Patterns Of Fish Species Richness Research Articles

Drivers of contemporary lacustrine fish species richness in the glacial Lake Agassiz basin

AbstractAimBiological communities are the result of a stepwise spatiotemporal filtering process, driven by large‐scale historical and local contemporary determinants. The biogeographical pattern and species richness of North American fishes are predominantly determined by historical processes of past glaciations and postglacial dispersal and by contemporary environmental and ecological processes. We evaluated the effects of postglacial dispersal through glacial Lake Agassiz and habitat heterogeneity, represented by lake surface area, on contemporary freshwater fish species richness patterns of northwestern Ontario lakes.LocationNorthwestern Ontario, Canada.TaxonFreshwater fishes.MethodsApplying the theory of island biogeography and species–area curves, we examined the effects of isolation from the past dispersal corridor of glacial Lake Agassiz and habitat heterogeneity on species richness across 264 contemporary lakes. While controlling for correlations among the predictor variables, generalized linear models were constructed between species richness, as the response variable and the explanatory variables of lake elevation and surface area, and connection to the dispersal corridor.ResultsDifferential cover by glacial Lake Agassiz led to variation in fish species richness across contemporary lakes and it is higher in lakes that were covered by Lake Agassiz relative to basins remaining outside of the boundaries of the glacial lake. Lake surface area is the strongest predictor of species richness, while lake elevation is the strongest factor predicting isolation.Main ConclusionsHabitat heterogeneity and postglacial colonization have led to differences in fish richness within the same geographical region, which increases with lake surface area and decreases with elevation. These are likely driven by greater niche diversity facilitating the assembly of more diverse communities and isostatic rebound and fluctuating levels of Lake Agassiz isolating lakes at high elevations from the dispersal route earlier during the colonization process, respectively. These patterns underscore the importance of incorporating historical and environmental community determinants in biodiversity studies.

Circumpolar patterns of Arctic freshwater fish biodiversity: A baseline for monitoring

Abstract Climate change, biological invasions, and anthropogenic disturbance pose a threat to the biodiversity and function of Arctic freshwater ecosystems. Understanding potential changes in fish species distribution and richness is necessary, given the great importance of fish to the function of freshwater ecosystems and as a resource to humans. However, information gaps limit large‐scale studies and our ability to determine patterns and trends in space and time. This study takes the first step in determining circumpolar patterns of fish species richness and composition, which provides a baseline to improve both monitoring and conservation of Arctic freshwater biodiversity. Information on species presence/absence was gathered from the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program's Freshwater Database and used to examine patterns of freshwater fish γ‐, α‐, and β‐diversity across 234° of longitude in the Arctic. The metrics of diversity provided information on species richness and composition across hydrobasins, ecoregions, and Arctic zones. Circumpolar patterns of fish species biodiversity varied with latitude, isolation, and coarse ecoregion characteristics; patterns were consistent with historic and contemporary barriers to colonisation and environmental characteristics. Gamma‐diversity was lower in the high Arctic compared to lower latitude zones, but α‐diversity did not decrease with increasing latitude below 71°N, reflecting glacial history. Alpha‐diversity was reduced to a single species, Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus, in ecoregions above 71°N, where γ‐diversity was the lowest. Beta‐diversity indicated little variation in the composition and richness of species across the High Arctic; at lower latitudes, ecoregions contained more species, although species composition turned over across large spatial extents. In an analysis of five ecoregions in the circumpolar Arctic, physical isolation, and ecoregion area and topography were identified as strong drivers of γ‐, α‐, and β‐diversity. Physical isolation reduced the γ‐ and α‐diversity, and changes in β‐diversity between adjacent locations were due mainly to losses in species richness, rather than due to differences in species composition. Heterogeneity of habitats, environmental gradients, and geographic distance probably contributed to patterns of fish dissimilarity within and across ecoregions. This study presents the first analysis of large‐scale patterns of freshwater fish biodiversity in the circumpolar Arctic. However, information gaps in space, time, and among taxonomic groups remain. Future inclusion of extensive archive and new data will allow future studies to test for changes and drivers of the observed patterns of biodiversity. This is important given the potential impacts of ongoing and accelerating climate change, land use, and biotic exchange on Arctic fish biodiversity.

Flow regime shapes seasonal patterns of fish species richness and abundance in main and branch channels of a rice irrigation system

Current modernization of an irrigation system degrades fish habitats in quantity and quality and is a significant concern for biodiversity conservation and management of ecosystem services in rice farming landscapes. Irrigation systems consist of various types of channels, whose hydrological and hydraulic heterogeneities can contribute to the coexistence of diverse fish species in this flooded habitat. We compared seasonal patterns of fish species richness and abundance between main and branch channels which have different functions in an irrigation system with different flow temporality and magnitude: the main channels (mean width 425 cm and mean discharge 0.467 m3/s in irrigation period) and the branch channels (176 cm and 0.115 m3/s, respectively). The branch channels are small and temporary, but densities of fish species richness and abundance were not smaller than the main channels during the irrigation period. Further, clear positive hysteretic loops in species richness and abundance with discharge were found in the branch channels, which indicates that fish species richness and abundance gradually increased with discharge during this hydroperiod. Water velocity strongly constrained species richness and abundance in the main channels but not in the branch channels partially because of slow-flow patches at microhabitat scale with a larger vegetation coverage. We also found that the main channels provided deeper habitats in the non-irrigation period and contributed to maintain fish species richness and abundance. Therefore, managing both the main and branch channels as an indispensable, interconnected channel network can be a key for fish habitat conservation in an irrigation system.

Effects of a rock‐ramp fishway on summer fish assemblage in a Lake Huron tributary

AbstractThe use of nature‐like fishways to increase ecosystem connectivity has increased in recent years, but their effectiveness has rarely been evaluated. A rock ramp was constructed in the Shiawassee River in 2009, and post‐construction effects (2011–2012) were evaluated on the summer fish assemblage by comparing fish assemblage composition to a nearby free‐flowing river and a nearby river with a dam. Patterns of fish species richness, mean catch‐per‐unit‐effort and proportional abundance in reaches upstream and downstream of the rock ramp, dam and comparable sites in the free‐flowing river were evaluated. Overall, species richness by site and proportional abundance in the rock‐ramp river were more similar to the free‐flowing river, while species richness by reach was more similar to the dammed river. These findings suggest that the rock ramp has improved connectivity for the summer fish assemblage, but has not fully restored conditions to the level observed in a free‐flowing river.

Transferability of predictive models of coral reef fish species richness

Summary Understanding biodiversity patterns depends on data collection, which in marine environments can be prohibitively expensive. Transferable predictive models could therefore provide time‐ and cost‐effective tools for understanding biodiversity–environment relationships. We used fish species counts and spatial and environmental predictors to develop predictive models of fish species richness (S) for two major coral reefs located in separate ocean basins: Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR; Queensland) and Ningaloo Reef (NR; Western Australia). We tested the ability of the GBR model to predict S at NR (its transferability) under various scenarios using different sampling durations, years sampled and transect sizes. Based on R2, the GBR model poorly predicted S at NR (R2 < 16%) with few predicted values strongly correlated with observations. However, comparable spatial patterns in S across NR were predicted by both the NR and the GBR models when calibrated at similar spatio‐temporal scales. This result suggests that poor validation of the transferred models may indicate low deviance explained by the predictors in the new system (where other predictors not included might have a more direct effect on the response) and that in some situations, model transferability may be considerably improved by using data sets of similar spatio‐temporal scales. Therefore, data filtering by time and space may be required prior to transferring models. Policy implications. Transferable models can provide initial estimates of fish species richness patterns in poorly sampled systems, and thereby guide the design of better and more efficient sampling programs. Further improvements in model transferability will increase their predictive power and utility in conservation planning and management.

Predicting fish species richness and assemblages with climatic, geographic and morphometric factors: A broad-scale study in Chinese lakes

The present study was designed to investigate the relative importance of climatic (temperature and precipitation), geographic (altitude) and morphometric (lake area) factors in predicting fish species richness and assemblages in Chinese lakes at a large spatial scale. Two recursive partitioning tree-based approaches: Classification and Regression Trees (CARTs) and Multivariate Regression Trees (MRTs) were employed to generate predictive models respectively. Six fish assemblages were thus defined from the MRT model. The results indicated that lake altitude was the main determinant for predicting fish assemblages in Chinese lakes (30.43%), followed by precipitation of the driest month (10.47%), temperature annual range (3.62%) and annual mean temperature (3.15%). Validated CART model implied that precipitation of driest month, maximum temperature of warmest month and lake area were the main predictors in determining fish species richness patterns. Overall, our results indicated that the altitudinal extent and range of climatic variation was sufficient to overshadow the area effect in predicting fish species richness and assemblages in Chinese lakes. At the macroecological scale, the effect of temperature and precipitation on fish richness and assemblages also suggests future changes in fish diversity as a consequence of climate change.

Fish species incidence patterns in naturally fragmented Chihuahuan Desert streams

AbstractWe investigated how stream fragmentation affects local fish species persistence and extinction from three Rio Grande systems (Texas, USA) stream reaches with different levels of natural fragmentation. We examined species–volume (SV) relationships of fish assemblages in 42 pools across the watersheds and predicted greater fragmentation would correspond to an increase in the slope of the SV relationship due to decreased within‐reach rescue effects. In addition, we examined relationships among tributary‐specific nested subset patterns, local habitat features and spatial position of the reaches relative to the Rio Grande mainstem to better understand the importance of local and regional processes on fish species richness patterns in the stream reaches. Slopes of the SV curves did not differ among the stream reaches, but the intercepts of the SV curves were significantly different. These results indicated rescue effects among habitats within a stream reach were not apparent; however, rescue effects from the mainstem largely determined the species richness of a given stream reach. The nested subset patterns in all stream reaches were related to several local environmental factors, and large, deep pools provided important aquatic refugia in all three systems. We suggest declines in mainstem and tributary flows will likely continue to impact local and regional fish assemblage attributes. High flow events are important for dispersal and can reset tributary fish communities for the next extinction‐driven, successional cycle.

Elevational gradients in fish diversity in the Himalaya: water discharge is the key driver of distribution patterns.

BackgroundStudying diversity and distribution patterns of species along elevational gradients and understanding drivers behind these patterns is central to macroecology and conservation biology. A number of studies on biogeographic gradients are available for terrestrial ecosystems, but freshwater ecosystems remain largely neglected. In particular, we know very little about the species richness gradients and their drivers in the Himalaya, a global biodiversity hotspot.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe collated taxonomic and distribution data of fish species from 16 freshwater Himalayan rivers and carried out empirical studies on environmental drivers and fish diversity and distribution in the Teesta river (Eastern Himalaya). We examined patterns of fish species richness along the Himalayan elevational gradients (50–3800 m) and sought to understand the drivers behind the emerging patterns. We used generalized linear models (GLM) and generalized additive models (GAM) to examine the richness patterns; GLM was used to investigate relationship between fish species richness and various environmental variables. Regression modelling involved stepwise procedures, including elimination of collinear variables, best model selection, based on the least Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) and the highest percentage of deviance explained (D2). This maiden study on the Himalayan fishes revealed that total and non-endemic fish species richness monotonously decrease with increasing elevation, while endemics peaked around mid elevations (700–1500 m). The best explanatory model (synthetic model) indicated that water discharge is the best predictor of fish species richness patterns in the Himalayan rivers.Conclusions/SignificanceThis study, carried out along one of the longest bioclimatic elevation gradients of the world, lends support to Rapoport’s elevational rule as opposed to mid domain effect hypothesis. We propose a species-discharge model and contradict species-area model in predicting fish species richness. We suggest that drivers of richness gradients in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are likely to be different. These studies are crucial in context of the impacts of unprecedented on-going river regulation on fish diversity and distribution in the Himalaya.

Influence of Ecological Factors on the Patterns of Fish Species Richness in Tropical Indian Rivers

Background. Rivers in India harbouring a rich diversity of fish are at present subjected to intense anthropogenic stress leading to degradation of the habitat. An understanding of the complex ecological variables determining species richness in these rivers is lacking. The relation between the ecological parameters (climate, hydrology, and morphometry) and the fish species richness were assessed in fourteen major rivers of India. Materials and methods. The data of seven ecological variables of fourteen major rivers of India for the years 1994–2009 were quantitatively analysed for determining their influence on fish species richness. Principal factor analysis (PFA) was carried out for dimension reduction and eliminating collinearity. Subsequently, fish richness was regressed on the retained factors under generalised linear model (GLM) for determining contribution of factors towards species richness in rivers. Results. The most influential determinants of species richness were the factors such as: surface area of the river basin (0.439) followed by fish habitat availability potential (0.326) a synthesis of the variables rainfall, discharge and sediment load. The predicted loss of fish species is evident at a 10% alteration in the ecological variables of the rivers. Conclusion. The predicted loss of fish species richness is indicated at a10% alteration of the habitat factors in most of the rivers and can be useful for river planners and conservationists.

Fish Species Richness in Lowland Streams with a Geothermal Input Phenomenon, Sarapiquí de Heredia, Costa Rica

Lowland streams of the Caribbean Costa Rican slope are naturally enriched by minerals and solutes such as phosphorus, a phenomenon known as geothermal input. The resulting stream phosphorus gradient affects the food web by altering primary production, leading to complex biotic and abiotic interactions. The objective of this study was to describe fish species richness patterns in relation to a naturally occurring phosphorus gradient in three lowland streams. We hypothesized that phosphorus input in La Selva Biological Station streams is correlated with species richness. 354 individuals were identified at 4 sites: Surá, El Salto, Sábalo and Jaguar, using a cast net, a total of 150 throws were made, distributed in 10 samplings, at each site. An estimation of species richness along with alpha and beta diversity indices were calculated in order to describe fish community structure. Species richness was estimated to be higher at Jaguar but presents a lower phosphorus enrichment. Jaguar and Sábalo, differed the most while Salto and Surá were the most similar as indicated by species turnover among streams. There is a non significant relationship between phosphorus levels and diversity; however, this interesting trend encourages further studies on species richness patterns and natural nutrient enrichment of streams.

Do protected areas conserve neotropical freshwater fishes? A case study of a biogeographic province in Venezuela

The effectiveness of protected areas to conserve freshwater fishes is limited because these areas are not usually congruent with regional patterns of fish species richness and distribution. We compared the richness, distribution and abundance of coastal freshwater fishes in a biogeographic province of Venezuela to determine their conservation status. We also estimated the relevance of existing protected areas in conserving fishes in different physiographic units and tributaries by evaluating species richness and distribution. The ichthyofauna (72 spp., ~30% endemic, ~10% threatened) was distributed according to orography, drainage and physiographic units. Most protected areas had limited effectiveness for fish conservation, mainly because they were too small or included only fragments of tributaries or drainages, or because they were located only in highland drainages where species diversity was minimal. To adequately protect freshwater fishes in this province the existing protected areas should be modified and expanded.

Global and Regional Patterns in Riverine Fish Species Richness: A Review

We integrate the respective role of global and regional factors driving riverine fish species richness patterns, to develop a synthetic model of potential mechanisms and processes generating these patterns. This framework allows species richness to be broken down into different components specific to each spatial extent and to establish links between these components and the processes involved. This framework should help to answer the questions that are currently being asked by society, including the effects of species invasions, habitat loss, or fragmentation and climate change on freshwater biodiversity.

Patterns of fish species richness in China's lakes

ABSTRACTAim To document the patterns of fish species richness and their possible causes in China's lakes at regional and national scales.Location Lakes across China.Methods We compiled data of fish species richness, limnological characteristics and climatic variables for 109 lakes across five regions of China: East region, Northeast region, Southwest region, North‐Northwest region, and the Tibetan Plateau. Correlation analyses, regression models and a general linear model were used to explore the patterns of fish species richness.Results At the national scale, lake altitude, energy availability (potential evapotranspiration, PET) and lake area explained 79.6% of the total variation of the lake fish species richness. The determinants of the fish richness pattern varied among physiographic regions. Lake area was the strongest predictor of fish species richness in the East and Southwest lakes, accounting for 22.2% and 82.9% of the variation, respectively. Annual PET explained 68.7% of the variation of fish richness in the Northeast lakes. Maximum depth, mineralization degree, and lake area explained 45.5% of the fish variation in the lakes of the North‐Northwest region. On the Tibetan Plateau, lake altitude was the first predictor variable, interpreting 32.2% of the variation.Main conclusions Lake altitude was the most important factor explaining the variation of fish species richness across China's lakes, and accounted for 74.5% of the variation. This may stem in part from the fact that the lakes investigated in our study span the largest altitudinal range anywhere in the world. The effects of the lake altitude on fish species richness can be separated into direct and indirect aspects due to its collinearity with PET. We also found that the fish diversity and its determinants were scale‐dependent. Fish species richness was probably energy‐determined in the cold region, while it was best predicted by the lake area in the relatively geologically old region. The independent variables we used only explained a small fraction of the variations in the lake fish species richness in East China and the Tibetan Plateau, which may be due to the effects of human activity and historical events, respectively.

Spatio-temporal variability of richness estimators: coastal marine fish communities as examples

We assessed the performance of two estimators of species richness, the Chao2 and the Coleman 'random placement curve'. Using a dataset of intertidal fish from the Norwegian Skagerrak coast, we found that Chao2 was effective for low sampling intensity, often reaching asymptotic values for few samples, but for higher sampling intensity the performance deteriorated. For large samples, the Coleman random placement curve was more effective than the Chao2 estimates when comparing spatio-temporal patterns of species richness. Spatial patterns were clearly and consistently identified by both methods, whereas the coastal fish communities displayed too much variability in the early summer for any sensible measure of temporal patterns of fish-species richness to be made. To control for spurious results due to systematic differences in mean abundance of the samples the analyses were performed also on data standardised by the number of individuals in the samples, without any significant change in the results. We conclude that modest sampling effort is sufficient to characterise spatial patterns of coastal fish-species richness, while a detailed and high-precision description of seasonal patterns could not be obtained with any reasonable sampling effort.

Spatial Variation in Fish Species Richness of the Upper Mississippi River System

AbstractImportant natural environmental gradients, including the connectivity of off‐channel aquatic habitats to the main‐stem river, have been lost in many reaches of the upper Mississippi River system, and an understanding of the consequences of this isolation is lacking in regard to native fish communities. The objectives of this study were to describe patterns of fish species richness, evenness, and diversity among representative habitats and river reaches and to examine the relationship between fish species richness and habitat diversity. Each year (1994–1999) fish communities of main‐channel borders (MCB), side channel borders (SCB), and contiguous backwater shorelines (BWS) were sampled using boat‐mounted electrofishing, mini‐fyke‐nets, fyke nets, hoop nets, and seines at a standardized number of sites. A total of 0.65 million fish were collected, representing 106 species from upper Mississippi River Pools 4, 8, 13, and 26; the open (unimpounded) river reach; and the La Grange Reach of the Illinois River. Within pools, species richness based on rarefaction differed significantly among habitats and was highest in BWS and lowest in MCB (P < 0.0001). At the reach scale, Pools 4, 8, and 13 consistently had the highest species richness and Pool 26, the open‐river reach, and the La Grange Reach were significantly lower (P < 0.0001). Species evenness and diversity indices showed similar trends. The relationship between native fish species richness and habitat diversity was highly significant (r2 = 0.85; P = 0.0091). These results support efforts aimed at the conservation and enhancement of connected side channels and backwaters. Although constrained by dams, pools with high native species richness could serve as a relative reference. The remnants of natural riverine dynamics that remain in these reaches should be preserved and enhanced; conditions could be used to guide restoration activities in more degraded reaches.

Environmental Factors Influencing Local Fish Species Richness and Differences between Hydroregions in South‐Western France

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the influence of 5 typological variables on the spatial distribution patterns of fish species richness in south‐western France, and, subsequently, to analyse differences in the number of species occurring in 6 major hydroregions located within the overall study area. The data were collected at 329 sampling sites. General Linear Modelling was used to assess the influence of each typological variable on local fish species richness, and to determine the differences in local fish species richness between the 6 hydroregions. Local species richness was significantly influenced by altitude, slope and catchment area, whereas distance from the source and stream width showed no significant relations with local richness. The Côteaux de Gascogne hydroregion had a significantly lower species richness, whereas no significant differences occurred among other neighbouring hydroregions. These results were congruent with the spatial distribution patterns of freshwater invertebrate species richness in the area, which were analysed in previous studies. At such a regional scale, we suggest that congruent patterns between fish and invertebrate species richness are almost certainly a result of similar responses by different taxa to environmental conditions, rather than to biotic interactions. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Patterns of fish species richness in rivers of the central region of Argentina.

We analyzed the variation of fish species richness and trophic structure along an upstream-downstream gradient and identified the factors associated with the pattern observed. The fish community composition varied along a headwater-downstream gradient. Species richness and trophic structure decreased significantly with increasing altitude and increased with stream order and distance from source. Headwater communities showed a simple structure. Oncorhynchus mykiss was the only fish captured or noticeably dominant at high altitudes. Thus, headwater can be classified as "trout zones". From these zones to downstream areas fish communities changed because of the addition of other fish species. This phenomenon probably occurs because of an increase in habitat diversity.

Environmental correlates of species richness for native freshwater fish in Oregon, U.S.A.

Summary Aim To better understand how environmental factors affect fish species richness across the state of Oregon. Location Oregon, U.S.A. Methods A database showing collection locations of 4911 fish specimens in the Oregon State University museum was modified by the Oregon Natural Heritage Program to include probable occurrences, and mapped within a grid of 375 hexagons that cover the state. The individual species maps of freshwater fish in Oregon were reviewed and revised by thirty regional fish biologists and then synthesized into a single map of native species richness. We used regression tree analysis (RTA) and multiple linear regression (MLR) to assess patterns of fish species richness with twenty environmental, three anthropogenic, and two historical variables. Results RTA explained 66% of the variation in native species richness, associating richness with annual air temperature range, minimum January temperature, introduced species richness, and stream density. MLR explained 68% of native species richness variation and associated richness with maximum July temperature, air temperature range, standard deviation of monthly temperature, stream density, introduced species richness, and basin connectivity. Main conclusions We conclude that for these data and at this scale, native fish species richness in Oregon is associated with annual climatic extremes, spatial variability of climate, stream density, basin connectivity, and introduced fishes.

Predicting local fish species richness in the garonne river basin

The aim of this work was to predict local fish species richness in the Garonne river basin using three environmental variables (distance from the source, elevation and catchment area J. Commonly, patterns of fish species richness have been investigated using simple or multi-linear statistical models. Here, we used backpropagation of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to develop stochastic models of local fish diversity. Two independent data collections were used, the first one to build and test the model; the second one to validate the model. Correlation coefficients between observed values and predicted values both in the testing and the validation procedures were highly significant (r = 0.904, P< 0.001 and r = 0.822, P< 0.001, respectively J. The ANN model obtained using only three environmental variables succeeded in explaining ca 70 % of the total variation in local fish species richness. Through these findings, ANNs can be seen as a powerful predictive tool compared to traditional modelling approaches.

Global scale patterns of fish species richness in rivers

Explanations of spatial and temporal variation in species richness is a central theme in community ecology Until recently, most research has focused on small‐scale phenomena, often emphasizing on local environmental factors and, thus, poorly reflecting large‐scale processes that organize species richness In this paper, we analyze variations in species richness of indigeneous freshwater fish on a worldwide scale We show that factors related to species‐area and species‐energy theories statistically explain most of the variation in freshwater fish species richness across continents Historical events supposed to influence present distributions offish are of little assistence in explaining variations in fish species richness at the global scale Our model, which uses easily measured factors, should also be of practical value to aquatic conservation biology and natural resource management