Fish assemblage structure in relation to seasonal environmental variation in sub‐lakes of the Poyang Lake floodplain,China

The Yangtze River and its watershed have undergone vast changes resulting from centuries of human impacts, yet ecological knowledge of the system is limited. The seasonal variation and spatial variation of three sub‐lakes of Poyang Lake, a huge wetland in the middle Yangtze Basin, were investigated to examine how fish assemblages respond to seasonal hydrology and associated environmental conditions. In all three sub‐lakes, fish assemblage structure revealed strong variations associated with seasonal water level fluctuation. Fish species richness in all sub‐lakes was highest during the middle of the monsoon season and lowest during the dry season. Fish numerical abundance and biomass varied significantly, with several of the most common species having inconsistent patterns of seasonal variation among sub‐lakes. Fish assemblage structure was significantly associated with environmental gradients defined by water level, aquatic macrophyte coverage, conductivity and dissolved oxygen concentration. Assemblage composition in all three sub‐lakes underwent strongest shifts between December and April, the period when water levels were lowest and fishing has the greatest impact on fish stocks. Future impacts that change the hydrology of the middle Yangtze would alter the dynamics of habitat connectivity and affect environmental conditions and fish assemblages of the Poyang Lake wetland system.     

长江芜湖江段鱼类多样性及其群落结构的时空格局

为制定合理的渔业资源保护措施与管理对策,2009年按季度共4次调查了长江芜湖江段鱼类多样性及其群落结构。结果显示:该江段现有鱼类54种,其中以似鳊(Parabramis pekinensis)、油(Hemiculter bleekeri bleek-eri warpacho)、短颌鲚(Coilia brachygnathus Kreyenberg et Pappenheim)、鲫(Carassius auratus)等中小型鱼类为常见种和优势种,表明了该江段的鱼类组成存在明显的小型化特点。长江干流沿岸浅水区的鱼类多样性最高,江心深水区最低,而青弋江支流、漳河支流和漳河河口的居中,青弋江的鱼类种数和个体数都显著低于沿岸浅水区,但漳河的鱼类数量与沿岸浅水区无明显差异。江心深水区的鱼类群落与其它样点明显不同,而青弋江的鱼类群落与沿岸浅水区、漳河及其河口的鱼类群落也存在部分差异。鱼类群落结构的季节动态无显著性。     

Fish assemblages of perennial floodplain ponds of the Sacramento River, California (USA), with implications for the conservation of native fishes

To assess the likelihood of enhancing native fish populations by means of floodplain restoration projects, habitat characteristics and fish assemblages of seven perennial floodplain ponds in Yolo Bypass, the primary floodplain of the Sacramento River, California (USA), were examined during summer 2001. Although all ponds were eutrophic, based upon high chlorophyll a or dissolved nutrient concentrations, relatively large shallow ponds generally exhibited higher specific conductivity and dissolved phosphorus concentrations than small deep ponds, which exhibited greater water transparency and total dissolved nitrogen concentrations. Using multiple gear types, 13 688 fishes comprising 23 species were collected. All ponds were dominated by alien fishes; only three native species contributing <1% of the total number of individuals and <3% of overall biomass were captured. Fish assemblage structure varied among ponds, notably between engineered vs. natural ponds, and was related to specific conductance, total dissolved solids and water transparency.     

Spatial and temporal variation in fish community structure and diversity in the largest tropical flood‐pulse system of South‐East Asia

The Tonle Sap River and Lake (TSRL) is South‐East Asia's largest tropical flood pulse with a flow‐reversal system that supports one of the world's largest freshwater fisheries. However, among the world's tropical floodplains, the resources of the TSRL have received little ecological research. Here, we described the spatiotemporal TSRL fish diversity and community variation using daily records from 2012 to 2015 on fish abundance from six sites covering the TSRL system. We found that high fish diversity occurred in sites located in the middle of Tonle Sap Lake, and the lowest diversity was observed in the southern section. The spatial abundance distribution patterns displayed a river–lake gradient, with three fish assemblages that were clustered based on their composition similarities and were characterised by 96 indicator species. In the southern section, fish assemblages were characterised by longitudinal migratory fishes; in contrast, in the middle system, fish assemblages were represented by species with combined ecological attributes (i.e. longitudinal and lateral migratory species and floodplain residents). Towards the northern section, fish assemblages were composed of lateral migratory and floodplain resident species. Species richness and abundance peaked at approximately 2–2.5 and 4 months, respectively, after the peak flow in early October, during which Tonle Sap River resumes its normal flow direction (outflow). This suggests that seasonal flood pulses (i.e. rising and falling water levels) play a pivotal role in structuring spatiotemporal variation in the TSRL fish assemblages. Our study has implications for fisheries monitoring and conservation initiatives.     

Environmental and spatial processes: what controls the functional structure of fish assemblages in tropical rivers and headwater streams?

In this study, we investigated functional structure patterns of tropical headwater and river fish assemblages. We hypothesised that environmental conditions are primarily structuring headwater streams leading to functionally clustered assemblages, whereas processes that favour functional overdispersion would guide river assemblages. For 27 headwater streams and 22 rivers, we used eight functional traits for calculating two functional indexes: mean pairwise distance (MPD) and net relatedness index (NRI). We performed linear regressions between indexes and species richness, a multiple regression between NRI and eight environmental variables and a variation partitioning to disentangle the role of environment and space on NRI. Our findings indicate that fish assemblages of headwaters are structured by environmental conditions as most assemblages in this habitat displayed a tendency to clustering and MPD/NRI were not correlated with species diversity, whereas the opposite pattern was observed for river habitat. Four environmental variables (channel depth, water velocity, dissolved oxygen and turbidity) explain 56% of functional structure variation. These variables seem to function as selective filters in headwaters, whereas channel depth may be determinant for functional overdispersion of river fish assemblages. Components associated with space are also influencing the functional structure. Limitations of species dispersal through space (between both habitat types) appear as a possible cause to this. In this sense, both environmental conditions and processes linked with space are capable of influencing the functional structure of tropical headwater streams and river fish assemblages.     

Flood pulse and the dynamics of fish assemblage structure from neotropical floodplain lakes

Abstract – The dynamics of fish assemblages from seven floodplain lakes of Salado River (Argentina) was monthly analysed during two contrasting hydrological seasons. Partial canonical correspondence analysis indicated that assemblage structure was predictably linked to environmental characteristics that varied along temporal and spatial scales. Species distributed differentially along an environmental gradient of temperature, hydrometric level, conductivity, macrophyte cover and transparency in relation to their sensory capabilities (following piscivory‐transparency‐morphometry model) and life history strategies. During high water season, assemblages were associated with temperature and hydrometric level, factors which varied mainly across temporal scales and exhibit a regional range of action. During low waters, assemblage structure correlated with macrophyte cover and transparency, factors that varied fundamentally on spatial scales and have local impact. These results indicate that the determinism of fish assemblages does not vary substantially between hydrometric periods, although the environmental variables affecting fish assemblages and their scale of action are clearly different.     

三峡库区支流磨刀溪产粘沉性卵鱼类早期资源现状

研究磨刀溪变动回水区的鱼类早期资源，可为三峡库区重要生境、水生生物多样性保护提供科学依据。2019年的4-6月，在三峡库区支流磨刀溪变动回水区江段（新津乡-龙角镇）开展鱼类早期资源监测，以了解该区域鱼类早期资源种类组成、仔稚鱼密度的时间动态以及与环境因子的关系。结果表明，采集到的7种产粘沉性卵鱼类的鱼苗中，以贝氏?(Hemiculter bleekeri)、鲤(Cyprinus carpio)、鲫(Carassius auratus)为主；密度高峰期集中在4月下旬至5月中旬。磨刀溪新津口至龙角镇之间江段共分布有鲤、鲫集中产卵场4处。冗余分析(RDA)表明，饵料丰度、溶解氧和pH是影响鱼苗分布的主要因素。磨刀溪变动回水区江段是粘沉性鱼类产卵场的分布区域，三峡水库4-6月水位的快速消落，很可能导致鲤、鲫等产粘沉性卵鱼类资源的损失。建议通过短时期维持库区水位或在回水区放置人工鱼巢、恢复水生植被来减缓这种影响。     

Seasonal and spatial variation in a prairie stream-fish assemblage

Abstract – Stream-fish assemblage and environmental data for 13 sites in the upper Brazos River, Texas, USA during 1997 and 1998 were used to assess the relationship between environmental conditions, and seasonal and spatial variation in fish species abundance and distribution patterns. There was considerable spatial variation in environmental conditions among sites. Spatial variation in species diversity and species composition was related to variation in conductance (salinity), depth and current velocity among sites and streams. Species diversity increased downstream and species composition shifted from primarily cyprinodontids upstream to cyprinids downstream. Among all dominant species, spatial components of variation in fish abundance were greater than seasonal components, suggesting that assemblage structure is determined more by average or persistent differences in environmental conditions among sites than by seasonal variation in environmental conditions.     

Biogeographic freshwater fish pattern legacy revealed despite rapid socio‐economic changes in China

Understanding drivers of freshwater fish assemblages is critically important for biodiversity conservation strategies, especially in rapidly developing countries, which often have environmental protections lagging behind economic development. The influences of natural and human factors in structuring fish assemblages and their relative contributions are likely to change given the increasing magnitude of human activities. To discriminate natural and human drivers of fish diversity and assemblage patterns in developing countries with rapid socio‐economic development, a dataset of 908 freshwater fish species and 13 metrics including three categories of both natural (i.e., biogeographic) and human drivers (i.e., economic growth, inland fisheries) in China were analysed with machine learning algorithms (i.e., self‐organizing map, random forest). Here, we found that biogeographic drivers explained 21.8% of the observed fish assemblage patterns in China and remained stronger predictors when compared to human drivers (i.e., 15.6%, respectively). Freshwater fish species richness was positively correlated to rainfall, air temperature, surface water area and inland fisheries production but negatively correlated with urbanization. In addition, the strong structuring effects of climatic variables on Chinese fish richness patterns suggested that the fish assemblages could be particularly vulnerable to climate change. Our results showed that natural biogeographic factors still dominate in driving freshwater fish assemblage patterns despite increased human disturbances on aquatic ecosystems in a rapidly developing country. These findings consequently suggested that we should consider both natural (e.g., climate) and human (e.g., urbanization, inland fisheries) factors when establishing aquatic conservation strategies and priorities for developing countries that are experiencing rapid socio‐economic changes.     

Polychaetes as indicators of marine fish farm organic enrichment

Marine fish farms cause environmental disturbance of sediment due to uneaten food and fish faeces that accumulate on the sea bottom. These products give rise to organic enrichment followed by degradation processes; reduction of level of dissolved oxygen in the bottom water; generation of high levels of sulfides; changes of benthic assemblages and even azoic conditions. The soft bottom benthic communities and, above all, the polychaetes are considered good indicators of environmental perturbations considering their relatively fast changes in diversity and abundance and because their trophic flexibility and life-history traits are considered a pre-adaptation to the condition of disturbed habitats. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the polychaete population changes as a result of organic enrichment produced by a marine fish farm. The study was carried out on a fish farm located in the coastal water of Porto Ercole (Tyrrhenian Sea) with two submersible sea cages and a year production of 180 tonnes. The macrobenthos samples were collected during four campaigns (July and December 2001, May and October 2002). The results showed: 1) a rapid change of the assemblage located beneath the cages related to the fish biomass reared and a high dominance of the opportunistic Capitella spp.; 2) limited sediment disturbance close to cages (20–50 m); 3) no effect in the area 50 m beyond the cages. Two months after the fish harvest and thus reduction of organic enrichment, perturbated assemblages showed signals of recovery like species richness increase and reduction of opportunistic species.     

南昌市13个湖泊的鱼类群落结构及其物种多样性特征

为了解南昌市面积1 km2以上湖泊的鱼类群落结构及其物种多样性特征,探究影响湖泊鱼类群落结构空间分布的环境因子,于2019-2020年在南昌市13个湖泊进行了鱼类资源调查。结果显示,采集到的39种鱼类隶属5目、9科、33属;优势种以鲫（Carassius auratus）、?（Hemiculter leucisclus）为主;不同湖泊的鱼类群落结构被划分为3个类群,与湖泊功能定位密切相关。鱼类Shannon-Wiener多样性指数值平均值为2.15,丰富度指数平均值为2.97,均匀度指数平均值为0.92,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、丰富度指数与湖泊面积、水深、pH和透明度存在显著的相关性。冗余分析（RDA）表明,水深、pH、总氮和氨氮是引起鱼类群落结构在南昌市不同湖泊间差异的主要影响因子,人为活动干扰可能对调查区域内湖泊的鱼类群落结构和生物多样性特征施加影响。     

Fishes of the Irrawaddy River: Diversity and conservation

1. Few conservation studies have examined fish communities in entire drainage basins, especially in developing regions such as Southeast Asia, one of the most diverse biomes globally. The aim of this study was to establish conservation projections for the whole of the Irrawaddy River system, based on fish diversity patterns, human impact, and environmental change.
2. The Irrawaddy River is one of the five largest rivers in Southeast Asia. Although it has very high diversity of fish species and species endemism, our understanding of resident fish status remains poor.
3. Based on 1,726 field survey and 1,056 database records, 470 fish species and their distribution patterns (i.e. alpha, beta, threatened species, and endemic species diversities) in sub-basins of the Irrawaddy drainage were identified. Canonical correspondence analysis of diversity and environmental patterns indicated that climatic factors had the largest effect on diversity, compatible with the species–energy theory.
4. Fish conservation priorities of sub-basins were evaluated based on diversity patterns and human impact. The delta and Manipur basin regions were highlighted as areas of focus for future fish diversity conservation, and the importance of connectivity in the Irrawaddy main stem was demonstrated.
5. The results of this study will be valuable for future management of the Irrawaddy basin and as a reference for other river basins when implementing protection strategies for fish diversity. This study also advocates the need for systematic investigations across entire drainage basins and further detailed studies on the ecological conditions of poorly studied river systems.

     

Habitat heterogeneity in eelgrass fish assemblage diversity and turnover

相似文献   

Discontinuity in fish assemblages across an elevation gradient in a southern Appalachian watershed, USA

Abstract –  We examine patterns in fish species assemblages in the Toxaway and Horsepasture rivers, two high elevation streams in North Carolina, USA. This region is noted for extreme topographical relief, high cumulative annual rainfall and many rare and endemic plants and animals. The study area encompasses a portion of the Blue Ridge Escarpment and the associated Brevard Fault Zone. We hypothesise that major waterfalls and cascade complexes have acted to limit invasion and colonisation by fishes from downstream. This hypothesis is supported by longitudinal fish assemblage patterns in our study streams. Fish species richness in Toxaway River increased from 4 to 23 between Lake Toxaway and Lake Jocassee, a distance of 10 river km. We found similar discontinuities in neighbouring Horsepasture River and Bearwallow Creek. We found no instances of species replacement along this elevation gradient, and the trend in increased diversity downstream showed discontinuities coincident with sharp elevation breaks. With regard to theories posited to explain community formation in headwater stream fish communities (especially in those characterised by high topographical relief), we suggest coloniser 'access' may be more important than other factors including competitive interactions.     

夏季台湾海峡北部及邻近海域鱼类群落结构及环境解释

根据2014年7月台湾海峡中部、北部及邻近水域渔业资源底拖网调查资料,分析了该水域的鱼类群落结构,包括种类组成、区系特点、优势种、多样性及空间分布等,探讨了鱼类群落结构与环境因子的关系,并阐述了鱼类群落的群聚结构。结果表明,调查海域共捕获鱼类84种,隶属于16目、48科、69属。从种类数上看,适温类型以暖水种为主,区系类型以大陆架浅水底层鱼类以及大陆架岩礁性鱼类为主;从生物量组成上看,区系类型则以大陆架浅水中低层鱼类为主。优势种为带鱼(Trichiurus japonicus)和七星底灯鱼(Benthosema pterotum),合计渔获质量占总渔获质量的46.92%,对总渔获质量的回归贡献值分别为0.30和0.62;高生物量区集中分布在台湾海峡北口海域,在空间上表现为明显的生态位重叠。层次聚类分析将群落优势物种划分为2个主要的生态类型:沿海类型和广布类型,沿海类型的代表性物种包括龙头鱼、黄鲫、鳓;广布类型物种有带鱼、窄颅带鱼、七星底灯鱼、竹荚鱼、刺鲳、麦氏犀鳕。Shannon-Wiener多样性、Pielou均匀度和Margalef丰富度的变化范围分别为0.22~2.31、0.11~0.72、0.36~4.04,平均值分别为1.44、0.51、1.59,丰富度与总渔获质量表现为显著负相关(r=?0.65),与深度显著正相关(r=0.48)。物种?环境典范对应分析表明,与物种空间结构关系密切的影响因子为底盐、底层无机氮、底温、表底温差和水深;而影响群落优势群体分布的因子为底温、底盐和底层无机氮。     

Genetic differentiation of the bronze featherback Notopterus notopterus between Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake populations by mitochondrial DNA analysis

ABSTRACT:   Although the bronze featherback Notopterus notopterus is an important fish in South-East Asia, the population structure has not been investigated. In this study, genetic diversity and population structure of the bronze featherback were examined using nucleotide sequence analysis of the mitochondrial DNA control region for 332 fish collected from Tonle Sap Lake and the Mekong River in Cambodia. The average nucleotide diversity (π) of all samples was 0.033, and the Mekong River samples had higher nucleotide diversity (0.034) than Tonle Sap Lake samples (0.028). The nucleotide diversity between the lake and river samples varied from 0.029 to 0.037. The genetic differentiation between the river and lake populations was also supported by the pairwise F -statistic values and hierarchical analysis of molecular variance, indicating that the Tonle Sap Lake population is genetically isolated from the population in main stream of the Mekong River.     

补远江鱼类多样性研究

根据澜沧江下游一级支流补远江2006年鱼类洄游季节3～6月的采样数据,分析了该流域鱼类多样性,并结合同期水文、水质数据,应用人工神经网络分析环境因子与鱼类多样性的关联。结果表明,2006年3～6月共采集补远江鱼类34种,隶属于3目8科22属,其中有8种洄游鱼类。3月份多样性指数最高,各月均匀度指数无差异,4、6月优势度指数高,主要是优势种马口鱼、月斑长臀鲃造成。4、5月鱼类组成相似性最高。最低水位对鱼类数量影响最大,其次是平均流速和平均水温;最高水温对鱼类体重影响最大,其次是总磷和溶解氧。人工神经网络下模拟值与实测值相关性高,具较好的适用性。     

Spatial distribution patterns of fish egg and larval assemblages in the lower reach of the Yangtze River: Potential implications for conservation and management

1. River fish diversity is threatened by anthropogenic environmental alteration to landscapes. The early life-history stages of fish play an important role in maintaining diversity and population recruitment and can be heavily influenced by landscape patterns. Information on temporal and spatial distribution patterns of fish eggs and larvae is also important for biodiversity conservation and management of fish resources.
2. The Yangtze River possesses a high diversity of fishes, including many commercially important species. The economy along the lower reach of the river is well developed, and most of the area is experiencing high pressure from human impacts. This section of the Yangtze River connects with the largest freshwater lake in China at the upstream end and flows into the estuary at the downstream end. These two landscape features are likely to have a significant impact upon the spatial distributions of fish egg and larval assemblages.
3. Environmental variables, fish eggs, and larval assemblages were sampled in three locations, at Hukou, Anqing, and Jingjiang, in the lower reach of the Yangtze River. The results suggest that the higher number of species and greater abundance in upstream sites reflect the critical function of connectivity of Poyang Lake with the river for fish recruitment in the lower Yangtze. The delayed bloom of larval fish, occurrence of estuarine species, and a lower species number and abundance of freshwater fish downstream reflect the influence of tidal intrusion from the estuary.
4. This study highlights the value of maintaining natural river–lakes connectivity in the Yangtze River as a conservation measure. The connected river–lake system should be designated as a priority area for fish resource protection in the lower reach of the Yangtze River. We recommend further measures to break down barriers between the river and other lakes and to restore the natural lateral connectivity of the floodplain ecosystem.

     

What controls fish functional diversity patterns in Colombian Andean streams?

Understanding the mechanisms that structure communities have been a major challenge in ecological theory. Functional trait-based approaches are increasingly used for studying the processes underlying community assembly. However, species-poor systems of Andean streams these processes are largely unknown. Tropical Andean streams are highly variable in space-time and characterised by the harsh or stable environment, resulting in a high taxonomic and ecological diversity. In this study, we tested the influence of environmental variables on the fish functional structure. We proposed that in ecosystems with harsh environments, environmental filtering will structure fish assemblages, and in ecosystems with a more stable environment, limiting similarity will prevail, increasing functional diversity. We analysed fish assemblages using functional diversity indices, fourth-corner RLQ analyses and multiple regression models. Environmental variables such as altitude, stream width, sub-Andean vegetation and pH influenced functional diversity. For instance, high values of functional redundancy were registered at high elevation streams, reflecting fish assemblages composed of highly dominant species with similar functional traits such as species of the genus Astroblepus. However, we found differences between Astroblepus species in the number and distance of gill rakers which might indicate resource partitioning and coexistence. On the other hand, our results show both stochastic dynamics and environmental filtering are structuring fish assemblages in low and high elevation Andean streams respectively.