Approaches for studying fish production: Do river and lake researchers have different perspectives?

WurtsbaughWayne, A; HerediaNicholas, A; Laub, Brian G.; MeredithChristy, S; MohnHarrison, E; Null, Sarah E.; PluthDavid, A; RoperBrett, B; Carl, SaundersW.; StevensDavid, K; WalkerRichard, H; WheelerKit,

doi:10.1139/cjfas-2014-0210

Cited by 22 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…, Wurtsbaugh et al. ). Because ponds and streams have fundamentally different key ecosystem properties (i.e., branching pattern, flow, sedimentation, disturbance, water chemistry) one might expect ecological patterns and processes to differ.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Convergent diversity and trait composition in temporary streams and ponds

Schriever

Lytle

2016

Ecosphere

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Hydrology is the main environmental filter in aquatic ecosystems and may result in shared tolerances and functional traits among species in disparate ecosystems. We analyzed the associations between taxonomic and functional facets of diversity within aquatic ecosystems (ponds vs. streams) across a hydroperiod gradient (1–365 d) to untangle the hydrologic drivers of aquatic invertebrate diversity. We used invertebrate assemblage data from seven arid‐land streams in southeastern Arizona, United States collected over 2 yr and nine temperate woodland ponds in Ontario, Canada collected over 2 yr. Our results showed that although invertebrate assemblages from streams and ponds differ taxonomically, hydroperiod had similar influence on invertebrate trait structure regardless of biogeographic and habitat differences. Streams and ponds independently showed strong positive relationships between functional richness and taxonomic richness; however, the relationship showed a shallower slope in ponds, indicating higher functional redundancy. Intermittent ponds and streams tended to have lower functional and taxonomic richness than their perennial counterparts, but harbored greater beta diversity. Our results suggest that even though ponds and streams are fundamentally different habitats with distinct faunas and unique ecological processes, hydrology produces convergent patterns in both trait composition and diversity patterns.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Convergent diversity and trait composition in temporary streams and ponds

Schriever

Lytle

2016

Ecosphere

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“…, Wurtsbaugh et al. ). Numerous studies have documented the importance of primary production in controlling food‐web structure in aquatic systems (e.g., Forrester et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…) and is unique in that a primary goal was to evaluate linkages between rates of GPP and densities of juvenile salmonids in riverine ecosystems (Wurtsbaugh et al. ). We demonstrate that relatively simple models constructed from either site‐level measurements of physicochemical stream attributes (such as those commonly collected by large‐scale habitat monitoring programs) or surrogates thereof derived from remotely sensed data sources provide an efficient means to describe spatial variation in GPP at the watershed scale.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Stockner and MacIsaac ), there have been relatively few studies evaluating the role of primary production and supporting fish populations in lotic systems (Wurtsbaugh et al. ). Bilby and Bisson () observed higher fish densities in stream reaches traversing clearcuts, where GPP was greater, than in stream reaches with adjacent old‐growth forest.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While there are obvious benefits to integrating productivity considerations into watershed restoration and fisheries management, lotic fish ecologists have historically viewed habitat through a physical rather than biotic (or combined) habitat lens (Wurtsbaugh et al 2015). This emphasis, which contrasts with research traditions in standing waters, is perhaps a result of three factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A network model for primary production highlights linkages between salmonid populations and autochthonous resources

et al. 2018

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Abstract. Spatial variation in fish densities across river networks suggests that the influence of food and habitat resources on assemblages varies greatly throughout watersheds. Conceptual models predict that in situ primary production should vary with river characteristics, but the influence of autochthonous resource availability on the capacity for river reaches to support fish is poorly understood. We estimated primary production throughout the South Fork and Middle Fork of the John Day River, Oregon, by measuring diel cycles in dissolved oxygen (DO) during July 2013. Using these data, we (1) evaluated the extent to which juvenile salmonid abundance and resource limitation correlated with areas of high gross primary production (GPP), (2) developed models to predict GPP from both site-level measurements and remotely sensed data, and (3) made predictions of GPP across the entirety of the Middle Fork John Day River (MFJD) network and assessed the utility of these spatially continuous predictions for describing variation fish densities at broad scales. We produced reliable estimates of GPP at sites where DO loggers were deployed using measurements of solar exposure, water temperature, and conductivity measured at each site, as well as surrogates for these data estimated from remote sensing data sources. Estimates of GPP across fish sampling sites explained, on average, 58-63% of the variation in juvenile salmonid densities during the summer sampling period, and 51-83% during the fall sampling period, while continuous network predictions of GPP explained 44% of the variation in fish densities across 29 km of the MFJD. Further, GPP explained nearly half of the variation in juvenile steelhead dietary resource limitation, as inferred from bioenergetics modeling results. These results comprise a first effort at quantifying variation in autochthonous production across an entire river network and, importantly, provide a much-needed food-web context for guiding more effective fish and habitat management.

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Adapting a multi‐species tool for single‐species impact assessments: Managing fishes at risk in Canada

Montgomery

Minns

Mandrak

2020

Aquatic Conservation

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To assess the impacts of human activity on fishes and fish habitat, impact assessment tools use single‐ and multi‐species approaches depending on the ecological and socio‐economic objectives. In Canadian aquatic ecosystems, single‐ and multi‐species impact assessments are guided by the Species at Risk Act and Fisheries Act, respectively. Yet, for species protected under the Species at Risk Act, the sparse data often require alternative approaches to risk assessment. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether a database‐derived multi‐species tool – the Habitat Ecosystem Assessment Tool (HEAT) – can be used for single‐species impact assessments. Using an empirical example of proposed drain maintenance in a tributary of Lake St. Clair, the net loss of suitable habitat was evaluated across six conservation targets, ranging from single species, such as the pugnose shiner (Notropis anogenus) and the yellow perch (Perca flavescens), to the entire fish assemblage. Model outcomes were compared across various habitat suitability indices, spatial resolutions, and environmental habitat layers. The net loss of suitable habitat varied widely across conservation targets and was greatest for the rare specialist species (pugnose shiner). Single‐species conservation targets were more sensitive to variation in spatial resolution and uncertainty in model input parameters. The results of this study emphasize that single‐ and multi‐species conservation targets should not be considered equal, especially when species differ in abundance and niche breadth. This study demonstrates the flexibility of HEAT for evaluating potential impacts of human disturbance on fishes and their habitat. Future development of this tool should expand beyond physical habitat, to include other factors relevant to species distribution and survival (e.g. biotic interactions).

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Approaches for studying fish production: Do river and lake researchers have different perspectives?

Cited by 22 publications

References 93 publications

Convergent diversity and trait composition in temporary streams and ponds

Convergent diversity and trait composition in temporary streams and ponds

A network model for primary production highlights linkages between salmonid populations and autochthonous resources

Adapting a multi‐species tool for single‐species impact assessments: Managing fishes at risk in Canada

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