Macrophyte assemblages in fishponds under different fish farming management

Abstract

Seasonal and inter-annual macrophyte assemblage dynamics were surveyed in ten nursery and ten main fishponds stocked primarily with common carp Cyprinus carpio fry and with common carp being reared to market size, respectively. The results indicate a significant difference in macrophyte species number and abundance between the nursery and main fishponds, with up to 24.5% of the variation in macrophyte species distribution patterns explained by fishpond management type (nursery or main) and up to 6.7% by water transparency. Fish biomass used as a fish stock proxy explained up to 13.9% of variability. Although not significant, differences in species number and abundance were found (i) between spring and summer survey periods during the growing season with both species number and abundance usually decreasing in summer, and (ii) between years of the farming production cycle with a higher species number and abundance typically found in the first year of the farming cycle in the nursery fishponds. The results increase knowledge of fishpond macrophyte assemblages and may be of interest for conservation of aquatic habitats.