Patterns of change over time in darter (Teleostei: Percidae) assemblages of the Arkansas River basin, northeastern Oklahoma, USA

Abstract

Rivers and streams are among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide, and their fi sh assemblages have been modifi ed by anthropogenic habitat alteration and introductions of non-native species. Consequently, two frequently observed patterns of assemblage change over time are species loss and biotic homogenization. In the present study, we compared contemporary (2006 -2007) and historical (1948 -1955) assemblages of darters, a group of small benthic fi shes of the family Percidae, in the Arkansas River drainage of northeastern Oklahoma, USA. Results showed species loss between the two sampling periods, with historical estimates of overall species diversity across the study area exceeding contemporary estimates by fi ve to eight species. Assemblages showed a low degree of darter similarity based on species presence and absence, with pairwise site comparisons (Jaccard ' s similarity index) between historical and contemporary samples averaging Ͻ 0.35. No signifi cant homogenization or diff erentiation of assemblages occurred. Range expansion of widespread species, one of the primary mechanisms of biotic homogenization, was not observed; rather, all species occurred at a smaller proportion of sites in contemporary samples. Our results highlight the threat posed by anthropogenic habitat alteration to taxonomic groups such as darters, most of which are habitat specialists. However, our results suggest that biotic homogenization is unlikely to occur in the absence of immigration, especially if assemblages are subjected to ' novel disturbances ' such as dam construction and watershed-scale habitat degradation which negatively aff ect all components of the assemblage.

Fish assemblage changes over half a century in the Yellow River, China

“…The development of cascade hydropower exerted a major influence on the current species composition in the upper reaches of the Yellow River at the temporal scale. Habitat alteration through continued dam constructions is regarded as the primary driver in the decline or extirpation of endemic headwater species in other rivers (Gillette et al., ; Miller et al., ; Tilman, May, Lehman, & Nowak, ). These alterations due to the construction and operation of large dams have changed many riverine habitats and fragmented remaining aquatic habitats, and resulted in isolated freshwater fish populations in patches of streams, which may impede organism migration, and thus cause significant threats to native aquatic biodiversity on the globe (Power, Dietrich, & Finlay, ).…”

“…The development of cascade hydropower exerted a major influence on the current species composition in the upper reaches of the Yellow River at the temporal scale. Habitat alteration through continued dam constructions is regarded as the primary driver in the decline or extirpation of endemic headwater species in other rivers (Gillette et al, 2012;Miller et al, 1989;Tilman, May, Lehman, & Nowak, 1994).…”

“…For instance, in 1982, those stocked exotic fish accounted for 88.9% of the catch weight (Liu, 1984; ). Those exotic fish have become the important aquaculture species in local reservoirs, and the number of introduced species exceeded the number of extirpated native fishes, as elsewhere (Gido & Brown, 1999;Gillette et al, 2012;Tang & He, 2015 ).…”

“…In the Yellow River, this increased similarity is promoting by constructions of dams and introductions of exotic species as in other rivers (Clavero & Garcĭa-Berthou, 2006;Clavero & Hermoso, 2011;Poff et al, 2007). The construction of dams promotes the decline or extirpation of endemic species (Gillette et al, 2012;Miller et al, 1989;Tilman et al, 1994). By strongly modifying natural flow regimes or being barriers, dams create an enormous amount of more similar lentic freshwater habitat than running water (Poff et al, 2007).…”

A question of adaptability: Climate and habitat change lower trait diversity in butterfly communities in south-western Germany

“…However, the abandonment and replacement of traditional farming and systems of landscape management, which ensured their survival for hundreds of years, is particularly deleterious for these taxa (Warren, 1997;Wenzel et al, 2006;Schmitt & Rákosy, 2007). Two frequently observed biological changes following anthropogenic activities or climate changes are species loss and biotic homogenization over time (Wenzel et al, 2006;Gillette et al, 2012). In addition to habitat loss, reduction in habitat size and fragmentation, as well as changes in micro-and meso-climatic conditions within habitats are also major threats to diversity.…”