Tributaries influence recruitment of fish in large rivers

Pracheil, Brenda M.; Pegg, Mark A.; Mestl, Gerald E.

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0633.2009.00376.x

Cited by 59 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The speciesenergy hypothesis (Wright 1983), which predicts that species richness is positively correlated with energy availability, also gained attention in biogeographical studies (Gu egan et al 1998;V€ or€ osmarty et al 2010). latitudinal zonation, longitudinal process, habitat heterogeneity, contemporary climate, physicochemical variability) have been considered to have marginal importance in shaping the spatial patterns of fish fauna (Hurlbert et al 1972;Oberdorff et al 1997;Leprieur et al 2008;Ara ujo et al 2009;Pracheil et al 2009). latitudinal zonation, longitudinal process, habitat heterogeneity, contemporary climate, physicochemical variability) have been considered to have marginal importance in shaping the spatial patterns of fish fauna (Hurlbert et al 1972;Oberdorff et al 1997;Leprieur et al 2008;Ara ujo et al 2009;Pracheil et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping China's freshwater fishes: diversity and biogeography

Kang

Deng²,

et al. 2013

Fish and Fisheries

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Freshwater fishes worldwide face an array of threats from dam construction, river fragmentation, pollution, over‐exploitation and interactions with introduced species. Such impacts are especially prevalent in densely populated countries undergoing rapid development, and their effects are felt most strongly where regional fish diversity is high. We reviewed studies of the distribution of freshwater fish species throughout China to map a biogeographical pattern and ascertain the environmental factors contributing to this distribution. We then linked this information to identify geographic areas to be recommended as the focus of conservation efforts. A total of 920 species in 302 genera, 54 families and 21 orders were recorded. Among the recorded species, 73% were Cypriniformes and 12% were Siluriformes. Cyprinidae was the most dominant family with 473 species, followed by Balitoridae with 157 species. The administrative division of the biogeography of China's freshwater fishes consisted of nine regions, including the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau Region, Oriental Region, Northwest Region, South Region, Loess Plateau Region, Heilongjiang Region, Upper Yangtze Region, 3H Plain Region and Middle‐Lower Yangtze Plain Region. The river system was the primary factor in determining China's freshwater fish biogeography. Under stepwise regression analysis, river discharge was found to be the most influential factor in determining richness, followed by population size and net primary productivity. The higher level of fish endemicity and sensitivity to environmental change led to the identification of Southwest China and the higher areas of Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau as the primary areas to be considered for fish conservation and potential natural reserves.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping China's freshwater fishes: diversity and biogeography

Kang

Deng²,

et al. 2013

Fish and Fisheries

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“…Here, we posit that large tributaries offer under‐appreciated opportunities to conserve large‐river specialist species by serving as high‐value mainstem restoration surrogates or supplements that can restore some ecosystem function in spite of mainstem river alterations. Previous studies have suggested that tributaries may be useful biodiversity conservation targets when societal reliance on mainstem alterations prevents restoration (Pracheil et al . 2009).…”

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confidence: 99%

Enhancing conservation of large‐river biodiversity by accounting for tributaries

Pracheil¹,

McIntyre²,

Lyons³

2013

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

109

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Alteration of rivers for human use has resulted in substantial biodiversity declines, particularly for species restricted to the largest rivers. Conservation and restoration efforts on large rivers often focus on the mainstem, but societal reliance on benefits derived from these alterations generally prevents complete restoration of the river. We propose that certain tributaries, by virtue of their lower degree of alteration, offer underappreciated opportunities for conserving large‐river biota. Using the distribution patterns of large‐river specialist fishes from the Mississippi River Basin, we identify a threshold discharge (166 cubic meters per second) beyond which tributaries support all or most of these species. We merge our macroecological analysis of assemblage structure with data on dam locations to identify tributaries where restoration efforts offer the highest potential conservation gains for 60 of the 68 large‐river specialist fish species that are of state, federal, or international conservation concern. Given the highly altered state of many mainstem rivers, this analytical approach could be used to select tributaries that will aid in the conservation of large‐river species worldwide.

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“…Boundary zones or transitional habitats often are more heterogeneous and support greater biodiversity than the habitats upon which they border . Diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates (Knispel and Castella 2003) and fish (Fernandes et al 2004;Pracheil et al 2009) can be higher at tributary confluences than in upstream and downstream reaches per se. Confluences provide access to the mainstem for tributary biota (Knispel and Castella 2003) and vice versa (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Geometry of biodiversity patterning: assemblages of benthic macroinvertebrates at tributary confluences

2010

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We assessed whether tributaries in upland catchments (=watersheds) affected assemblages of benthic macroinvertebrates in mainstems, as has been reported in northern hemisphere systems. Eight confluences of small to medium streams (stream orders 1-4, 2.2-10.8 m wide) were studied in the Acheron River basin in Victoria, Australia. For each confluence, two transects were sampled at each of five zones relative to the confluence: two zones upstream in the mainstem, one zone upstream in the tributary, one zone at the confluence and one zone downstream in the mainstem. Surveys were conducted in both high-flow and lowflow conditions. In mainstems, there was no change in macroinvertebrate density, taxonomic richness or functional feeding group composition downstream relative to upstream of the confluences. While tributaries statistically had distinctive benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages compared to mainstems, these distinctions were small. In low flows, densities in tributaries were substantially lower than in mainstems, but densities during high flows were more similar (albeit only about one-third as high as in low flow) in tributaries and mainstems. An inverse pattern was evident for taxonomic richness, where richness in tributaries and mainstems was similar in low flows but was greater in mainstems than in tributaries in high flows. We found little evidence of tributary effects in macroinvertebrate assemblages in this basin, which is at odds with some previous results from other continents. To explain this divergence, we suggest a conceptual model outlining factors that control variation in effects of tributaries on assemblages of benthic macroinvertebrates in mainstems.

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Tributaries influence recruitment of fish in large rivers

Cited by 59 publications

References 18 publications

Mapping China's freshwater fishes: diversity and biogeography

Mapping China's freshwater fishes: diversity and biogeography

Enhancing conservation of large‐river biodiversity by accounting for tributaries

Geometry of biodiversity patterning: assemblages of benthic macroinvertebrates at tributary confluences

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