Two Catastrophic Floods: Similarities and Differences in Effects on an Ozark Stream Fish Community

Matthews, William J.; Marsh‐Matthews, Edie; Adams, Ginny L.; Adams, Sally

doi:10.1643/ce-14-041

Cited by 20 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…(, 1988, 2014), Ross et al. (), Matthews (), with details in Appendix and photographs of all sites in Appendix . Piney Creek has distinct riffle–pool structure, but with more bedrock upstream and more unstable sand downstream.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The watershed is in a county with only two small towns, a total population of 13 000, no heavy industry, and no trenchant changes in land use since our first surveys in 1972 (Matthews et al. ). The watershed upstream from our lowermost site is approximately 4% “urban,” 22% “pasture,” and 74% “forest” (Matthews et al.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The watershed upstream from our lowermost site is approximately 4% “urban,” 22% “pasture,” and 74% “forest” (Matthews et al. ). There have been no introductions of exotic fish species.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…), or rare but catastrophic events (Schoener and Spiller , Thibault and Brown , Matthews et al. ) that have strong impacts on a community.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dynamics of an upland stream fish community over 40 years: trajectories and support for the loose equilibrium concept

Matthews

Marsh‐Matthews

2016

Ecology

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Previous theoretical models and empirical studies suggested that communities can exist in a “stochastic” or “loose” equilibrium, diverging transiently but eventually returning toward earlier or average structure, in what we call here the “loose equilibrium concept” (LEC). We sampled the fish communities at 12 local stream reaches spaced broadly throughout a relatively undisturbed watershed in the Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas, USA, in 11 surveys from 1972 to 2012 at a scale of decades, and at a subset of five of these local sites in a total of 16 surveys, allowing tests of the LEC at different spatial and temporal scales. Multivariate analyses of the dynamics of communities over the 40‐year period provided support for the LEC at both “global” and “local” scales within the watershed. At the broadest spatial scale, core species numerically dominated the community, and most common species remained so across all decades. In spite of two extraordinary floods, and interannual variation in abundance of some species, the 12‐site and five‐site global communities and eight of 12 local communities repeatedly returned toward average positions in multivariate space. Trajectories of the global and local fish communities varied relative to model hypothetical trajectories that were based on gradual vs. saltatory changes, and prevalence of returns toward average community structure. Beta diversity among sites was variable across time, but beta partitioning consistently showed that pure spatial turnover dominated over nestedness, because many common species were consistently distributed either upstream or downstream. This study suggests that vertebrate communities in relatively undisturbed environments may display dynamics consistent with the LEC. The LEC, combined with quantification of community trajectory patterns, can help to clarify whether systems are moving about within ranges of conditions that reflect expected noise, or, conversely, have moved so far out of previous bounds, as a result of climate change or human intervention, that they are permanently changed or “novel.”

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…), or rare but catastrophic events (Schoener and Spiller , Thibault and Brown , Matthews et al. ) that have strong impacts on a community.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dynamics of an upland stream fish community over 40 years: trajectories and support for the loose equilibrium concept

Matthews

Marsh‐Matthews

2016

Ecology

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“…The point of all this is that I was lucky to have mostly taken good field notes throughout, starting with the initial samples in both systems. And those notes have made it possible to now reconstruct much history of the collections in those systems, as we proceed to publish long-term papers (Matthews et al, 2013(Matthews et al, , 2014.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Basic Biology, Good Field Notes, and Synthesizing across Your Career

Matthews

2015

Copeia

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Ichthyology and herpetology remain in need of well-done studies in basic biology and ecology, life history, or natural history for many species. Even for well-studied areas in the United States, the percentage of species for which basic information is lacking or for which better information is needed, based on state or regional faunal books, ranged from about 10 to 35% for fish species, and about 5 to 31% for herps. For Mexico the need was even greater, with the basic biology of approximately 45% of the fish fauna poorly known. Part of the need for better information stems from perceptions by some that basic studies are less desirable than works grounded in theory or modeling. But basic biological information is the foundation for and critical to virtually all syntheses or meta-analyses. Thus, publication of good basic biology in appropriate journals is extremely valuable to one's discipline, and many peer-reviewed journals like Copeia remain amenable to publishing such information. In recent years, graduate students and faculty have been encouraged to publish in high-profile journals, often as judged by ''impact factors.'' But impact factors are a poor way to evaluate across disciplines, and the degree to which papers are cited should be given more consideration than the impact factor of any particular journal. Papers in Copeia or similar journals can be and are highly cited, with several in Copeia having been cited 300 to more than 500 times. To the end of high-quality publication of basic information, or its eventual synthesis, suggestions are offered relative to field notes and similar practices. For herpetologists and ichthyologists in mid-to late career, the challenge is to synthesize across one's career, passing to the next generation all that you have learned, by publishing professional books, books for laypersons, or outreach through other media. Contribution to knowledge by publication of basic biological information, and ultimately by synthesizing across one's career, all help meet our obligations to the disciplines that have so shaped our professional lives.

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Long‐term patterns of fish community structure and decline in native species in a Colorado River reservoir, Arizona and Nevada

Burgad¹,

Kesner²,

Marsh

2023

Trans Am Fish Soc

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The Colorado River has undergone substantial anthropogenic modifications, and a suite of nonnative species have been introduced since the 1800's, consequently native fish communities are severely imperiled. We examined temporal patterns in fish community structure in Lake Mohave (i.e., lower Colorado River basin) using results from bi‐annual (spring and autumn) trammel net monitoring over 40 years from 1980 to 2020. Specifically, we examined 1) long‐term abundance and richness trends and 2) the trajectory of fish community structure in multivariate space to assess stability and turnover. Nonnative fishes were established prior to sampling, precluding the ability to determine historical fish community structure. Bonytail Gila elegans and Razorback Sucker Xyrauchen texanus were the only two remaining native fishes, and both declined precipitously in abundance through time. However, a repatriation program initiated in 1991 prevented Razorback Sucker from extirpation, while reintroduction efforts for Bonytail have failed. Both wild populations are gone. Total catch per unit effort showed a negative relationship from 1980 to 2020, whereas total species richness showed no relationship. Long‐term abundance trends at the species‐level indicated three nonnative species (i.e., Gizzard Shad Dorosoma cepedianum, Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis, and Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu) increased, nine decreased, and three showed no significant relationship. Fish community composition exhibited low stability and moderate turnover, and shifted directionally through time in multivariate space, with the formation of three clusters, possibly indicating alternative states. The contemporary fish community shows little resemblance to the endemic ichthyofauna that historically occupied the Colorado River, and the Razorback Sucker is the only remaining native species due to recovery efforts. Continued adaptive management will be required to preserve the most genetically diverse Razorback Sucker population in the Colorado River system, especially while co‐existing with an unstable nonnative fish community.

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Two Catastrophic Floods: Similarities and Differences in Effects on an Ozark Stream Fish Community

Cited by 20 publications

References 48 publications

Dynamics of an upland stream fish community over 40 years: trajectories and support for the loose equilibrium concept

Dynamics of an upland stream fish community over 40 years: trajectories and support for the loose equilibrium concept

Basic Biology, Good Field Notes, and Synthesizing across Your Career

Long‐term patterns of fish community structure and decline in native species in a Colorado River reservoir, Arizona and Nevada

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