 1298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenton P. Zampatti ◽  
Christopher M. Bice ◽  
Paul R. Jennings
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
River Regulation ◽  
Assemblage Structure ◽  
Estuarine Fish ◽  
Fish Assemblage Structure ◽  
Murray River ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Freshwater Inflows

River regulation can diminish freshwater flows to estuaries and compromise estuarine functionality. Understanding biotic responses to altered flow regimes is imperative to effectively manage aquatic ecosystems. The present study investigated temporal variation in fish assemblage structure and the recruitment of catadromous fish in the Coorong estuary at the terminus of the Murray River, in south-eastern Australia. Over the three-year study period, freshwater inflows to the estuary diminished and ultimately ceased, disconnecting freshwater and estuarine environments. It was hypothesised that these conditions would lead to (1) increases in estuarine salinities and concomitant changes in fish assemblage structure and abundance, and (2) decreased recruitment of catadromous fish. As freshwater inflow decreased, salinities immediately downstream of a series of tidal barrages increased from brackish to marine–hypersaline, species richness and diversity decreased, freshwater and diadromous species became less abundant and assemblages were increasingly characterised by marine species. Furthermore, the abundance of young-of-year catadromous fish decreased dramatically. Excessive regulation of freshwater inflows is resulting in the Coorong estuary resembling a marine embayment, leading to a loss in species diversity. We suggest, however, that even small volumes of freshwater may promote diversity in estuarine fish assemblages and some recruitment of catadromous species.

scholarly journals The influence of depth on the Mediterranean reef fish assemblage revealed by the new video on underwater scooter method

2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-162
Author(s):  
Igor Glavičić ◽  
Marcelo Kovačić ◽  
Dejan Paliska ◽  
Dani Laslo
Keyword(s):  
Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Average Density ◽  
Depth Range ◽  
Fish Assemblage Structure ◽  
Visual Census ◽  
Reef Fish Assemblage ◽  
Significant Difference

The new video on underwater scooter method in combination with rebreather diving techniques was introduced and applied for visual census of fish assemblages. The presently applied method facilitates deeper visual census studies below 40 m, where they have rarely been done before due to the increasing research challenges with depth. The video on underwater scooter method is also expected to be less disturbing and faster compared to swimming divers. The method was applied in visual census study of fish assemblages from 8 to 50 m depth conducted at two locations in the east Adriatic using 102 video transects. The environmental variables contributing to the variation of the reef fish community in the depth range of the infralittoral and upper circalittoral bottoms were also recorded. Thirty-one fish species were recorded on transects and 10.3% of all individuals were not identified to the species level. The average density on transects was 0.8 individuals/m², with C. chromis, C. julis and G. auratus being both the most abundant and the most frequent species. Three environmental variables, depth, bottom with zoocover and eastern orientation of the coast, were identified as highly significant for species occurrence. Abundance and species richness of fish assemblages showed no significant variation with depths, inclinations, orientations and sites. A significant difference in the fish assemblage structure was found among orientations, depths and inclinations with the gradient change of species composition with increasing depth and with increasing inclination.

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