Ecological impacts of invasive carp in Australian dryland rivers

Marshall, Jonathan; Blessing, Joanna; Clifford, Sara E.; Hodges, Kate; Negus, Peter M.; Steward, Alisha L.

doi:10.1002/aqc.3206

Cited by 12 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Barriers can also protect upstream fish populations from invasive, alien species expanding from downstream introductions (e.g., Koehn et al, 2000). The impacts of invasive common carp on native fishes and other ecosystem components have been demonstrated to be substantial in the study region (Marshall et al, 2019). However, barriers cannot prevent this damage, as the three invasive species present, common carp, goldfish and eastern gambusia, are already pervasive throughout these rivers (Negus et al, 2015a;Negus et al, 2019), possibly because they invaded and dispersed widely prior to the construction of barriers.…”

Section: Barrier Impacts On Movement Opportunitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The average annual rainfall at Toowoomba in the east of the region is 952 mm per year, while that of Eulo, on the Paroo River in the west, is 331 mm (Commonwealth of Australia, Bureau of Meteorology, 2021). The topography is generally flat, with low river channel slope which results in fine sediment accumulation and high turbidity (averaging more than 500 NTU), increasing with distance from the headwaters (Moffatt and Voller, 2002;Fielder et al, 2011;Marshall et al, 2019), and extensive floodplains and wetland complexes in some areas (Kingsford, 1999;Marshall et al, 2019).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The assemblage composition of fishes in refuge waterholes during periods without flow comprises of the three dominant species plus nested subsets of the additional regional assemblage (Balcombe et al, 2006). Within the study area there are also several other fish species that are either very rare or spatially restricted and which are not typical elements of dryland river refuge waterhole assemblages: Rendahl's catfish [Porochilus rendahli (Whitley, 1928), Plotosidae] known from several smaller tributary systems of the Condamine-Balonne System, dwarf flathead gudgeon [Philypnodon macrostomus (Hoese and Reader, 2006); Eleotridae] known from few specimens collected in the mid Condamine River between Dalby and Surat, and three species that are restricted to localized, headwater regions: southern purple spotted gudgeon [Mogurnda adspersa (Castelnau, 1878), Eleotridae], mountain galaxias [Galaxias olidus (Günther, 1866); Galaxiidae] and river blackfish [Gadopsis marmoratus (Richardson, 1848); Percichthyidae], (Balcombe et al, 2006;Negus et al, 2015b;Marshall et al, 2019).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Risks to Fish Populations in Dryland Rivers From the Combined Threats of Drought and Instream Barriers

Marshall

Lobegeiger

Starkey³

2021

Front. Environ. Sci.

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In dryland rivers, flow intermittency means fish populations are often subjected to drought disturbance. The viability of these fish populations depends on the availability of waterhole refuges for individuals to survive drought (resistance) and the ability of surviving fish to repopulate the rivers by recruitment and dispersal once flow returns (resilience). In this study we combined remote-sensed mapping of the locations of waterholes that lasted through an extreme drought in the northern Murray Darling Basin, Australia, with an assessment of the impacts of in-stream barriers on limiting the opportunities for fish to move and repopulate after drought. We found that at the peak of this 2018–2020 drought, the worst on record for some rivers and the most spatially synchronous recorded across the region, waterholes were few and generally small – representing only 11% of the total river channel network. All the fish in the region that survived the drought were concentrated into this limited waterhole refuge habitat. Even small instream structures, such as minor weirs, caused large reductions in the opportunities for fish to move between river segments when there is flow. Almost all the 104 instream structures assessed reduced long-term fish movement opportunities, measured as days with discharge greater than calculated barrier drown out thresholds, by more than 70% and up to 100%, when compared to opportunities for movement if the barrier was not present. This large impact from small instream barriers is a consequence of flow intermittency and is likely to reduce fish population resilience and impact the capacity of fish populations to recover after drought. Combining information on the risks posed by limited refuge habitat availability during drought and from reduced movement opportunity following drought allowed us to identify river segments where these combined threats are the greatest risk to viability of local fish populations. Considering the spatial arrangements of these risks provides a means to systematically prioritize mitigation measures such as weir removal to improve fish movement opportunities and local management of key waterholes to increase drought resistance. The approach used here provides a guide for assessing and prioritizing the management of fish population viability risks from drought and fragmentation by barriers in any non-perennial river setting.

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Section: Barrier Impacts On Movement Opportunitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Risks to Fish Populations in Dryland Rivers From the Combined Threats of Drought and Instream Barriers

Marshall

Lobegeiger

Starkey³

2021

Front. Environ. Sci.

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“…The present study documented water quality changes and the response of fish, plankton and macroinvertebrate communities following a rotenone eradication of common carp (Maiztegui, Baigún, de Souza, Weyl, & Colautti, 2019;Marshall et al, 2019;) from a small reservoir in the Oorlogskloof River catchment in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. We hypothesized that invertebrate communities would recover to pre-treatment levels, with species tolerant to eutrophic conditions being less abundant after rotenone treatment, owing to the changes in water quality parameters resulting from the removal of common carp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Ecosystem responses to the eradication of common carp Cyprinus carpio using rotenone from a reservoir in South Africa

Dalu

Bellingan

Gouws³

et al. 2020

Aquatic Conservation

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The control of invasive alien fish populations using piscicides to alleviate impacts on native biota is a controversial conservation strategy because the collateral impacts on non‐target taxa are not well documented. This article documents the responses of water quality, plankton and macroinvertebrate communities to an eradication of the globally invasive common carp Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus 1758, using the piscicide rotenone in a small South African reservoir. Treated and untreated reservoirs were sampled before and at intervals following rotenone treatment. Sampling endpoints included water quality parameters, plankton, macroinvertebrates and fish. These endpoints were selected to gain an understanding of the ecological impacts of the treatment at various biological levels and to document possible recovery following treatment. The study showed that: (i) the common carp were successfully removed; (ii) water clarity improved following the removal of fish; (iii) invertebrate communities, including macroinvertebrates and large zooplankton, recovered within 6 months of treatment; and (iv) that small zooplankton (i.e. Rotifera) dynamics were complex but rotifer abundances had returned to pre‐treatment levels within 6 months of treatment. There was a 56% similarity between the macroinvertebrate assemblages before and 6 months after treatment, showing a substantial turnover in taxa following treatment. The phytoplankton community of the treated reservoir was dominated by blue‐green and green algae prior to the treatment. The blue‐green algal communities were not present 6 months after the treatment, possibly indicating a change in the nutrient status of the reservoir resulting from lower nutrient concentrations in the water column. The phytoplankton community of the reservoir changed from a community typical of eutrophic waters to a community typical of a lower nutrient state. Within each group, there were species changes, but we suggest these are likely to be part of the altered biological interaction dynamics resulting from fish removals, rather than a direct effect of rotenone.

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“…Murray Cod, Maccullochella peelii , Silver perch, Bidyanus bidyanus ). These man‐made changes have favoured the more ecologically tolerant and adaptable carp populations (Cadwallader, 1978; Gehrke, Brown, Schiller, Moffatt, & Bruce, 1995; Koehn, 2004; Marshall et al., 2019; Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council, 2003; Nicol, Lieschke, Lyon, & Koehn, 2004; Weber & Brown, 2009). To date, the NCCP has produced multiple reports to inform policymakers on whether to release KHV (Beckett, Caley, Hill, & Henderson, 2019; Brookes & Hipsey, 2019; Brown, Wisniewski, & Gilligan, 2019; Durr et al., 2019; Nichols, Gawne, Richards, Lintermans, & Thompson, 2019; Roper & Ford, 2018; Silva, Bell, & Baumgartner, 2017; Stuart et al, 2019; Tilley et al., 2019; Todd et al., 2019; Wedekind, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic variation in resistance and high fecundity impede viral biocontrol of invasive fish

Mintram

Oosterhout

Lighten

2020

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Ecological impacts of invasive carp in Australian dryland rivers

Cited by 12 publications

References 64 publications

Risks to Fish Populations in Dryland Rivers From the Combined Threats of Drought and Instream Barriers

Risks to Fish Populations in Dryland Rivers From the Combined Threats of Drought and Instream Barriers

Ecosystem responses to the eradication of common carp Cyprinus carpio using rotenone from a reservoir in South Africa

Genetic variation in resistance and high fecundity impede viral biocontrol of invasive fish

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