Spatial Heterogeneity of Littoral Fish Assemblages in Lakes: Relation to Species Diversity and Habitat Structure

1992 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 1493-1500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara J. Benson ◽  
John J. Magnuson
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Spatial Heterogeneity ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Randomization Test ◽  
Data Matrix ◽  
Depth Gradient ◽  
Fish Species Composition ◽  
Number Of Individuals

We quantified the spatial heterogeneity in nearshore fish community composition within six Wisconsin lakes and examined its relation to habitat heterogeneity and species diversity. Fish abundance was estimated annually (1981–84) using seines at six sites in each lake. Substrate type, macrophyte growth form, and depth gradient were noted at each site. Species richness was estimated as the expected number of species when the number of individuals was held constant over lakes (rarefaction). Fish community spatial heterogeneity (the average percent dissimilarity in fish species composition over all possible pairs of seine sites within a lake) differed among lakes; it was positively correlated with within-lake variation in the depth gradient and with species diversity as estimated by rarefaction. We tested whether differences in community spatial heterogeneity among lakes resulted simply from differences in species diversity using a randomization test based on random permutations of the rows (seine hauls) in the species composition data matrix. Lakes differed in the extent to which the observed community heterogeneity exceeded the randomization results. Spatial heterogeneity of the fish community, as opposed to sampling phenomena resulting from differences in richness, was a strong factor in some lakes.

Estuarine characteristics, water quality and heavy metal contamination as determinants of fish species composition in intermittently open estuaries

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 941 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. O'Mara ◽  
A. Miskiewicz ◽  
M. Y. L. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Metal Contamination ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Estuarine Fish ◽  
Fish Diversity ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Fish Species Composition

Estuaries are critical aquatic environments that are used by many fish during their life cycle. However, estuaries often suffer from poor water quality as a result of anthropogenic activities. Fish diversity studies in estuaries are common, although few have examined whether correlations exist between water quality, metal contamination and fish assemblages. In the present study we investigated the effect of abiotic conditions, heavy metals and estuary characteristics on the abundance, diversity and composition of fish in four intermittently open estuaries along the Illawarra coast of south-eastern Australia. The heterogeneity of environmental conditions was reflected in the fish assemblages in each estuary. Environmental variables predicted fish species composition, and estuaries in particularly poor condition contained few species (estuarine residents) in high abundance, indicating their ability to acclimatise and survive in conditions that are hostile to other species. Overall, these findings demonstrate that estuarine fish assemblages may be useful indicators of estuary condition and reveal the importance of managing anthropogenic activities in the surrounding catchment to improve water quality so that biodiversity of fish can be restored in these estuarine environments.

Effects of distribution and structural traits of bird's nest ferns (Asplenium nidus) on oribatid (Acari: Oribatida) communities in a subtropical Japanese forest

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigenori Karasawa ◽  
Naoki Hijii
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Subtropical Forest ◽  
Oribatid Mites ◽  
Subtropical Forests ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Japanese Forest ◽  
Asplenium Nidus ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
Bird’S Nest Fern

We studied oribatid (Acari: Oribatida) communities in two distinct microhabitats (litter and root) of the bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus) in an approximately 4-ha area in a subtropical forest, Okinawa, Japan. We collected a total of 15 729 oribatid mites from 37 ferns and examined whether the size and height of the ferns and the distance between ferns affected the structure of the oribatid communities in terms of the species composition, number of individuals, density (individuals per 100 g dry wt of substrate), number of species and species diversity (Simpson's index). Oribatid communities differed significantly in species composition and density between litter and root components and were evenly distributed horizontally throughout the plot. The density of oribatid mites in the litter decreased significantly with increasing height of the ferns, and the species composition and the numbers of individuals and species in the litter were affected by fern size. Our results suggest that the litter and root of bird's nest ferns allowed diverse oribatid communities to become established, and variations in size and height of the ferns may help to maintain or enhance the diversity of oribatid communities in bird's nest ferns in subtropical forests.

Biogeographic Influences on Fish Species Composition of Northern Wisconsin Lakes with Applications for Lake Acidification Studies

1986 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank J. Rahel
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
Alkaline Lakes ◽  
Species Area ◽  
Oxygenated Water ◽  
High Alkalinity ◽  
Fish Species Composition ◽  
Chemical Conditions ◽  
Lake Size

Species–area relations, used to predict the number of fish populations lost in acidified lakes, may overestimate the number of extinctions if regression equations developed from unacidified (high-alkalinity) lakes are used to predict the number of species previously present in acidified (low-alkalinity) lakes. In 100 northern Wisconsin lakes, the species–area regression for alkaline lakes (>10 mg/L as CaCO3) had a higher intercept and greater slope than the regression for low-alkalinity, but unacidified lakes. Thus, low-alkalinity lakes had fewer species than alkaline lakes, and added species at a slower rate as lake size increased. Biogeographic factors (lake size, alkalinity, isolation from other water bodies) strongly influenced fish community composition. Small lake size appeared to exclude species requiring wave-washed, rocky substrates and species preferring cool, well-oxygenated water; such habitat is limited in small lakes. Low alkalinity and associated chemical conditions (e.g. low pH) limited the occurrence of many cyprinids and some percids (genus Etheostoma). Lake isolation (no inlet and outlet streams) appeared to have a limited effect on species composition. An exception was the reduced occurrence, in lakes without tributary streams, of species that spawn in flowing water. Fish distributions among Wisconsin lakes provide a test of habitat requirements proposed for other geographic regions.

scholarly journals Comparative analysis of tidepool fish species composition on tropical coastal rocky reefs at State of Ceará, Brazil

2008 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edna A. Cunha ◽  
Roberto A. A. Carvalho ◽  
Cassiano Monteiro-Neto ◽  
Luiz Eduardo S. Moraes ◽  
Maria Elisabeth Araújo
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Species Assemblages ◽  
Northeast Brazil ◽  
Environmental Complexity ◽  
Visual Census ◽  
Rocky Reefs ◽  
Census Techniques ◽  
Abundant Taxon ◽  
Fish Species Composition ◽  
Number Of Individuals

This study compared tidepool fish assemblages within and among habitats at Iparana and Pecém beaches, State of Ceará, Northeast Brazil, using visual census techniques. A total of 8,914 fishes, representing 25 families and 43 species were recorded. The most abundant taxon was Sparisoma spp, followed by Haemulon parra (Desmarest, 1823), Acanthurus chirurgus (Bloch, 1787) and Abudefduf saxatilis (Linnaeus, 1758). Haemulidae was the most abundant family in number of individuals, followed by Scaridae, Acanthuridae and Pomacentridae. Within- and between- site differences in species assemblages probably reflected environmental discontinuities and more localized features, such as pool isolation episodes, or environmental complexity, both acting isolated or interactively. The locality of Iparana was probably subjected to a greater fishing pressure and tourism than Pecém, a potential cause for the observed lowest fish abundance and biodiversity. We conclude that tidepool ichthyofauna may be quite variable between and within reef sites. Thus, observations taken from or damages caused on one area may not be generalized to or mitigated by the protection of adjacent sites.

scholarly journals Compositional change in fish assemblages along the Andean piedmont - Llanos floodplain gradient of the río Portuguesa, Venezuela

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Hoeinghaus ◽  
Kirk O. Winemiller ◽  
Donald C. Taphorn
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Detrended Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Fish Ecology ◽  
Compositional Change ◽  
Dca Ordination ◽  
Fish Species Composition

The Llanos is an extensive area of savannas and floodplains in central and western Venezuela that encompasses a gradual elevation gradient from the río Orinoco to the foothills of the Andean piedmont. The río Portuguesa is one of the major rivers in this region that until recently had escaped major anthropogenic impacts and still maintains substantial seasonal fish migrations. However, little work has been conducted on fish ecology in this river. The present study analyzes museum collections sampled at 28 locations along the longitudinal gradient of the río Portuguesa to assess similarity of species composition from the foothills of the Andean piedmont to the lowland llanos floodplain. The standardized samples used in this analysis contained greater than 133 species representing 6 orders and 27 families, dominated by characiforms (61 species) and siluriforms (52 species). Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) ordination of samples revealed a continual pattern of compositional change, and species are added at a faster rate than they are lost as one moves from the foothills of the piedmont to the low llanos. Based on DCA, samples from three elevational segments were found to significantly differ in fish species composition. Assemblages in the upper reaches contained unique species of loricariid catfishes, small pimelodid and trichomycterid catfishes, and small characiforms not observed at lower elevations. The lowland reach contained species of cichlids, large catfishes and characids not collected from the other two regions. Samples from the middle region revealed transitional species composition. Longitudinal species turnover probably reflects differences in environmental characteristics such as a water velocity, substrate composition and disturbance regime. Findings from this broad-scale analysis contribute to a baseline for future studies of fish ecology in this region.

scholarly journals Nycthemeral and Monthly Occupation of the Fish Assemblage on a Sheltered Beach of Baía Norte, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil

2014 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisela Costa Ribeiro ◽  
Marcelo Soeth ◽  
Vinicius Krischnegg Andrade ◽  
Henry Louis Spach ◽  
André Pereira Cattani
Keyword(s):  
Fish Community ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Santa Catarina ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Index Of Relative Importance ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
Meso Scale ◽  
Santa Catarina State

Interpreting fish community records is challenging for several reasons, including the lack of past ichthyofauna data, the cyclical temporal variations in the community, and the methodology employed, which usually underestimates fish assemblages. The objective of this study was to describe short-scale and meso-scale (nycthemeral period and months, respectively) temporal variations in the ichthyofauna composition and structure of a sheltered beach of Baía Norte (Florianópolis, Santa Catarina state, Brazil), using a capéchade net. Samples were collected monthly for a period of 48 hours. During the period from December 2010 to November 2011, a total of 19,302 individuals belonging to 89 species and 39 families were captured. The number of individuals that were sampled during the day and/or night was dependent on the sampling month. On average, the daytime assemblage was more abundant and different in structure and composition than the nighttime assemblage. Of the eight species that had the highest Index of Relative Importance (%IRI), five had higher variations (ANOVA F) between the day and night than between the months. This finding reinforced the need for sampling during both the day and night. The capéchade net effectively captured demersal and pelagic individuals in a broad range of sizes.

scholarly journals An account of snake specimens in St. Joseph’s College Museum Kozhikode, India, with data on species diversity

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 16622-16627
Author(s):  
V.J. Zacharias ◽  
Boby Jose
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Naja Naja ◽  
The Common ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
Zoology Department

This paper presents details of the snake collection in the museum of the Zoology Department, St Joseph’s College, Devagiri, Kozhikode and provides data to assess the diversity and abundance of snake fauna in the Kozhikode area of Kerala. Twenty-four species of snakes in five families are vouchered for Kozhikode region. The number of individuals catalogued in St. Josephs College collection serves as an approximate indicator of the species composition of snake fauna of the area and offers a proxy to the measure of snake abundance at Kozhikode. The most abundant well collected species in the collection was the Common Cobra, Naja naja.  

Spatial and temporal components of species diversity in Auchenorrhyncha (Insecta: Hemiptera) communities of Indochinese montane rain forest

1993 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vojtěch Novotný
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Spatial Heterogeneity ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Montane Rain Forest ◽  
Species Population ◽  
Comparable Magnitude

ABSTRACTThe Auchenorrhyncha community within the understorey of a montane monsoon rain forest in Vietnam is described. It was highly diverse, with 328 morphospecies in a sample of 1611 specimens. The community was variable in species composition with respect to space (between sites 1–5 km distant) and time (between early and late wet seasons). Differences in species composition attributable to spatial heterogeneity and to seasonal variation were of a comparable magnitude when examined by the CCA ordination. Auchenorrhyncha density, estimated by sweeping, was generally low, at 1 to 2 individuals m−3 of vegetation. There was a negative correlation between the species' population size in the early and the late wet seasons.

scholarly journals Do the assemblages of benthic macroinvertebrates in nearshore waters of Western Australia vary among habitat types, zones and seasons?

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.D. Wildsmith ◽  
I.C. Potter ◽  
F.J. Valesini ◽  
M.E. Platell
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Subtidal Zone ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Environmental Characteristics ◽  
Deposit Feeding ◽  
Number Of Individuals

Benthic macroinvertebrates were sampled seasonally in the subtidal and upper and lower swash zones at two sites in each of six nearshore habitat types on the lower west coast of Australia. The habitat types, which differed mainly in the extent of their exposure to wave activity and whether sea grass and/or nearshore reefs were present, had been distinguished quantitatively using values for a suite of seven statistically-selected enduring environmental characteristics (Valesini et al., 2003). The core samples yielded 121 species representing eight phyla, among which the Polychaeta, Malacostraca and Bivalvia were the most speciose classes, contributing ∼38, 23 and 10%, respectively, to the total number of individuals. The total number of species and mean density of macroinvertebrates at the most protected habitat type (1), i.e. 70 and 209·2 individuals 0·1 m−2, respectively, were far greater than in any other habitat type. Habitat type influenced species composition to a greater extent than either zone or season. Furthermore, the extents of the differences among the species compositions of the six habitat types statistically matched the extents of the differences among the values for the suite of enduring environmental characteristics that distinguished each of those habitat types. Overall, the species composition at habitat type 1 was the most distinct, containing five abundant species of polychaetes that were adapted to deposit-feeding in calm waters with high levels of organic material and which were rare in all other habitat types. In contrast, the fauna at the most exposed habitat type was characterized by four crustacean species and a species of bivalve and polychaete, whose mobility and tough external surface facilitated their survival and feeding in turbulent waters. The zonal differences in faunal compositions among habitat types were greatest in the case of the subtidal zone. The faunal compositions differed among zones and seasons only at the most protected habitat type.

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