Groundwater declines are linked to changes in Great Plains stream fish assemblages

Perkin, Joshuah S.; Gido, Keith B.; Falke, Jeffrey A.; Fausch, Kurt D.; Crockett, Harry J.; Johnson, Eric R.; Sanderson, John S.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1618936114

Cited by 99 publications

(82 citation statements)

References 56 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Vertical connectivity between the stream channel, hyporheic zone, and shallow and major aquifers is critical for sustaining base flows in regions such as the Great Plains where groundwater contributions are essential for maintaining natural flow regimes (Dale, Zou, Andrews, Long & Liang, ; Poff, Allan & Bain, ; Sophocleous, ). Severed connectivity to local or regional aquifers caused by groundwater pumping results in population crashes and extirpations of PBS species because sufficient groundwater input is required to ensure juvenile and adult survival during harsh drought or winter conditions (Cross et al., ; Falke, Fausch, Magelky, Aldred & Durnford, ; Perkin et al., ; Pigg, ). Disconnection of surface flow from groundwater sources, together with fragmentation of longitudinal and lateral surface connectivity, is a major driver of the transformation of Great Plains stream‐fish assemblages in which PBS species disappear and remaining reproductive guilds persist and dominate (Gido et al., ; Perkin, Gido, Cooper, et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The emblematic minnows of the North American Great Plains: A synthesis of threats and conservation opportunities

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Anthropogenic changes to the Great Plains rivers of North America have had a large, negative effect on a reproductive guild of pelagic‐broadcast spawning (PBS) cyprinid fishes. The group is phylogenetically diverse, with multiple origins of the PBS mode. However, because of incomplete life‐history information, PBS designation often relies only on habitat and egg characteristics. We identified 17 known or candidate PBS fishes and systematically synthesized the literature on their biology and ecology in relation to major threats to persistence. Research output on an individual species was unrelated to conservation status, but positively correlated with breadth of distribution. The PBS species have opportunistic life‐history strategies and are typically short‐lived (generally 1–3 years) fishes. Many PBS species have truncated ranges showing declines in both distribution and abundance, especially those endemic to the Rio Grande catchment. Fundamental habitat associations are unknown for many species, particularly regarding seasonal shifts and early life stages. Critical thermal tolerances have been quantified for five PBS species and are generally >35°C. Turbidity and salinity changes are linked to responses at multiple life stages, but information is lacking on interactions between water quality and quantity. Hydrologic alteration appears to be a primary threat to PBS species, through complex interactions with landscape fragmentation, and habitat change. We highlight areas where scientific and management communities are lacking information and underline areas of potential conservation gain.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The emblematic minnows of the North American Great Plains: A synthesis of threats and conservation opportunities

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…; Perkin et al. ). Pollution of headwaters, including runoff of excess nutrients and other pollutants, degrades water quality affecting downstream ecosystems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Headwater Streams and Wetlands are Critical for Sustaining Fish, Fisheries, and Ecosystem Services

Colvin¹,

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Headwater streams and wetlands are integral components of watersheds that are critical for biodiversity, fisheries, ecosystem functions, natural resource‐based economies, and human society and culture. These and other ecosystem services provided by intact and clean headwater streams and wetlands are critical for a sustainable future. Loss of legal protections for these vulnerable ecosystems would create a cascade of consequences, including reduced water quality, impaired ecosystem functioning, and loss of fish habitat for commercial and recreational fish species. Many fish species currently listed as threatened or endangered would face increased risks, and other taxa would become more vulnerable. In most regions of the USA, increased pollution and other impacts to headwaters would have negative economic consequences. Headwaters and the fishes they sustain have major cultural importance for many segments of U.S. society. Native peoples, in particular, have intimate relationships with fish and the streams that support them. Headwaters ecosystems and the natural, socio‐cultural, and economic services they provide are already severely threatened, and would face even more loss under the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule recently proposed by the Trump administration.

show abstract

“…Instead, most studies focus on single attributes of the groundwater regime and single GDEs (or one class of GDEs), usually water table depth and groundwater‐dependent vegetation (e.g., fens [Aldous & Bach, ] and alkali meadows [Elmore, Manning, Mustard, & Craine, ]). Modelling is often used and can combine historical and predicted data on groundwater regime to forecast changes in components of GDEs (e.g., effects of groundwater pumping from the U.S. High Plains aquifer on Great Plains stream fish assemblages; Perkin et al, ). In another example, Chan et al () used a groundwater and surface‐water hydrodynamic model that incorporated monitoring data to assess the impacts of water extraction on stream fish responses.…”

Section: The Five Steps Of Fergramentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The best‐studied indicators are abundance and/or condition of various groundwater‐dependent vegetation species and communities in response to altered groundwater regimes (e.g., Aldous & Bach, ; Barbeta et al, ; Brown et al, ; Eamus et al, ; Elmore et al, ). Less well studied are the potential ecological indicators in riverine and wetland GDEs; these include densities of particular groups of fish (e.g., Falke et al, ; Perkin et al, ) and macroinvertebrates (e.g., Stubbington, Wood, Reid, & Gunn, ) as well as measures of groundwater‐influenced ecosystem processes such as organic matter decomposition in the hyporheic zone (e.g., Burrows et al, ). Densities and community composition of stygofauna are commonly proposed as ecological indicators of altered groundwater regimes in cave (e.g., Chilcott, ) and aquifer GDEs (e.g., Korbel & Hose, ; Tomlinson, Boulton, Hancock, & Cook, ), although there are other potential indicators such as microbial activity (Korbel & Hose, ; Lategan, Korbel, & Hose, ).…”

Section: The Five Steps Of Fergramentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The final step in FERGRA is to use this information to estimate how much groundwater regime alteration can take place to meet socio‐economic demands such as groundwater extraction before environmental values and ecosystem services associated with GDEs are compromised beyond some acceptable level. Acceptable limits have been suggested for some specific GDEs (e.g., Aldous & Bach, ; Perkin et al, ), but far more work is needed. In particular, it is essential to identify thresholds of the various components of groundwater connectivity (e.g., duration and frequency) for GDEs that, if exceeded by groundwater regime alteration, would lead to precipitous declines in the provision of one or more GDE ecosystem services in a given landscape.…”

Section: The Five Steps Of Fergramentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A conceptual framework for ecological responses to groundwater regime alteration (FERGRA)

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Globally, the provision of groundwater‐supported ecosystem services is threatened by climate change, water extraction, and other activities that alter groundwater regimes (defined as temporal dynamics in groundwater pressures, storage, and levels). Research on how altered groundwater regimes affect the ecology and ecosystem services of diverse groundwater‐dependent ecosystems (GDEs) is currently fragmented with little integration across different GDEs, hampering our ability to understand and manage ecological responses to anthropogenic changes to groundwater regimes. To address this, we present a framework for assessing ecological responses to groundwater regime alteration (FERGRA). FERGRA is a logical approach to investigating how alterations to groundwater regimes change the timing, variability, duration, frequency, and magnitude of groundwater connections to different GDEs, in turn affecting their ecological processes and ecosystem service provision. Using FERGRA, multiple GDEs can be assessed concurrently, optimizing their integrated management. Unifying the concepts of ecological responses to altered groundwater regimes and groundwater connections of different GDEs across the landscape, FERGRA provides a framework for (a) organizing the currently fragmented research on GDEs to better identify commonalities and knowledge gaps, (b) formulating and testing hypotheses for quantifying ecological responses to groundwater regime alteration in GDEs to derive general principles to guide research and management, and (c) facilitating assessments of the trade‐offs between the benefits of groundwater extraction (e.g., to support mining and agriculture) versus conservation of GDEs to protect other ecosystem services.

show abstract

Groundwater declines are linked to changes in Great Plains stream fish assemblages

Cited by 99 publications

References 56 publications

The emblematic minnows of the North American Great Plains: A synthesis of threats and conservation opportunities

The emblematic minnows of the North American Great Plains: A synthesis of threats and conservation opportunities

Headwater Streams and Wetlands are Critical for Sustaining Fish, Fisheries, and Ecosystem Services

A conceptual framework for ecological responses to groundwater regime alteration (FERGRA)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About