Modeling and mapping fish abundance across wadeable streams of Illinois, USA, based on landscape-level environmental variables

To effectively conserve and restore stream ecosystems, we need to better understand the distribution and abundance of individual fish species in relation to natural environments and anthropological stressors. In this study, we modeled the abundance of 97 fish species in small wadeable streams of Illinois, USA, based on random forests regression and landscape-level environmental variables. Model R2 values for intermediately common species were higher than for common species, but highly variable among rare ones. Models for 50 species reached R2 of 0.2–0.70 and were tested with a separate set of samples and applied to unsampled wadeable reaches to show the population hotspots of each species across the state. Furthermore, we evaluated the importance of individual environmental variables to a given fish species as well as the directional responses of each species to top 10 key predictors. Climate and land use were the best predictors for most species, followed by topography, geology, and soil permeability. Spatial connection of a stream also was associated with a large number of species. These findings improved our understanding of the relationships between fish species and landscape environments. The distribution maps could guide resource management, restoration, and monitoring of stream fish assemblages.

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

Neotropical Ichthyology ◽

10.1590/1982-0224-20130148 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 349-360 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

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.

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Role of environmental and spatial processes structuring fish assemblages in streams of the eastern Amazon

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf17103 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 69 (2) ◽

pp. 243 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

N. L. Benone ◽

R. Ligeiro ◽

L. Juen ◽

L. F. A. Montag

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Environmental Variables ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Flood Plain ◽

Habitat Isolation ◽

Flood Plains ◽

Β Diversity ◽

Flood Period ◽

Stream Fish Assemblages ◽

Stream Biota

Considering the increasing importance of analysing spatial structure in ecological studies, the aims of the present study were to test whether fluvial distances and environmental factors are important drivers of the β-diversity of stream fish assemblages, and whether β-diversity is different in distinct hydrological periods. Specimens were sampled at 33 stream sites in the eastern Amazon. Eight environmental variables were measured at each site and fluvial distances between pairs of stream sites were determined. Environmental variables were the main factors structuring fish assemblages in both periods. However, fluvial distances were important only during the flood period. This can be related to the formation of extensive flood plains in this period, which increases connectivity between streams, breaking habitat isolation and increasing the regional signal for fish species. The higher correlation of β-diversity with environmental variables during the flood period may be related to decreased dispersal limitations and intermediate dispersal. Finally, β-diversity was higher during the flood period, highlighting the importance of the heterogeneity of the flood plain to stream biota. The results of the present study indicate that spatial and environmental factors play complementary roles in structuring fish assemblages in Amazon streams, and that β-diversity was affected by changes in the habitat connectivity experienced in different hydrological periods.

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Influence of urbanization on stream fish assemblages in three microbasins in the Upper Paraná River Basin

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/1519-6984.247384 ◽

2023 ◽

Vol 83 ◽

Author(s):

F. S. Ferreira ◽

J. C. J. Solórzano ◽

Y. R. Súarez

Keyword(s):

Environmental Variables ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Water Velocity ◽

Direct Effects ◽

Environmental Filters ◽

Urbanization Level ◽

Upper Paraná River ◽

Upper Paraná River Basin ◽

Environmental Integrity ◽

Stream Fish Assemblages

Abstract The colonization pattern of fish assemblages in streams is often studied in the context of environmental filters. On the other hand, when fish assemblages are subjected to anthropogenic effects, variables associated with environmental quality assume more importance. Therefore, this work evaluated the richness and composition of fish from streams sampled at different urbanization levels, aiming to determine any direct effects on the structure of fish assemblages. To accomplish this, samples were collected from 2003 to 2011 at 31 sites distributed among 3 microbasins in the Rio Ivinhema Basin, Alto Rio Paraná. Based on environmental variables, physicochemical of the water and analysis of the use and occupation of the soil, the microbasins were classified into different urbanization levels (low, medium and high). A total of 4,320 individuals were sampled, out of which 57 fish species were recorded. Sampled sites with medium urbanization level presented higher richness compared to sampled sites with high urbanization level which presented lower richness. Species richness in these sites was explained mainly by water temperature and water velocity. Results confirmed that urbanization does directly affect environmental integrity, which, in turn, can lead to the homogenization of stream assemblages.

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Patterns of species richness and composition of fish assemblages in streams of the Ivinhema River basin, Upper Paraná River

Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia ◽

10.1590/s2179-975x2011000200008 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 177-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Yzel Rondon Súarez ◽

Marcelo Maldonado de Souza ◽

Fabiane Silva Ferreira ◽

Maiane Jardim Pereira ◽

Ediléia Amancio da Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

River Basin ◽

Fish Species ◽

Fish Assemblage ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

River Mouth ◽

Common Species ◽

Assemblage Organization ◽

Paraná Basin ◽

Parana Basin

AIM: The present study analyzed the spatial variation in fish species richness and composition in streams of the Ivinhema River basin, Upper Paraná basin, determining the relationship between local and regional descriptors of the fish assemblage organization; METHOD: From 2001 to 2011 we sampled 200 stream stretches, using different sampling methods. Local species richness and composition were analyzed using univariate and multivariate methods to detect patterns of variation in the fish assemblage organization; RESULTS: We identified 111 fish species in the streams, and estimated the occurrence of 117 fish species (CIα0.05 = 111 to 123) with lower species richness in headwater streams compared to the lower parts of the basin. The fish species recorded were predominantly of small size, and the mean size increased from the headwaters to the river mouth. The four most common species are widely distributed in the basin. However, 24 species are allocthonous to the Upper Paraná basin, and two species (Chaetobranchopsis australis and Apistogramma commbrae) are recorded here for the first time in the Upper Paraná basin. Altitude was the main determinant of local fish species richness and composition, and a discontinuity in assemblage organization (richness, composition, fish size) was detected at approximately 430 m a.s.l.; CONCLUSION: Streams of the Ivinhema River basin are inhabited mainly by small-sized fishes; and longitudinal variation, interacting with local characteristics, determines the fish assemblage patterns.

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Fish complementarity is associated to forests in Amazonian streams

Neotropical Ichthyology ◽

10.1590/1982-0224-20140157 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 579-590 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Carolina Rodrigues Bordignon ◽

Lilian Casatti ◽

María Angélica Pérez-Mayorga ◽

Fabrício Barreto Teresa ◽

Gabriel Lourenço Brejão

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Functional Traits ◽

Fish Species ◽

Environmental Variables ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Fish Fauna ◽

Functional Structure ◽

Structure Of Communities ◽

Net Relatedness Index ◽

Functional Homogenization

The functional structure of communities is commonly measured by the variability in functional traits, which may demonstrate complementarity or redundancy patterns. In this study, we tested the influence of environmental variables on the functional structure of fish assemblages in Amazonian streams within a deforestation gradient. We calculated six ecomorphological traits related to habitat use from each fish species, and used them to calculate the net relatedness index (NRI) and the nearest taxon index (NTI). The set of species that used the habitat differently (complementary or overdispersed assemblages) occurred in sites with a greater proportion of forests. The set of species that used the habitat in a similar way (redundant or clustered assemblages) occurred in sites with a greater proportion of grasses in the stream banks. Therefore, the deforestation of entire watersheds, which has occurred in many Amazonian regions, may be a central factor for the functional homogenization of fish fauna.

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Effects of sampling effort, assemblage similarity, and habitat heterogeneity on estimates of species richness and relative abundance of stream fishes

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f08-209 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 66 (2) ◽

pp. 277-290 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Jesse R. Fischer ◽

Craig P. Paukert

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Great Plains ◽

Habitat Heterogeneity ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Common Species ◽

Sampling Effort ◽

Total Abundance ◽

Catch Per Unit Effort ◽

Stream Fish Assemblages ◽

Stream Segment

We estimated the sampling effort required to accurately estimate species richness and to detect changes in catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) in four Great Plains, USA, streams. The number of sampled reaches (i.e., <1 km) required to estimate stream-segment (i.e., 20–28 km) species richness decreased with increased sampled reach length (i.e., 10, 20, 40, or 60 mean stream widths, MSW), whereas total sampling effort decreased with a greater number of shorter sampled reaches. Collecting all species in a stream segment required all sampled reaches (i.e., 10) of a length equal to 40 or 60 MSW. The number of stream reaches sampled with lengths equal to 40 MSW required to detect a 50% change in CPUE of common species (i.e., total abundance > 1% of total catch) with β = 0.80 ranged from 7 to 630 (mean = 99) and decreased with longer sampled reaches. A greater number of sampled reaches were needed to detect 90% of species richness and 25% changes in CPUE when Jaccard’s similarity of samples of stream fish assemblages and habitat heterogeneity was lower within streams. Our results suggest that homogeneous stream segments require more sampled reaches to characterize fish assemblages and monitor trends in fish abundance.

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Landscape influences on stream fish assemblages across spatial scales in a northern Great Plains ecoregion

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f07-165 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 65 (2) ◽

pp. 245-257 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Henry F Wilson ◽

Marguerite A Xenopoulos

Keyword(s):

Land Cover ◽

Great Plains ◽

Fish Species ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Species Assemblages ◽

Northern Great Plains ◽

Stream Fish ◽

Stream Fish Assemblages ◽

Nms Ordination

We examined the relationship between multiple spatial scales of fish assemblage structure and land cover in streams of a northern Great Plains ecoregion. We used regional richness measurements, an index of biotic integrity (IBI), and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) ordination to characterize fish assemblages. These metrics were related to regional catchment landscape at two spatial scales (overall catchment, overall riparian) and then to a set of local subcatchments from within these catchments at three scales (overall subcatchment, overall riparian buffer, and reach). Relationships between catchment fish richness, IBI scores, and landscape predictors were strongest at the riparian scale, with the strongest single predictor being riparian forest (r2 = 0.63, P < 0.01). NMS ordination analysis showed clear similarities between fish species assemblages in agriculturally dominated catchments and assemblages found in smaller headwater streams. At the same time, forested catchments and catchments with larger areas exhibited similar fish species assemblages. Our results indicate that both local and regional stream fish assemblages are structured by broader-scale landscape characteristics, with land cover providing a better indication of overall available habitat volume than catchment area or stream order.

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Influence of environmental variables on stream fish fauna at multiple spatial scales

Neotropical Ichthyology ◽

10.1590/1982-0224-20150116 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Nara Tadini Junqueira ◽

Diego Rodrigues Macedo ◽

Rafael Couto Rosa de Souza ◽

Robert Mason Hughes ◽

Marcos Callisto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

River Basin ◽

Fish Species ◽

Environmental Variables ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Fish Fauna ◽

Stream Fish ◽

Fish Diversity ◽

Physical Habitat

ABSTRACT Effects of environmental variables at different spatial scales on freshwater fish assemblages are relatively unexplored in Neotropical ecosystems. However, those influences are important for developing management strategies to conserve fish diversity and water resources. We evaluated the influences of site- (in-stream) and catchment-scale (land use and cover) environmental variables on the abundance and occurrence of fish species in streams of the Upper Araguari River basin through use of variance partitioning with partial CCA. We sampled 38 1st to 3rd order stream sites in September 2009. We quantified site variables to calculate 11 physical habitat metrics and mapped catchment land use/cover. Site and catchment variables explained > 50% of the total variation in fish species. Site variables (fish abundance: 25.31%; occurrence: 24.51%) explained slightly more variation in fish species than catchment land use/cover (abundance: 22.69%; occurrence: 18.90%), indicating that factors at both scales are important. Because anthropogenic pressures at site and catchment scales both affect stream fish in the Upper Araguari River basin, both must be considered jointly to apply conservation strategies in an efficient manner.

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Quantifying the Distribution and Diversity of Fish Species Along Elevational Gradients in the Weihe River Basin, Northwest China

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11216177 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (21) ◽

pp. 6177

Author(s):

Dandong Cheng ◽

Xiaotian Zhao ◽

Jinxi Song ◽

Haotian Sun ◽

Shaoqing Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fish Species ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Northwest China ◽

Common Species ◽

Low Flow ◽

Flow Conditions ◽

Weihe River ◽

Fish Species Composition ◽

Weihe River Basin

In this study, species compositions, distributions, and diversity patterns of fish assemblages were investigated at 50 sampling sites in the Weihe River and its two largest tributaries, the Jinghe River and the Beiluo River, under high- and low-flow conditions in 2017. For every condition tested and in the all rivers tested, Cyprinidae was the richest family, containing 17 of the 39 identified fish species. Carassius auratus was the most common species, accounting for 11.3% of the total individuals. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), analysis of similarities (ANOSIM), and similarity percentage analysis (SIMPER) revealed that fish species composition differed significantly among rivers (p < 0.05), with dissimilar species assemblages found in the different rivers. Variation was influenced by a combined effect of habitat conditions, environmental factors, and human impact. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) identified variables explaining the variation in fish species (p < 0.05), and elevation contributed the most under both flow conditions. Alpha diversity decreased with increasing elevation within rivers as a result of changing environmental conditions, especially for wetted width. Alpha and beta diversities of rivers increased with increasing drainage area, which is related to habitat heterogeneity. The decrease in alpha diversity and the increase in beta diversity with increasing elevation can be explained by variations in habitat and geographic features.

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Simultaneous absolute quantification and sequencing of fish environmental DNA in a mesocosm by quantitative sequencing technique

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-83318-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tatsuhiko Hoshino ◽

Ryohei Nakao ◽

Hideyuki Doi ◽

Toshifumi Minamoto

Keyword(s):

Fish Species ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Environmental Dna ◽

Digital Pcr ◽

Absolute Quantification ◽

Taqman Probe ◽

Individual Species ◽

Natural Environments ◽

Target Sequence

AbstractThe combination of high-throughput sequencing technology and environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis has the potential to be a powerful tool for comprehensive, non-invasive monitoring of species in the environment. To understand the correlation between the abundance of eDNA and that of species in natural environments, we have to obtain quantitative eDNA data, usually via individual assays for each species. The recently developed quantitative sequencing (qSeq) technique enables simultaneous phylogenetic identification and quantification of individual species by counting random tags added to the 5′ end of the target sequence during the first DNA synthesis. Here, we applied qSeq to eDNA analysis to test its effectiveness in biodiversity monitoring. eDNA was extracted from water samples taken over 4 days from aquaria containing five fish species (Hemigrammocypris neglectus, Candidia temminckii, Oryzias latipes, Rhinogobius flumineus, and Misgurnus anguillicaudatus), and quantified by qSeq and microfluidic digital PCR (dPCR) using a TaqMan probe. The eDNA abundance quantified by qSeq was consistent with that quantified by dPCR for each fish species at each sampling time. The correlation coefficients between qSeq and dPCR were 0.643, 0.859, and 0.786 for H. neglectus, O. latipes, and M. anguillicaudatus, respectively, indicating that qSeq accurately quantifies fish eDNA.

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