Effects of animals on the transport of solids (e.g., sediments) can modify earth-surface processes and landforms (role as geomorphic agents) and resources for other organisms (role as ecosystem engineers). Therefore, we studied the impact of crayfish (Orconectes limosus) behavior on sand-gravel erosion and bottom habitat over riffle-pool sequences in experimental streams. We manipulated the availability of crayfish food and refugia. Refugia availability had clear effects on overall crayfish activity. The establishment of dominance hierarchies among the crayfish produced patterns in crayfish activity that differed between riffles and pools. Crayfish activity significantly affected sand and gravel erosion. High local sediment erosion averaged ഠ2.8 (riffles) and ഠ1.4 (pools) kg dry weight mϪ1 when crayfish hierarchies were established and refugia were available. Removing the refugia increased these rates to ഠ4.0 (riffles) and ഠ3.2 (pools) kg dry weight m Ϫ2 d Ϫ1. This direct erosion caused by crayfish should be lower than that caused by floods. Crayfish distinctly (1) increased bedform roughness (riffles), (2) decreased sand dune height (pools), (3) shifted the transition between gravel (riffles) and sand (pools) downstream, (4) decreased sand in gravel interstices (riffles), (5) decreased filamentous algae growth on gravel (riffles), and (6) decreased biofilm cover on sand dunes (pools). These sediment changes due to crayfish activity at baseflow should have opposite effects on sediment erosion during subsequent floods. Crayfish impact on physical habitat at baseflow could largely affect population and community structure of the benthos, as well as egg survival of gravel-breeding fish.

Among the 16 species of fishes and shrimps studied at 51 sites along several small streams at Basse Terre, Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles, more than 60% showed a spatial distribution significantly influenced by environmental conditions. These included altitude, basin size, terrestrial vegetation and land use. However, the range of the species habitat was generally high, except for three species limited to the downstream stretches (two fishes and one shrimp). The habitat characteristics of fish and shrimp species tended to differ, but the difference was not significant (P<0·05). On the contrary, the habitat characteristics of amphidromous and catadromous species clearly differed, with a lower occurrence at the most elevated sites of catadromous species than amphidromous species. 2001 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

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