Differences in stream fish assemblages subjected to different levels of anthropogenic pressure in the Taizi River catchment, China

Abstract

This study was conducted in the Taizi River catchment, located in northeastern China. Six representative streams in three regions (upper mountains, middle hills, lower plains) with different levels of anthropogenic disturbances were surveyed to describe the structure of fish assemblages and their relationship to environmental parameters. The results showed that the fish assemblages were significantly different among the three regions in the Taizi River catchment. Indicator species analysis found ten representative fish species in the Taizi River catchment and four species in the upper, four species in the middle, and two species in the lower regions. The ecological traits of the representative fish species were generally in agreement with the physiochemical features of the streams located within different regions. Multivariate analysis indicated that altitude, water temperature, and total nitrogen were the three most significant environmental parameters influencing the fish assemblage structure in the Taizi River catchment. Based on the different environmental features and fish assemblages found in each region, fish management and conservation strategies should be tailored to the specific characteristics of each region.

Threshold Responses in the Taxonomic and Functional Structure of Fish Assemblages to Land Use and Water Quality: A Case Study from the Taizi River

“…The upper region is classified as a mountainous forest region consisting mainly of broadleaf deciduous forest. The middle and lower reaches are in hilly and plain regions, where there is large-scale agricultural development and several important industrial cities, such as Anshan city and Liaoyang city [11]. Our unpublished data illustrated that in the 1980s, the water quality of the Taizi River was above standard, class III according to the environmental quality standards for surface water [37].…”

“…However, water quality data from 2016, provided by the local government, indicated that water quality had declined to below class V in the middle and lower reaches of the Taizi River. These changes have resulted in a serious degradation in aquatic ecosystems [11,35]. In comparison with historical records from the 1980s [38], only 44 fish species previously recorded were collected during annual river ecosystem monitoring since 2009, while 62 fish species that were previously recorded could not be found during this routine monitoring.…”

“…Understanding the relationship between fish communities and stressors is widely accepted as the basis for fish conservation [9][10][11]. Several studies have used species taxa or abundance data to examine biotic responses to anthropogenic drivers [12,13]; however the data collected in these studies did not allow for the identification of specific drivers affecting fish function, e.g., feeding habits and spawning behaviors [14].…”

Effects of anthropogenic disturbances on α and β diversity of fish assemblages and their longitudinal patterns in subtropical streams, China

“…Anthropogenic disturbances, such as urbanisation, agricultural activities and deforestation, have modified habitat conditions, decrease resource availability and threatened stream fishes world widely (Allan, 2004;Wang, Lyons, Kanehl, & Bannerman, 2001;Zhang et al, 2015).…”

“…Anthropogenic disturbances, such as urbanisation, agricultural activities and deforestation, have modified habitat conditions, decrease resource availability and threatened stream fishes world widely (Allan, ; Wang, Lyons, Kanehl, & Bannerman, ; Zhang et al., ). Following with habitat destruction, many endemic intolerant species are replaced by cosmopolitan tolerant species (Allan, ; Chu, Wang, Yan et al., ; Wang et al., ).…”