Fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity for wadeable streams from Atlantic Forest of south São Paulo State, Brazil

Abstract

Understanding the relationship between environmental quality of streams and biological integrity of fish assemblages is critical to successful ecosystem management. Aim We adapted the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) using ecological data of the fish assemblages that occur in headwater streams from the Atlantic Forest in southern São Paulo State. Methods We sampled the ichthyofauna and collected environmental data in 27 streams stretches during the dry season of 2010. The fish species were categorized into trophic group, position in the water column and preference for rapid meso-habitats. Candidate metrics were screened for range, responsiveness and redundancy. Results Of the 17 metrics tested, four metrics were included in the IBI. They belonged to attributes species diversity: percentage of individuals as Loricariidae family; habitat use: percentage of individuals as benthic riffles; and trophic function: percentage of individuals as omnivores and percentage of individuals as herbivores/detritivores. Eight streams (30%) were classified as excellent or good and fourteen (50%) as poor or very poor. Conclusions On a regional scale, many aspects of biological integrity were altered but there are streams that can be used as biological reference.

A fish‐based multi‐metric assessment index in the Karun River basin, Iran

“…Relative richness of Herbivorous taxa (HERBPTAX) is a positive metric, which has also been considered in other MMIs (Cetra & Ferreira, 2016). The functional composition of fish communities using trophic guilds can reflect the ecological quality of the system (Choi et al, 2011) as disturbances tend to negatively affect species with specific feeding behaviors (Scott & Hall, 1997; Vehanen, Sutela, & Korhonen, 2010) but less so generalist species (Noble, Cowx, Goffaux, & Kestemont, 2007).…”

Dietary changes and histophysiological responses of a wild fish (Geophagus cf. proximus) under the influence of tilapia cage farm

“…Species of the genus Geophagus have been used as indicators of negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems, especially rivers with little or no riparian vegetation and anthropically altered environments, since their tolerance to hypoxia and their generalist habit (Caetano et al, 2016;Cetra and Ferreira, 2016;Morais et al, 2016;Gomes et al, 2016), favor colonization in these environments. In this way, if they have available food, these individuals can perform other essential activities, such as growth and reproduction.…”

The fish fauna of the upper Piraí drainage, a transposed mountain river system in southeastern, Brazil

“…Due to environmental impacts originating from human activities, only 16% of the original forest is preserved in reduced and isolated patches (Ribeiro et al 2009(Ribeiro et al , 2011. Freshwater streams in southeastern Brazil are directly affected by the degradation of the Atlantic Forest, as their headwaters are located in these few remaining patches of forest, and the reduction of the riparian vegetation is one of the main sources of environmental impact in water bodies (Cetra and Ferreira 2016). Systematic surveys of fish communities that inhabit these streams are necessary to reduce knowledge gaps about biodiversity and to understand the state of conservation of the Atlantic Forest (Buckup et al 2014).…”