We evaluated fish assemblage structure during stream drying in north west Arkansas in 2002 and 2003. We sampled fish with a seine and backpack electrofisher and measured habitat variables along transects. Linear regression models were selected a priori and ranked according to Akaike's Information Criterion. In 2002, total fish density was negatively related to pool area and maximum depth, and positively related to canopy openness and substrate diversity. Similarly, central stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum, Rafinesque) and creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus, Mitchill) densities were negatively related to maximum pool depth. In 2003, fish species richness was positively related to pool area whereas total fish, central stoneroller, and creek chub densities were negatively related to maximum pool depth. In addition, total fish density was negatively related to substrate diversity. Results indicated that physical factors are important predictors of fish assemblage structure during stream drying. However, differences among response variables between years indicated that the magnitude of stream drying might be critical in intermittent streams.

Understanding spatial and temporal variation in the trophic base of stream food webs is critical for predicting population and community stability, and ecosystem function. We used stable isotope ratios ( 13 C/ 12 C, and 15 N/ 14 N) to characterize the trophic base of two streams in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas, U.S.A. We predicted that autochthonous resources would be more important during the spring and summer and allochthonous resources would be more important in the winter due to increased detritus inputs from the riparian zone during autumn leaf drop. We predicted that stream communities would demonstrate increased reliance on autochthonous resources at sites with larger watersheds and greater canopy openness. The study was conducted at three low-order sites in the Mulberry River Drainage (watershed area range: 81-232 km 2 ) seasonally in 2006 and 2007. We used circular statistics to examine community-wide shifts in isotope space among fish and invertebrate consumers in relation to basal resources, including detritus and periphyton. Mixing models were used to quantify the relative contribution of autochthonous and allochthonous energy sources to individual invertebrate consumers. Significant isotopic shifts occurred but results varied by season and site indicating substantial variation in the trophic base of stream food webs. In terms of temporal variation, consumers shifted toward periphyton in the summer during periods of low discharge, but results varied during the interval between summer and winter. Our results did not demonstrate increased reliance on periphyton with increasing watershed area or canopy openness, and detritus was important at all the sites. In our study, riffle-pool geomorphology likely disrupted the expected spatial pattern and stream drying likely impacted the availability and distribution of basal resources.

No abstract

River otters ( Lontra canadensis ) are important predators in aquatic ecosystems, but few studies quantify their prey consumption. We trapped crayfish monthly as an index of availability and collected otter scat for diet analysis in the Ozark Mountains of northwestern Arkansas, USA. We measured otter daily energy expenditure (DEE) with the doubly labeled water method to develop a bioenergetics model for estimating monthly prey consumption. Meek’s crayfish ( Orconectes meeki ) catch-per-unit-effort was positively related to stream temperature, indicating that crayfish were more available during warmer months. The percentage frequency of occurrence for crayfish in scat samples peaked at 85.0% in summer and was lowest (42.3%) in winter. In contrast, the percentage occurrence of fish was 13.3% in summer and 57.7% in winter. Estimates of DEE averaged 4738 kJ·day–1 for an otter with a body mass of 7842 g. Total biomass consumption ranged from 35 079 to 52 653 g·month–1 (wet mass), corresponding to a high proportion of fish and crayfish in the diet, respectively. Otter consumption represents a large fraction of prey production, indicating potentially strong effects of otters on trophic dynamics in stream ecosystems.