Evaluation of Threatened, Endangered, and Rare Fish Species and Communities of the St. Lawrence River and Its Tributaries in the United States

IF 0.5 4区 环境科学与生态学 Q4 BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION Northeastern Naturalist Pub Date : 2023-06-14 DOI:10.1656/045.030.m2201
J. E. Mckenna, A. David
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Abstract - Biodiversity is responsible for important ecological processes like productivity and ecosystem stability, and rare species are a major component of biodiversity. Rarity increases a species' vulnerability to disturbances and also makes them difficult to study. Globally, species of freshwater systems are some of the most threatened, and evaluation of rare freshwater species and their habitats is needed to help preserve natural flexibility and ecological function. We conducted an analysis of full fish communities of the upper St. Lawrence River and its major US tributaries, with the goals of determining species locations and abundances, associated environmental conditions, the distribution of distinct fish assemblages across the landscape (with emphasis on communities supporting rare species), and potential threats. From 2009 to 2015, the US Geological Survey (USGS) and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT) worked together using standardized methods to collect community samples within 4 different aquatic realms (shallow and deep lentic, and small and large lotic systems) and determine species-specific fish abundances, frequencies of occurrence, and associated habitat signatures and spatial distributions. Distinct fish assemblages and associated habitat conditions were objectively identified by multivariate and hypothesis-testing methods. We used a geographic information system (GIS) to spatially associate habitat, biotic, and landscape attributes within each stream reach throughout the study area, facilitating quantification of distribution patterns. Comparisons with historical data provided estimates of loss or gain of threatened and endangered species (T&E) colonies. We developed a disturbance index to highlight potential threats to aquatic species. More than 140,000 fishes of 87 species were collected from a total of 1140 sample sites, covering 278 stream reaches, including the endangered Notropis anogenus (Pugnose Shiner), and threatened Hiodon tergisus (Mooneye), Etheostoma pellucidum (Eastern Sand Darter), and Acipenser fulvescens (Lake Sturgeon). We identified 50 distinct fish assemblages differing in species composition, abundance, and/or diversity, but only 13 of those assemblages included a T&E species. The rareness, extent, and patchiness of fish assemblages created a mosaic of fish communities across the landscape, from headwaters to the mainstem of the St. Lawrence River. Comparisons with historic surveys (1978–2008) showed a stable number of T&E species colonies or an increase for some species. The geographic distribution of multimetric disturbance index values showed where combinations of disturbances to fish habitats might affect rare fish species and aquatic communities in the region. The species–habitat associations and fish assemblage distributions can be used for evaluation of species, communities, or habitats that may need protection or restoration.
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美国圣劳伦斯河及其支流受威胁、濒危和稀有鱼类物种和群落的评估
摘要-生物多样性负责重要的生态过程,如生产力和生态系统稳定性,稀有物种是生物多样性的主要组成部分。稀有性增加了物种对干扰的脆弱性,也使其难以研究。在全球范围内,淡水系统物种是最受威胁的物种之一,需要对稀有淡水物种及其栖息地进行评估,以帮助保护自然灵活性和生态功能。我们对圣劳伦斯河上游及其美国主要支流的完整鱼类群落进行了分析,目的是确定物种位置和丰度、相关环境条件、不同鱼类群落在整个景观中的分布(重点是支持稀有物种的群落)以及潜在威胁。从2009年到2015年,美国地质调查局(USGS)和圣里吉斯·莫霍克部落(SRMT)使用标准化方法合作,在4个不同的水生领域(浅层和深层扁豆以及小型和大型乳液系统)内收集群落样本,并确定物种特异性鱼类丰度、出现频率以及相关的栖息地特征和空间分布。通过多元和假设检验方法,客观地确定了不同的鱼类群落和相关的栖息地条件。我们使用地理信息系统(GIS)在空间上关联整个研究区域每个溪流范围内的栖息地、生物和景观属性,促进分布模式的量化。与历史数据的比较提供了对受威胁和濒危物种(T&E)群落损失或收益的估计。我们制定了一个干扰指数,以突出对水生物种的潜在威胁。从1140个采样点共采集了87种140000多种鱼类,覆盖278个河段,包括濒危的Notropis anogenus(Pugnose Shiner)、受威胁的Hiodon tergisus(Moonyye)、Etheostoma pellucidum(Eastern Sand Darter)和Acipenser fulventens(Lake Sturgeon)。我们确定了50个在物种组成、丰度和/或多样性方面不同的不同鱼类群落,但其中只有13个群落包括T&E物种。从圣劳伦斯河的源头到干流,鱼类群落的稀有性、范围和零散性在整个景观中形成了一个鱼类群落的马赛克。与历史调查(1978–2008)的比较显示,T&E物种群落数量稳定,或某些物种数量增加。多指标干扰指数值的地理分布表明,鱼类栖息地的干扰组合可能会影响该地区的珍稀鱼类和水生群落。物种-栖息地协会和鱼类群落分布可用于评估可能需要保护或恢复的物种、群落或栖息地。
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来源期刊
Northeastern Naturalist
Northeastern Naturalist 环境科学-生态学
CiteScore
1.10
自引率
0.00%
发文量
42
审稿时长
18-36 weeks
期刊介绍: The Northeastern Naturalist covers all aspects of the natural history sciences of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine organisms and the environments of the northeastern portion of North America, roughly bounded from Virginia to Missouri, north to Minnesota and Nunavut, east to Newfoundland, and south back to Virginia. Manuscripts based on field studies outside of this region that provide information on species within this region may be considered at the Editor’s discretion. The journal welcomes manuscripts based on observations and research focused on the biology of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine organisms and communities as it relates to their life histories and their function within, use of, and adaptation to the environment and the habitats in which they are found, as well as on the ecology and conservation of species and habitats. Such studies may encompass measurements, surveys, and/or experiments in the field, under lab conditions, or utilizing museum and herbarium specimens. Subject areas include, but are not limited to, anatomy, behavior, biogeography, biology, conservation, evolution, ecology, genetics, parasitology, physiology, population biology, and taxonomy. Strict lab, modeling, and simulation studies on natural history aspects of the region, without any field component, will be considered for publication as long as the research has direct and clear significance to field naturalists and the manuscript discusses these implications.
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