Influence of fish introduction and water level decrease on lakes of the arid Patagonian plateaus with importance for biodiversity conservation

Izaguirre, Irina; Lancelotti, Julio L.; Saad, Juan Francisco; Porcel, Sol; Farrell, Ines O ́; Marinone, María Cristina; Roesler, Ignacio; Diéguez, María del Carmen

doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00391

Cited by 25 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Lakes from the arid Strobel Plateau displayed marked inter‐annual differences in their physical and chemical variables, which could be a consequence of contrasting hydrological periods: wetter in 2011 and drier in 2013 (Izaguirre et al, 2018). These lakes are fed by highly variable sources of water (from rainfall, snowmelt, and ice accumulated during winter); therefore, remarkable inter‐annual hydrological fluctuations occur, which can affect both the physical and chemical characteristics of the lakes and the structure of the aquatic communities (Gyllström et al, 2005; Izaguirre et al, 2018). In a study of water quality in other Patagonian ponds, Epele et al (2018) concluded that at a regional scale, rainfall gradients and hydrological patterns are the dominant environmental factors that influence water quality, even more than the human impact or the influence of the biome.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lakes from the arid Strobel Plateau displayed marked inter-annual differences in their physical and chemical variables, which could be a consequence of contrasting hydrological periods: wetter in 2011 and drier in 2013 (Izaguirre et al, 2018). These lakes are fed by highly variable sources of water (from rainfall, snowmelt, and ice accumulated during winter); therefore, remarkable inter-annual hydrological fluctuations occur, which can affect both the physical and chemical characteristics of the lakes and the structure of the aquatic communities (Gyllström et al, 2005;Izaguirre et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(coot) populations have been observed in a Patagonian lake with introduced fish (Ortubay et al, 2006). Overall, the consequence of fish introductions has caused ecological alterations in these aquatic ecosystems (Izaguirre et al, 2018), including a loss of biodiversity (Ortubay et al, 2006) and changes in planktonic communities (Reissig et al, 2006; Lancelotti, Marinone & Roesler, 2017; Izaguirre et al, 2018). Moreover, the introduction of rainbow trout was proposed specifically as one of the main reasons for the declining hooded grebe population in lakes of the Patagonian plateau, either through competition for food or through the depredation of chicks (Roesler et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Aquatic macroinvertebrates from littoral vegetated lakes in arid Patagonia: The influence of fish introduction on community structure

López

Saad

Izaguirre

et al. 2021

Aquatic Conservation

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Wetlands in arid regions are characterized by their great heterogeneity, often including endemic species that contribute to regional aquatic biodiversity. In the Patagonian steppe, most lakes are naturally fishless and sustain a rich aquatic biodiversity, including endemics; however, many of these lakes have been stocked with Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout) during recent decades. The introduction of predatory fish into aquatic ecosystems naturally devoid of these organisms can produce profound alterations in the structure of the original communities and in the configuration of their biotic assemblages. Aquatic invertebrates play important roles in both the structure and functioning of freshwater ecosystems, including their contribution to global biodiversity and their cascading effects across ecosystem boundaries. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of introduced non‐native fish on the pleustonic macroinvertebrate assemblage. Samples were taken from 10 shallow Patagonian lakes (five fishless and five stocked with fish) in two consecutive warm periods. Lakes with fish had higher conductivity and phosphate values. Higher inter‐annual differences were also observed in lakes with fish for phytoplanktonic chlorophyll a, nitrate, phosphate, conductivity, and water temperature. The community structure (relative abundance of different taxa, species composition, and diversity index) was affected by the presence of rainbow trout, with the differences mainly driven by the relative abundance of Ostracoda, Hyalella, Chironomidae, and Haliplus species. This approach can be used to assess the required conservation actions in shallow Patagonian steppe lakes, which have been listed as priority areas for waterbird conservation. Specifically, this study provides a baseline for monitoring future trends of the macroinvertebrate communities and for evaluating conservation and management efforts over time.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Aquatic macroinvertebrates from littoral vegetated lakes in arid Patagonia: The influence of fish introduction on community structure

López

Saad

Izaguirre

et al. 2021

Aquatic Conservation

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“…Climate conditions determine that small shallow lakes (i.e. less than 30 km 2 ) usually remain frozen from early autumn throughout late spring, however during the ice-free period due to frequent strong winds, the water columns are continuously mixed, thus preventing the formation of stable thermoclines 70 – 72 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A georeferenced rRNA amplicon database of aquatic microbiomes from South America

et al. 2022

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The biogeography of bacterial communities is a key topic in Microbial Ecology. Regarding continental water, most studies are carried out in the northern hemisphere, leaving a gap on microorganism’s diversity patterns on a global scale. South America harbours approximately one third of the world’s total freshwater resources, and is one of these understudied regions. To fill this gap, we compiled 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data of microbial communities across South America continental water ecosystems, presenting the first database µSudAqua[db]. The database contains over 866 georeferenced samples from 9 different ecoregions with contextual environmental information. For its integration and validation we constructed a curated database (µSudAqua[db.sp]) using samples sequenced by Illumina MiSeq platform with commonly used prokaryote universal primers. This comprised ~60% of the total georeferenced samples of the µSudAqua[db]. This compilation was carried out in the scope of the µSudAqua collaborative network and represents one of the most complete databases of continental water microbial communities from South America.

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“…For instance, several large lakes >0.3 km 2 have dried up during the last 10 years, and others have shown substantial changes in turbidity and macrophyte cover (Lancelotti, Pozzi, et al,, 2010). These changes were more pronounced in lakes stocked with trout (Izaguirre et al, 2018;Saad, Porcel, Lancelotti, O'Farrell, & Izaguirre, 2018). In fact, the reduction of lake availability and the loss of lake quality have been proposed as the main triggers of the pronounced decline of the hooded grebe population in this region (Roesler, Imberti, Casañas, Mahler, & Reboreda, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate variability and trends in the reproductive habitat of the critically endangered hooded grebe

Lancelotti

Pessacg

Roesler

et al. 2020

Aquatic Conservation

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The population of the critically endangered hooded grebe (Podiceps gallardoi) has decreased drastically during recent decades. The effects of climate change on their reproductive area (Southern Patagonia) have been proposed as one of the potential causes of their critical situation. However, there is much uncertainty about climate variability and climate trends at local scales in Patagonia, and their effects on the hooded grebe habitat. Variability and trends in temperature, precipitation, and wind from 1960 to 2016 in one of the most important reproductive areas of hooded grebe – the Lake Strobel plateau – were analysed. A Landsat satellite image series (1973–2016) was used to evaluate changes in lake area in the region. Generalized linear models were used to analyse the relationship between the variation in lake area and climatic variables, including the Antarctic Oscillation Mode (AAO) index, which is the most important year to year pattern in climate variability at high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. High inter‐annual variability and increasing coefficients of variation in precipitation and wind were found, as well as a significant positive trend in temperature. Total lake area, as well as the area specifically used by hooded grebe to reproduce, decreased significantly over time, with high inter‐annual variability. Variation in lake area was significantly correlated with variation in precipitation, and with the AAO index. The loss of reproductive habitat may force the hooded grebe to use sub‐optimal environments, such as lakes with lower food supply, lower macrophyte cover, and less protection from wind – a potential major handicap for this declining species. Information on lake variation in response to climatic variability could be used to guide hooded grebe conservation strategies, directing more resources and special efforts to those reproductive lakes that are more resilient to the effects of climate fluctuations.

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Influence of fish introduction and water level decrease on lakes of the arid Patagonian plateaus with importance for biodiversity conservation

Cited by 25 publications

References 45 publications

Aquatic macroinvertebrates from littoral vegetated lakes in arid Patagonia: The influence of fish introduction on community structure

Aquatic macroinvertebrates from littoral vegetated lakes in arid Patagonia: The influence of fish introduction on community structure

A georeferenced rRNA amplicon database of aquatic microbiomes from South America

Climate variability and trends in the reproductive habitat of the critically endangered hooded grebe

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