首页 | 本学科首页   官方微博 | 高级检索  
相似文献
 共查询到20条相似文献,搜索用时 31 毫秒
1.
  1. Freshwater communities are threatened by the conversion of natural landscapes for urban and agricultural purposes. Changes to land use may disrupt stream nutrient and geomorphological processes and reduce water quality, increase sedimentation, and decrease habitat heterogeneity eventually leading to species loss and decreases in ecosystem productivity. Endemic species are frequently at greater risk of habitat-mediated fragmentation and extirpation due to their constrained distributions.
  2. The Kanawha darter (Etheostoma kanawhae) is an understudied fish endemic to the New River Drainage in North Carolina and Virginia, USA. To investigate the potential effect(s) of land-use change on Kanawha darters, naïve occupancy was modelled using instream habitat characteristics and upstream forest cover.
  3. Generalized linear models revealed that instream habitat and forest cover are reliable predictors of Kanawha darter site occupancy. Specifically, models demonstrated that occupancy increased in reaches with reduced stream width, velocity, and bedrock substrate but higher concentrations of coarse woody material. Kanawha darter occupancy was also positively associated with the extent of forest cover in upstream catchments.
  4. Although Kanawha darters are not currently considered imperilled, most populations occurred in isolated reaches separated by large sections of unoccupied habitat. Continuing ex-urban development in riparian zones is likely to be the primary threat to Kanawha darters and other endemic species in this catchment. Resource managers and stakeholders should preserve forest cover in headwaters and occupied tributaries and protect or restore riparian zones along the main-stem South and North Forks of the New River to preserve high-quality habitat and enhance connectivity among isolated Kanawha darter populations.
  5. As human populations in montane regions continue to grow, there is a need to understand how land-use change affects endemic freshwater species. This study further supports the importance of retaining forest cover as an effective strategy for protecting and restoring populations of endemic fishes in high-gradient streams.
  相似文献   

2.
Abstract – The ashy darter, Etheostoma cinereum, is an imperiled fish within the Cumberland and Tennessee drainages of the southeast United States. An understanding of habitat associations and the relationship of habitat use across multiple spatial scales are critical elements in its conservation. Our objectives were to quantify habitat associations at the stream reach and microhabitat scales for adult and juvenile darters, and to understand the linkage between the two scales based on gradients of habitat use. We focused our efforts within the Rockcastle River, Kentucky (Cumberland River drainage), because the watershed was known to contain a relatively large ashy darter population. Three hundred twenty‐two individuals were collected from 21 reaches. The species was restricted to the mainstem of the river and the lower reaches of the larger tributaries. The distribution and abundance of adult and juvenile darters differed significantly at each spatial scale, and both groups demonstrated non‐random use of the available habitat. Gradients of stream size and substrate size were identified as important factors. A threshold of environmental quality was determined based on the habitat use patterns among the two scales. Habitat use between the two scales was independent within the threshold, indicating that the specific quality of the microhabitats did not necessarily matter within a stream reach. However, beyond the threshold, a decrease of at least 48% in adult and juvenile darter abundance was seen, indicating that a sufficient network of suitable microhabitats is needed to support a good population of darters within a stream reach.  相似文献   

3.
The only known extant population of the diamond darter (Crystallaria cincotta) exists in the lower 37 km of Elk River, WV, USA. Our understanding of diamond darter habitat use was previously limited, because few individuals have been observed during sampling with conventional gears. We quantified microhabitat use of diamond darters based on measurements of water depth, water velocity and per cent substrate composition. Using spotlights at night‐time, we sampled 16 sites within the lower 133 km of Elk River and observed a total of 82 diamond darters at 10 of 11 sampling sites within the lower 37 km. Glides, located immediately upstream of riffles, were the primary habitats sampled for diamond darters, which included relatively shallow depths (<1 m), moderate‐to‐low water velocities (often < 0.5 m·s?1) and a smooth water surface. Microhabitat use (mean ± SE) of diamond darters was estimated for depth (0.47 ± 0.02 m), average velocity (0.27 ± 0.01 m·s?1) and bottom velocity (0.15 ± 0.01 m·s?1). Substrate used (mean ± SE) by diamond darters was predominantly sand intermixed with lesser amounts of gravel and cobble: % sand (52.1 ± 1.6), % small gravel (12.2 ± 0.78), % large gravel (14.2 ± 0.83), % cobble (19.8 ± 0.96) and % boulder (1.6 ± 0.36). Based on our microhabitat use data, conservation and management efforts for this species should consider preserving glide habitats within Elk River. Spotlighting, a successful sampling method for diamond darters, should be considered for study designs of population estimation and long‐term monitoring.  相似文献   

4.
We investigated habitat specificity of the amber darter (Percina antesella Williams & Etnier 1977), an imperiled fish from restricted portions of 2 rivers in the southeastern United States. Foraging amber darters occupied a narrow range of riffle habitat, consistently avoiding areas < 20 cm deep and with velocity < 10 cm. s?1 near the substrate, occupying areas with cobble or gravel substrate and average water-column velocity of 30 to 70 cm. s?1. During low to mo'derate flows, approximately 20% or more of the study areas contained suitable habitat for the species. Amber darters appeared rare, and the numbers of individuals were uncorrelated with the concurrent availability of suitable habitat. Protecting the amber darter may require more than maintaining adequate depths and velocities over gravel-cobble substrates. Until we understand the potential importance of migration and dispersal for maintaining small populations, suitable habitat should be maintained over the longest contiguous stream segments possible.  相似文献   

5.
To understand the interplay between habitat use and contemporary anadromous Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus spp., distributions we explored the habitat associations of three species, pink (O. gorbuscha), chum (O. keta) and Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) in streams of the Wood River system of Bristol Bay, Alaska, where sockeye salmon (O. nerka) are numerically dominant. We developed models to investigate the occurrence of nondominant salmon in relation to habitat characteristics and sockeye salmon density, using four decades of salmon presence and abundance data. The frequency of occurrence and abundance of nondominant species increased with watershed drainage area and stream depth and decreased with sockeye salmon density. The range of occurrence varied from nonexistent to perennial for the other species in sockeye‐dominated streams. Increasing watershed area resulted in larger stream habitat area and deeper habitats, allowing for the sympatric occurrence and persistence of all salmon species. The relationships between habitat and the presence of these Pacific salmon help define their requirements but also remind us that the patterns of presence and absence, within the overall ranges of salmon species, have yet to be fully understood.  相似文献   

6.
7.
Stream fish distributions are commonly linked to environmental disturbances affecting terrestrial landscapes. In Great Plains prairie streams, the independent and interactive effects of watershed impoundments and land cover changes remain poorly understood despite their prevalence and assumed contribution to declining stream fish diversity. We used structural equation models and fish community samples from third‐order streams in the Kansas River and Arkansas River basins of Kansas, USA to test the simultaneous effects of geographic location, terrestrial landscape alteration, watershed impoundments and local habitat on species richness for stream‐associated and impoundment‐associated habitat guilds. Watershed impoundment density increased from west to east in both basins, while per cent altered terrestrial landscape (urbanisation + row‐crop agriculture) averaged ~50% in the west, declined throughout the Flint Hills ecoregion and increased (Kansas River basin ~80%) or decreased (Arkansas River basin ~30%) to the east. Geographic location had the strongest effect on richness for both guilds across basins, supporting known zoogeography patterns. In addition to location, impoundment species richness was positively correlated with local habitat in both basins; whereas stream‐species richness was negatively correlated with landscape alterations (Kansas River basin) or landscape alterations and watershed impoundments (Arkansas River basin). These findings suggest that convergences in the relative proportions of impoundment and stream species (i.e., community structure) in the eastern extent of both basins are related to positive effects of increased habitat opportunities for impoundment species and negative effects caused by landscape alterations (Kansas River basin) or landscape alterations plus watershed impoundments (Arkansas River basin) for stream species.  相似文献   

8.
We investigated the summer ecology of juvenile steelhead trout Onchorhynchus mykiss and Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha in the context of habitat use and movement behaviour. The study area was a 14.8 km section of the Chehalis River, Washington, and is of particular interest due to recent proposals for both a flood retention dam and restoration actions in this watershed. Ten study reaches were paired in distance upstream and downstream from a central point where a passive integrated transponder antenna array was operated between late June and September 2014. Juvenile densities for each species were associated with reach‐scale habitat and temperature characteristics. Juvenile steelhead underwent upstream and downstream movements up to 7 km, although more fish from further away moved downstream than upstream. Juvenile steelhead repeated horizontal movements throughout the study period, but daily detections were not associated with temperature or flow. The majority (81%) of steelhead movements occurred between the hours of 04:00–07:00 and 18:00–21:00. Juvenile Chinook underwent a downstream migration that was nearly complete by the end of August. Most juvenile Chinook were detected just once and movements occurred on days with warmer stream temperature and higher flows. The majority of Chinook movements occurred at night. Although juvenile salmonids are often thought to have small home ranges during summer months, our results suggest that horizontal movements may be more prevalent than previously thought. Summer habitat should be defined by a network of suitable rearing reaches with connectivity available in both upstream and downstream directions.  相似文献   

9.
Habitat occupancy patterns of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in two large Canadian Shield lakes were modelled based on detections of fish from repeated depth‐stratified surveys over several summers. Lake trout and lake whitefish consistently occupied sites outside traditional thermal envelopes and were not detected at some sites within these ranges. This included the metalimnion and shallow epilimnion for lake trout and lake whitefish in Lake Opeongo. Physical habitat covariates were not important in defining lake trout habitat in both lakes. Physical habitat as represented by the hardness/softness gradient based on acoustic substrate surveys was important for lake whitefish in Lake Opeongo but not in Smoke Lake. In addition, thermal envelopes for lake whitefish differed between the lakes possibly because of differences in substrate slope. The wash zone of lakes, where the thermocline contacts the substrate, appears to be a physical habitat feature for lake whitefish in some lakes. Lake whitefish also exhibited diurnal activity behaviour that was reflected through greater detection rates in the morning versus the afternoon. By accounting for imperfect detection, true estimated overall occupancy of lake trout and lake whitefish increased 0.15–0.30 over naïve occupancy. Thermal habitat envelopes for lake trout and lake whitefish are wider than previously thought. Lake trout occupied a consistent thermal habitat envelope while lake whitefish varied between lakes likely because of lake specific differences in basin morphology and wash zone.  相似文献   

10.
11.
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.  相似文献   

12.
Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are an iconic freshwater salmonid native to northeastern North America. They prefer cold, clean rivers and lakes, and have been culturally, socially and economically valued for decades. Overharvest and deforestation associated with European settlement in southern Ontario, Canada led to notable declines in brook trout abundance in rivers and streams by the late 1800s. Today, they are threatened by further habitat degradation, non-native species, and climate change. In this study, we document brook trout occupancy in rivers and streams of the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone in southern Ontario, between 1970–1980 and 2000–2010. We used generalised linear models to determine occupancy variation between the two time periods at five spatial scales spanning multiple watershed levels. We detected a decline in occupancy between time periods for the tertiary (from 23% to 17%) and quaternary (from 35% to 22%) watershed scales. In the Credit River-Sixteen Mile Creek watershed, mean occupancy decreased to a third of past estimate (from 31% to 10%). For a subset of 86 sites with overlapping sampling in both periods no temporal trend was detected, but a post-hoc analysis indicated low statistical power (0.07), which suggested that more intensive sampling would be needed to better quantify brook trout occupancy changes at this scale. The occupancies quantified for the past period in our study may serve as benchmarks for brook trout restoration efforts.  相似文献   

13.
The dispersal ecology of most stream fishes is poorly characterised, complicating conservation efforts for these species. We used microsatellite DNA marker data to characterise dispersal patterns and effective population size (Ne) for a population of Roanoke logperch Percina rex, an endangered darter (Percidae). Juveniles and candidate parents were sampled for 2 years at sites throughout the Roanoke River watershed. Dispersal was inferred via genetic assignment tests (ATs), pedigree reconstruction (PR) and estimation of lifetime dispersal distance under a genetic isolation‐by‐distance model. Estimates of Ne varied from 105 to 1218 individuals, depending on the estimation method. Based on PR, polygamy was frequent in parents of both sexes, with individuals spawning with an average of 2.4 mates. The sample contained 61 half‐sibling pairs, but only one parent–offspring pair and no full‐sib pairs, which limited our ability to discriminate natal dispersal of juveniles from breeding dispersal of their parents between spawning events. Nonetheless, all methods indicated extensive dispersal. The AT indicated unrestricted dispersal among sites ≤15 km apart, while siblings inferred by the PR were captured an average of 14 km and up to 55 km apart. Model‐based estimates of median lifetime dispersal distance (6–24 km, depending on assumptions) bracketed AT and PR estimates, indicating that widely dispersed individuals do, on average, contribute to gene flow. Extensive dispersal of P. rex suggests that darters and other small benthic stream fishes may be unexpectedly mobile. Monitoring and management activities for such populations should encompass entire watersheds to fully capture population dynamics.  相似文献   

14.
The availability of water is becoming more variable as flow regime alterations intensify both locally and on a global scale. This pattern has been observed in the tributaries of the central Chattahoochee River System as water withdrawal and natural drought have caused flows to diminish. Stream discharge has steadily decreased in the study area by 31% over the last 50 years, and during this time, fish assemblage homogenization has occurred throughout the system. Our primary objective was to assess whether spawning mode and water availability are catalysts for fish assemblage change in tributaries of the Chattahoochee River System. We found that species which prefer or have adapted to low flow conditions (e.g. blacktail shiner Cyprinella venusta, redbreast sunfish Lepomis auritus and blackbanded darter Percina nigrofasciata) are becoming dominant and replacing historically dominant fluvial specialists. When examining short‐term changes between a dry year (2009) and a wet year (2010), some species preferring higher flows such as the highscale shiner Notropis hypsilepis were detected during the wet year, suggesting that the amount of water is important for the presence of these species in upstream reaches where they were historically abundant. Species that can reproduce successfully in low flow conditions are thriving and expanding their native ranges as more habitat becomes suitable. Species that require higher flows for part of their life cycle, however, appear to be declining from upstream areas as water availability continues to decrease, despite temporary recovery from downstream refugia during wet years.  相似文献   

15.
Abstract –  Life history strategies and migratory patterns of 71 adult radio-tagged bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus , were studied in the Secesh River watershed within the South Fork Salmon River (SFSR) sub-basin in west-central Idaho, USA during 2003 and 2004. In both years, upstream migrations occurred during late June and early July, migrations into two spawning tributaries during late July and early August, spawning from mid-August through mid-September, and rapid downstream (postspawning) migrations from late August to mid-September. Primary over-wintering areas were Loon Lake, the lower Secesh River (downstream of Loon Creek), and the lower SFSR (downstream of the confluence with the Secesh River). Loon Lake evidently provides sufficient production to allow the adfluvial life history strategy to persist and predominate in the Secesh River, while the fluvial life history strategy was previously found to predominate in the nearby East Fork SFSR. Adfluvial, nonconsecutive-year migrations were the predominant life history strategy. Only seven fish made consecutive-year migrations to Lake Creek; however, only one of these fish, a female, utilised a spawning tributary in both years and showed spawning tributary fidelity. Three consecutive-year migrants and three in-season migrants showed over-wintering site fidelity by returning to Loon Lake in September, 2004. The life history variations observed for bull trout in the Secesh River watershed are similar to those observed for bull trout throughout their range and to those of other charr species worldwide, yet the development of distinct migration patterns demonstrate the adaptability of the species to a range of available habitats.  相似文献   

16.
Abstract –  We examined microhabitat use by gilt darters ( Percina evides ) in two streams in the south-eastern USA. Darters were over-represented in erosional microhabitats with higher average velocities and more cobble. Male darters tended to show stronger selection than females. Size-based analyses showed that larger (≥60 mm) gilt darters tended to use microhabitats with more heterogeneous substrata and more boulder than smaller (≤59 mm) darters. We also conducted a short-term movement study and calculated population estimates based on mark–recapture data in autumn 2005. Darters moved both long and short distances with 40% of all recaptures occurring within 5 m of the initial capture point. Using Program mark and model-averaged parameter estimates gilt darter density was 0.31 darters·m−2 (225 darters/730 m2). Conservation of this species will require the preservation of erosional habitats in streams.  相似文献   

17.
Flooding river valleys following construction of dams restrict fluvial environments to reaches that were formerly headwaters. Whether remaining habitat is suitable for all life stages of fluvial species is poorly understood. A fluvial species, Arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus, showed a dramatic decline following flooding of the Upper Peace River and the formation of the Williston Reservoir. We related landscape and field site‐specific features with occurrence of juvenile Arctic grayling using an information theoretic approach. For the landscape model, an association was identified between stream order and Arctic grayling occurrence although stream order alone was a poor predictor. A positive association between juvenile Arctic grayling occurrence and distance from the Williston reservoir and stream order, as well as a negative association with water temperature and temperature variance, was deemed important for the field site model. Both modelling approaches indicated size of stream system to be an important influence on occurrence of juvenile grayling in the Williston watershed. River length required for suitable river habitat for salmonids has not previously been identified, but should be factored into future management plans when evaluating the impact of proposed hydroelectric dams and subsequent flooding of river systems.  相似文献   

18.
19.
  1. Reservoirs and associated river fragments are novel ecosystems not experienced by fishes in their evolutionary history, yet they are now commonplace across the globe. Understanding how fishes use these novel habitats is vital to conservation efforts in contemporary riverscapes.
  2. Movement patterns of the endangered razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) synthesized from tagging efforts in the upper Colorado River basin, USA, illustrate the applications of tagging technology and data sharing by multiple agencies to better understand the spatial ecology of large river fishes.
  3. Tagging studies between 2014 and 2018 in Lake Powell and its two main tributary rivers, the Colorado (unfragmented) and San Juan (waterfall‐fragmented), were used to quantify movement of razorback sucker within this river–reservoir habitat complex. In addition, facilitated translocations of fish upstream of a waterfall barrier in the San Juan River were assessed in 2016–2017.
  4. Extensive movement of fish occurred within and across river and reservoir habitats. Of 722 fish captured in the Colorado River arm of Lake Powell, 36% of re‐encounters occurred upstream in the Colorado or Green rivers, or fish dispersed through the reservoir and were detected in the San Juan River arm. Fourteen fish moved more than 600 km. In the San Juan arm of the reservoir, 29% and 20% of fish in 2017 and 2018, respectively, had moved ~30–40 km upstream below the waterfall in the San Juan River within a year. In 2016–2017, 303 fish were translocated upstream of the waterfall into the San Juan River, but 80% were re‐encountered downstream of the waterfall within a year.
  5. Long‐distance movements by razorback sucker were common within and among rivers and reservoirs illustrating how large river fish, in general, might maintain population connectivity in highly altered ecosystems.
  相似文献   

20.
Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) populations are declining throughout their range in the United States, even where considered stable. Similar declines in other riverine species are occurring worldwide due to alteration of habitat in river–floodplain systems. Most rivers in the world are highly regulated, resulting in departures from historic hydrology that provides connection to the floodplain habitats used by riverine fishes. Knowledge of the seasonal habitat requirements of alligator gar and similar riverine fishes at a watershed scale is limited, hindering management practices. We used radiotelemetry to monitor movements and habitat use of adult alligator gar (N = 32; 25.0–84.5 kg; 149–224 cm) at macro‐ and microhabitat scales during 2 years of varying hydrology. Fish showed seasonal differences in their use of main channel and floodplain macrohabitats. Floodplain tributaries and their upper reaches were especially important to reproductive ecology. Minimum distance travelled per day varied seasonally. While using the main channel Fourche LaFave River, gar selected low velocity, shallow depth and complex structure along channel margins. The Fourche LaFave River is unique in its connection to floodplain habitats on a relatively predictable basis, with frequent flooding during the spring and summer reproductive period. Our study emphasises the importance of connectivity between the main river channel and floodplain habitats to a floodplain‐obligate riverine species. An intact, heterogeneous riparian zone creates essential microhabitat for the species. Understanding habitat requirements of alligator gar at multiple spatial scales in a river–floodplain system is crucial to management of many other species and river systems.  相似文献   

设为首页 | 免责声明 | 关于勤云 | 加入收藏

Copyright©北京勤云科技发展有限公司  京ICP备09084417号