All creatures great and small: patterns in the stream benthos across a wide range of metazoan body size

SUMMARY 1. The whole metazoan community (i.e. including the meiofauna) of an acidic, fishless stream in south-east England was surveyed over 14 months between March 1999 and April 2000. Invertebrate density, biomass and taxonomic richness were assessed on each sampling occasion in relation to physico-chemical variables.
2. The meiofauna were more numerous and diverse than the macrofauna, while their total biomass occasionally equalled that of the macrofauna.
3. The meiofaunal and macrofaunal assemblages appeared to respond to different environmental factors. The meiofauna showed genuine species turnover through the year, while the macrofauna varied less in taxonomic composition though there were substantial variations in density.
4. These data suggest that the meiofauna and macrofauna exist at different temporal and spatial scales and perceive their environment with a different 'grain'.     

Diel foraging in relation to available prey in an Adirondack Mountain stream fish community

The diets of the fish community of Trucka Brook, a small stream located in the central Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, were examined in relation to the bottom fauna and invertebrate drift. Measures of overlap were calculated between the diets of each fish species examined, brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus), creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) and pearl dace (Semotilus margarita). Overlap was also examined between the fish diets and bottom and drift samples. Blacknose dace, pearl dace and brook trout had the most similar diets which were closely associated with the benthos. Creek chub had the most distinctive diets which did not compare well with any other fish species during either diurnal or nocturnal periods. The mayfly nymph Litobranchia recurvata was the most abundant bottom invertebrate and was the major prey of benthic feeding fishes. The invertebrate drift did not compare favorably with any of the fishes' diets because of the predominance of large cased limnephilid larvae (primarily Psychoglypha sp.) which were not readily consumed by fish.     

Diel activity patterns of the fish community in a temperate stream

The diel activity patterns of fishes in a temperate New Brunswick stream were studied during the summer over 5 years. Young‐of‐the year Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and blacknose dace Rhinichthys atratulus were more active during the day than at night, whereas lake chub Couesius plumbeus, brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis and adult white suckers Catostomus commersonii were more active at night than during the day. Because fishes were as likely to be nocturnal as diurnal, the data suggest that more night‐time sampling is needed to provide an unbiased view of fish community structure in temperate streams.     

Diel changes in the benthos of stones and of drift in a southern Australian upland stream

Diel changes in the density of the fauna of stones and of drift were investigated in the Toorongo River, an upland river of southern Australia. The densities of the ten most common taxa and of the total fauna in the drift and on the stones were negatively correlated, with 16 out of 33 cases being significant (p < 0.05). Five of the ten most common taxa displayed a general trend of reaching day-time peaks in the benthos (11 out of 15 cases) and night-time peaks in the drift (10 out of 15 cases). The total density on the stones reached a significant peak in the day-time while the total drift density peaked at night.     

Depth and temperature drive patterns of spatial overlap among fish thermal guilds in lakes across Ontario,Canada

Aim

The spatial distribution of ectotherms is strongly dependent on the temperature of their environments. In temperate lakes, fishes with different thermal optima can become spatially segregated during summer stratification. This habitat partitioning, or niche complementarity, may play a role in the coexistence of trophically similar species; however, the extent of partitioning is dependent on the resources available within each habitat. Although habitat partitioning of fish thermal guilds has been studied in individual lakes, broad-scale patterns of spatial overlap and segregation are not yet understood. In this study, we explore the patterns and drivers of spatial overlap among thermal guilds (cold-, cool-, and warm-water) at a broad scale.

Location

Ontario, Canada.

Methods

We built a multivariate regression tree to explore patterns and environmental drivers of spatial overlap in freshwater fishes across three thermal guilds from 438 lakes.

Results

We identified five clusters of lakes exhibiting different patterns of spatial overlap among the three thermal guilds. Temperature (growing degree days) and maximum lake depth were strong drivers of the spatial overlap patterns.

Main Conclusions

These findings provide a better understanding of broad-scale patterns of spatial overlap and allow us to predict how spatial overlap, and ultimately species interactions and competition, may change under a warming climate.     

Relationships between fish assemblages, macrophytes and environmental gradients in the Amazon River floodplain

During the flood season of 1992–1993, 139 species of fishes were collected from a floodplain lake system in the central Amazon Basin. Fish species distribution was examined relative to abiotic variables in seven vegetation strata on Marchantaria Island, Solimões River. Both environmental variables and species distributions were influenced by a river channel to floodplain-interior gradient. Species diversity was significantly higher in vegetated areas than in unvegetated areas, with deeper water Paspalum repens stands harbouring the highest diversity. As a result, species richness and catches were positively related to habitat complexity, while catch was also negatively related to dissolved oxygen (DO) and water depth. Low DO and shallow waters appeared to act as a refuge from predation. Fish assemblages were related to water chemistry, but species richness was not. Canonical correspondence analysis provided evidence that floodplain fish assemblages formed by the 76 most common species were influenced by physical variables, macrophyte coverage and habitat complexity, which jointly accounted for 67% of the variance of fish species assemblages. Omnivores showed no pattern relative to the river channel to floodplain-interior gradient while detritivores were more likely to be found at interior floodplain sites and piscivores closer to the river. Piscivores could be further separated into three groups, one with seven species associated with free-floating macrophytes in deep water, a second with five species found in shallow waters with rooted grasses and a third with six open water orientated species. The results suggest that fish assemblages in the Amazon floodplain are not random associations of species.     

太子河流域鱼类功能群结构与多样性对土地利用类型的响应

研究河岸带土地利用方式对河流生物群落的影响对河岸带管理和河流生态系统修复至关重要。研究了太子河河岸带的土地利用类型(森林用地、森林耕作用地、耕地和城镇建设用地)和鱼类功能群的关系,结果表明:栖息地质量参数在不同土地利用类型内具有显著差异,森林用地区电导率、总溶解固体、淤泥和底质含沙量比例的平均值均较低,分别为(105.05μs/cm、80.38 mg/L、65.00 mL和0%),底质类型以石块为主;耕作区的水深、流量和淤泥的平均值均是最高(186.83 m、80.11 m~3和5333.33 mL),底质类型以沙质和淤泥为主。太子河流域鱼类功能群划分为5种类型(18个亚类),在不同土地利用类型内具有差异显著,森林用地内的鱼食性、石块栖功能群、昆虫食性和黏性卵功能群的比例最高;森林耕作用地内的植食性和底层栖功能群的比例最高;耕地内的沙栖功能群、中下层栖功能群和筑巢产卵功能群的比例最高;城镇建设用地内的淤泥栖功能群、耐污种、中下层栖功能群和杂食性功能群的比例最高。研究显示,栖息地评价得分高、栖境复杂的区域其个体数量较高,而栖息地得分低、底质类型以淤泥为主的区域其个体数量较低。     

鱼类群落多样性研究的理论与方法

我国水域面积巨大,生物多样性居世界第三。然而因水体污染、水生植被破坏、湖泊围垦、江湖阻隔、过度捕捞等因素影响,目前我国许多水体的鱼类群落多样性不断下降,水生生态系统功能逐渐退化。通过鱼类群落多样性的相关研究,可在群落水平上反映水域生态系统结构与功能对生态环境变化的响应。为此,综述了鱼类群落研究中水下观察、蹦网、罩网、刺网、电捕、拖网、围网、定置张网等各种采样方法的特点,测度鱼类群落多样性的各种指数类型,距岸距离、水生植物、水深、底质、溶氧、温度、盐度等环境因子对鱼类群落多样性的影响,以及鱼类群落多样性与生态系统功能间的关系,旨在为鱼类群落多样性的研究提供理论参考,推动渔业生产与环境保护的协调发展。     

雷州半岛红树林鱼类群落结构及其与人类活动强度的关系

水产养殖、城镇建设等引起的土地利用变化使红树林生态系统遭受严重破坏,是红树林生物多样性面临的主要威胁之一。了解雷州半岛红树林鱼类群落结构,探究人类活动强度对鱼类群落结构的影响,对红树林鱼类资源保护至关重要。基于2021—2022年雷州半岛7片红树林共21条潮沟的鱼类数据,结合周边土地利用数据,研究鱼类群落结构及其与土地利用类型的关系。结果显示,共采集鉴定鱼类49种,隶属于8目25科,鲈形目鱼类最多,共33种占总种类数的75.5%,其中,虾虎鱼科种数最多,共15种占30.6%;食性上,主要为杂食性和肉食性鱼类,分别为53.06%和44.90%;各红树林Shannon-Wiener多样性指数在秋冬春三季的变化范围均为0—2.5,Simpson多样性指数均为0—0.9;各红树林鱼类个体数、物种数和生物量均存在显著差异(P>0.05);除秋季北潭与流沙湾的鱼类群落无显著差异(P>0.05)外,其余红树林间的鱼类群落在三个季度均有显著差异(P<0.05);人类活动强度、红树林面积和东西岸对鱼类多样性指数、个体数、物种数和生物量均有显著的主效应和交互效应(P<0.05);青...     

Seasonal variations in the benthos of a chalk trout stream,the River Samson,Belgium

Seasonal variations in the benthos of a Belgian chalk stream were investigated. Total biomass varies extensively over the year (30 to 100 g wet wt. m^–2). In summer, however, it is smaller than fish biomass. Densities range from 30 000 to 50 000 individuals m^–2, but the actual number of taxa is always near 60. Diversity indices (Shannon-Weaver and Pielou) exhibit slight fluctuations. Numerical indices are minimal in winter when the stream is in flood. Gravimetric indices are minimal in spring when biomass is maximal. Species-abundance curves almost always indicate a fauna with many rare species, with, also, some indication of a second maximum of moderately abundant species. Six taxa dominate: Oligochaeta, Gammarus fossarum, Ephemeroptera, Coleoptera, Trichoptera and Diptera. There are great fluctuations in their relative importance over a year. Thus, there seems to be a succession of peaks in densities of individual taxa permitting more efficient utilization of resources. However, biomass variations depend on the species involved. As a general rule, maximum biomass precedes maximum density.     

连江鱼类群落多样性及其与环境因子的关系

目前连江梯级开发至12级,为了解梯级开发后连江鱼类群落状况,于2009年3月和2010年4月对连江上、中、下游7个代表江段的鱼类群落结构以及环境因子分别进行了调查,共采集鱼类98种,分属于9目20科75属。海南墨头鱼Garra pingi hainanensis、南方长须鳅鮀Gobiobtia longibarba meridionalis为连江新纪录种。银鮈Squalidus argentatus、黄颡鱼Pelteobagrus fulvidraco、小鳈Sarcocheilichthys parvus、马口鱼Opsariichthys bidens、餐Hemiculter lecuisculus等小型鱼类在鱼类群落结构中占优势地位。对鱼类群落进行聚类分析(CLUSTER)和非度量多维标度排序(NMDS)分析结果表明连江鱼类被划分为3个类群,即下游河口类群、中下游类群及中上游类群;S2、S3两个站位鱼类物种多样性(H’)、丰富度(D’)和均匀度(J’)均高于其他站位。通过对连江各站位鱼类群落与环境因子的典型对应分析发现:河宽、温度、海拔、pH值和水坝之间的距离5个因子与鱼类群落相关性较强(P<0.05)。与历史资料对比后发现,连江鱼类种类、分布、生态类型都发生了巨大变化。     

Covariation of stream community structure and biomass of algae, invertebrates and fish with forest cover at multiple spatial scales

1. To evaluate the spatial extent of the effects of forest cover on stream ecosystems, we measured algae, invertebrate, and fish biomass and invertebrate and fish community structure in 38 small first- to third-order streams in the National Capital Region of Canada along with forest cover at different spatial scales.
2. We considered 55 spatial scales of forest cover including several buffer widths (doubling 10–320 m) and lengths (doubling 10–1280 m, entire riparian distance upstream from sampling area) and entire catchments to determine which spatial scale maximized the correlation with biomass and metrics of community structure.
3. The proportion of variability in biomass and structural metrics explained by forest cover generally increased with increasing scale, suggesting that catchment-wide disturbances are the most influential determinants of benthic and fish communities.
4. Catchment forest cover explained more variation in algal (adjusted r ²   =   0.54), invertebrate (adjusted r ²   =   0.51) and fish (adjusted r ²   =   0.33) biomass than structural metrics of invertebrates and fish (adjusted r ²   =   0.08–0.27).
5. Analyses of the partial effects of forest cover at three scales (reach, riparian and the entire catchment) on biomass and community structure metrics identified catchment and reach scales as being most influential and never detected a significant partial effect of forest cover at the riparian scale.
6. These results suggest that maintenance or protection of reach and riparian buffers alone will not sufficiently protect stream function and structure from catchment-wide impacts.     

Gradients in stream fish assemblages across a Mediterranean landscape: contributions of environmental factors and spatial structure

1. Despite wide recognition that fish assemblages are influenced by factors operating over a range of spatial scales, little effort has been devoted to quantifying large‐scale variation and the multiscale dependencies of assemblage patterns and processes. This is particularly true for Mediterranean streams, where seasonally predictable drying‐up may lead to a strong association between assemblage attributes and large‐scale factors affecting the distribution of population sources and extinction likelihood. 2. The contribution of large‐scale factors to stream fish assemblage variation was quantified across a Mediterranean landscape, in south‐west Portugal. Fish abundance and species composition were estimated at 166 sites across third‐ to sixth‐order streams, in March–July 1998. Variance partitioning by redundancy analyses was used to analyse assemblage variation against three sets of predictor variables: environmental (catchment position, and geomorphic and hydrological factors), large‐scale spatial trends and neighbourhood effects. 3. Environmental variables and spatial trends accounted for 34.6% of the assemblage variation across the entire region, and for 36.6 and 57.8% within the two largest catchments (Mira and Seixe). Neighbourhood effects were analysed at the catchment scale, increasing the explained variation to 56.1% (Mira) and 70.7% (Seixe). 4. A prevailing environmental gradient was reflected in an increase in the abundance of all species and size‐classes in relation to catchment position, with more fish present in larger streams and in downstream reaches. Variables describing geomorphic and hydrological settings were less important in explaining assemblage variation. 5. Spatial trends always accounted for the smallest fraction of assemblage variation, and they were probably associated with historical barriers to fish dispersal. The strong neighbourhood effects may be related to spatially autocorrelated habitat conditions, but they are also a likely consequence of fish emigration/extinction and colonisation processes. 6. These results emphasise that a substantial proportion of fish assemblage variation in Mediterranean streams may be explained by large‐scale factors, irrespective of microhabitats and local biotic interactions. It is suggested that this pattern results to a large extent from the seasonal drying‐up, with the summer shortage of surface water limiting fish occurrence in headwaters, and consequently the key core areas for fish concentrating in larger streams and tributaries adjacent to large streams because of neighbourhood effects.     

Associations between fish assemblages and environmental factors for Mediterranean-type rivers during summer

The structure of summer fish assemblages was examined along longitudinal gradients in 31 Mediterranean-type rivers of the middle Guadiana basin (south-west Iberian Peninsula), using data from 157 sites including small streams to deep rivers. An ordination analysis, based on 16 variables, was applied to species presence, using principal component and canonical correspondence analysis. The results for the habitat data were compared with those for the biological data using a Mantel analysis, and the agreement was highly significant. Spatial structure was considered by partitioning the total variability among the environmental and geographical variables. The fish assemblages showed longitudinal zoning during the summer, with species distributed over gradients of habitat size (depth), water quality (current and physico-chemical variables), and cover (substratum and vegetation), according to their adult size and life history. The size of the habitat that remained available in summer had the greatest biological effect, being the most important factor explaining fish species distribution and assemblage structure during this stressing season. Strictly spatial variation was low, but there was still a high residual variation. Habitat associations and life-history strategies are discussed for native and exotic species.     

Effects of fine sediment addition and removal on stream invertebrates and fish: a reach‐scale experiment

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Stream flow, salmon and beaver dams: roles in the structuring of stream fish communities within an anadromous salmon dominated stream

The current paradigm of fish community distribution is one of a downstream increase in species richness by addition, but this concept is based on a small number of streams from the mid-west and southern United States, which are dominated by cyprinids. Further, the measure of species richness traditionally used, without including evenness, may not be providing an accurate reflection of the fish community. We hypothesize that in streams dominated by anadromous salmonids, fish community diversity will be affected by the presence of the anadromous species, and therefore be influenced by those factors affecting the salmonid population. Catamaran Brook, New Brunswick, Canada, provides a long-term data set to evaluate fish community diversity upstream and downstream of an obstruction (North American beaver Castor canadensis dam complex), which affects distribution of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. The Shannon Weiner diversity index and community evenness were calculated for sample sites distributed throughout the brook and over 15 years. Fish community diversity was greatest upstream of the beaver dams and in the absence of Atlantic salmon. The salmon appear to depress the evenness of the community but do not affect species richness. The community upstream of the beaver dams changes due to replacement of slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus by salmon, rather than addition, when access is provided. Within Catamaran Brook, location of beaver dams and autumn streamflow interact to govern adult Atlantic salmon spawner distribution, which then dictates juvenile production and effects on fish community. These communities in an anadromous Atlantic salmon dominated stream do not follow the species richness gradient pattern shown in cyprinid-dominated streams and an alternative model for stream fish community distribution in streams dominated by anadromous salmonids is presented. This alternative model suggests that community distribution may be a function of semipermeable obstructions, streamflow and the distribution of the anadromous species affecting resident stream fish species richness, evenness, biomass and production.     

Annual and non-annual fish assemblages respond differently to environmental and spatiotemporal variations of temporary wetlands from southern Brazil

• The fish community of temporary wetlands is highly dynamic due to the marked seasonal changes in hydrological and limnological conditions. In this study, we evaluated spatiotemporal variation in the fish community and the influence of environmental factors on this variation in temporary wetlands in southern Brazil.
• Two different life cycles—annual and non-annual fishes—were recorded among species. Variation in the fish community appeared to be associated with differences in the life history strategy of species. While species of annual fish were present throughout the hydroperiod, gradually decreasing in density over time, non-annual fish species had an opposite pattern, with higher densities in the final phase of the hydrological cycle.
• Variations in the composition and abundance of fish community in temporary wetlands were related to habitat and landscape attributes (area, number of microhabitats and isolation between temporary wetlands) and climate indicators of water availability (air temperature, average rainfall, and water level of the São Gonçalo channel), but not to water conditions (dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity and water temperature).
• We concluded that the ichthyofauna of temporary wetlands are composed both of rare species, highly specialised for life within these ephemeral environments, and widespread generalist species that reach the wetlands opportunistically for short periods. Habitat and landscape attributes and changes in climate and hydrological variables over the hydroperiod are the factors that had the greatest influence on spatiotemporal variation of the fish community.
• Maintaining physical characteristics and the hydrological cycle of temporary wetlands is critical for the conservation of fish species inhabiting these vulnerable environments in southern Brazil. Habitat and landscape attributes and climate and hydrology fluctuations affect the annual and non-annual fishes inhabiting temporary wetlands differently.