Abstract
We removed fish from pools in two Arkansas streams to determine recolonization rates and the effects of isolation (i.e., riffle length, riffle depth, distance to large source pools, and location), pool area, and assemblage size on recovery. To determine pool-specific recovery rates, we repeatedly snorkeled 12 pools over a 40-day recovery period. Results indicated the effects of isolation on percent numerical recovery, but no effects of pool area or assemblage size. Numerical recovery of assemblages in pools separated from neighboring pools by short riffles occurred by day 30 whereas more isolated pools had not reached 70% numerical recovery by day 40. Recovery also was more rapid in downstream pools and in pools that were closer to large source pools. Finally, recovery patterns differed among species and size-classes, with large fish (<100 mm total length) recolonizing pools more rapidly than small fish. This is the first study to quantify species- and assemblage-level recolonization rates at the scale of individual pools and the effects of isolation on recovery. The findings of this study have potentially important implications for research aimed at understanding the ecology of stream fishes and predicting the consequences of land-use activities.
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