Landscape Filters and Species Traits: Towards Mechanistic Understanding and Prediction in Stream Ecology

Poff, N. LeRoy

doi:10.2307/1468026

Cited by 1,529 publications

(1,425 citation statements)

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“…The presence and abundance of organisms at a site depends on action of environmental filters, including both historical and ecological constraints ranging from landscape to micro-habitat scales (Poff 1997;Bonada et al 2005). Many studies have sought to identify the patterns of macroinvertebrate distribution in both large geographical areas (Heino et al 2002) and small ones (Adámek et al 2010), showing a strong relationship between aquatic biota and environmental variables (Bonada et al 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using oligochaeta assemblages as an indicator of environmental changes

et al. 2012

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We designed a field survey (the entire river length; not dammed: First and Second plateaus; dammed: Third Plateau) to test the hypothesis that the cascade of reservoirs promoted a reduction in species richness and changed the composition of Oligochaeta assemblage along the Iguaçu River. Changes in environmental variables and in richness and composition of Oligochaeta were summarized by Canonic Correspondence Analysis. Along the Iguaçu River, conductivity, and altitude decreased, whereas temperature increased. Oligochaeta composition showed a significant spatial variation, with higher abundances of the family Tubificidae and the genus Dero (Naididae) occurring in the First Plateau. In the Second and Third plateaus, few species were dominant, with increases in the presence of species of Naididae below dams. We found a clear decrease in species richness along the Iguaçu River. Moreover, we found that Oligochaeta assemblage was influenced by some environmental variables such as altitude, conductivity, substrate type and temperature, and by anthropogenic activities (human occupation and damming). The results supported the use of Oligochaeta as surrogate taxa to predict environmental changes along impacted (dammed and eutrophic) rivers. The validity of this was indicated by the strong and significant gradient registered, from the headwater to mouth of the Iguaçu River.Keywords: surrogate taxa, reservoir cascade, geomorphologic gradient, human occupation, Iguaçu River. Usando assembléias de Oligochaeta como um indicador de mudanças ambientais ResumoFoi delineada uma pesquisa de campo (toda extensão do rio; não barrado: Primeiro e Segundo planaltos; barrado: Terceiro planalto) para testar a hipótese de que a cascata de reservatórios promove redução na riqueza de espécies e muda a composição da assembléia de Oligochaeta ao longo do Rio Iguaçu. Mudanças nas variáveis ambientais e na riqueza e composição de Oligochaeta foram sumarizadas por Análise de Correspondência Canônica. Ao longo do Rio Iguaçu, a condutividade e a altitude diminuíram, enquanto a temperatura aumentou. A composição de Oligochaeta mostrou variação espacial significativa, com maiores abundâncias da família Tubificidae e do gênero Dero (Naididae) ocorrendo no Primeiro planalto. No Segundo e Terceiro planaltos, poucas espécies foram dominantes, com aumento na presença de espécies de Naididae abaixo de barragens. Foi encontrada uma clara diminuição na riqueza de espécies ao longo do Rio Iguaçu. Além disso, observou-se que a assembléia de Oligochaeta foi influenciada por algumas variáveis ambientais, como altitude, condutividade, tipo de substrato e temperatura, e por atividades antropogênicas (ocupação humana e barramento). Os resultados deste estudo suportam o uso de Oligochaeta como táxon substituto para predizer mudanças ambientais ao longo de rios impactados (barrados e eutróficos). A validade desse estudo foi indicada pelo forte e significativo gradiente, registrado da cabeceira à foz do Rio Iguaçu.Palavras-chave: taxon substituto, cascata de r...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using oligochaeta assemblages as an indicator of environmental changes

et al. 2012

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“…For example, Lamouroux et al (2002) observed intercontinental convergence in functional traits related to hydraulics and geomorphology despite phylogenetic and historical differences in fish assemblages. Second, functional characteristics provide a means of testing theoretical expectations of changes in species traits along environmental gradients, such as those generated from habitat templates (Southwood 1977), the river continuum concept (Vannote et al 1980), and landscape filters (Poff 1997). For example, habitat templates predict changes in reproductive traits with habitat stability, such as increasing parental care with decreased variability (Townsend and Hildrew 1994).…”

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confidence: 99%

Modeling Stream Fish Assemblages with Niche Apportionment Models: Patterns, Processes, and Scale Dependence

Higgins

Strauss

2008

Trans Am Fish Soc

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Abstract.-Understanding patterns in terms of the mechanistic processes that produce them is the essence of ecology. However, many studies merely document nonrandom patterns of species coexistence without providing insight into the structuring mechanisms and their scale dependence. Moreover, few studies address the mechanisms driving functional diversity. The objectives of this study were to document empirical patterns of species coexistence within stream fish assemblages across a broad geographic region, addressing both the functional and taxonomic organization of those assemblages, and to determine whether the structuring mechanisms are scale dependent. We gathered data from a report published by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department that provided empirical species abundance distributions for 62 assemblages from 7 ecoregions and 18 river basins. For each assemblage, we simulated expected species abundances using five previously published models of niche apportionment. These models generate relative abundances in proportion to niche breadth and are constrained to maintain observed species richness, but they do not include information on species identity. These models included four stochastic variants of a geometric series (dominance preemption, random fraction, broken stick, and dominance decay) in which species abundances relate directly to niche breadth and one model (random assortment) in which abundances are independent of niche partitioning altogether. To assess scale dependence, we repeated the analyses after pooling assemblages by ecoregion, river basin, and the entire state. The patterns of niche apportionment for assemblages pooled according to river basin are more consistent with local assemblages than with assemblages pooled according to ecoregions or the entire state. These results suggest that niche apportionment plays a crucial role in structuring stream fish assemblages and that functional groups divide niche space more evenly than do species.

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“…However, biogeographic patterns of aquatic biota likely depart from ecoregions (Hawkins and Norris, 2000). Biogeographic patterns of aquatic organisms in streams would differ from terrestrial organisms because influences of ultimate drivers on biological distribution are mediated through more direct local factors that affect aquatic organisms, such as water chemistry, light availability, water temperature, hydrology, hydrogeomorphology, and substratum (Biggs, 1996;Poff, 1997;Stevenson, 1997;Heino, 2001;Jackson et al, 2001;Abell et al, 2008). Van Sickle and Hughes (2000) further argued that ecoregions are intended for classification of the whole ecosystem and their entire biophysical setting, and may be less effective for classifying individual ecosystem components.…”

Section: Site Classificationmentioning

confidence: 99%