Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblages
Biomonitoring is a common method to monitor environmental change in river ecosystems, a key advantage of biomonitoring over snap-shot physicochemical monitoring is that it provides a more stable, long-term insight into change that is also effects-based. In New Zealand, the main biomonitoring method...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PeerJ Inc.
2018-05-01
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| Series: | PeerJ |
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/4890.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797424314123812864 |
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| author | Adam D. Canning |
| author_facet | Adam D. Canning |
| author_sort | Adam D. Canning |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Biomonitoring is a common method to monitor environmental change in river ecosystems, a key advantage of biomonitoring over snap-shot physicochemical monitoring is that it provides a more stable, long-term insight into change that is also effects-based. In New Zealand, the main biomonitoring method is a macroinvertebrate sensitivity scoring index, with little established methods available for biomonitoring of fish. This study models the contemporary distribution of common freshwater fish and then uses those models to predict freshwater fish assemblages for each river reach under reference conditions. Comparison of current fish assemblages with those predicted in reference conditions (as observed/expected (O/E) ratios) may provide a suitable option for freshwater fish biomonitoring. Most of the fish communities throughout the central North Island and lower reaches show substantial deviation from the modelled reference community. Most of this deviation is explained by nutrient enrichment, followed by downstream barriers (i.e. dams) and loss of riparian vegetation. The presence of modelled introduced species had relatively little impact on the presence of the modelled native fish. The maps of O/E fish assemblage may provide a rapid way to identify potential restoration sites. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:00:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-47b7eebc17e94d719da2c64ab0fed430 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:00:25Z |
| publishDate | 2018-05-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-47b7eebc17e94d719da2c64ab0fed4302023-12-03T00:46:48ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592018-05-016e489010.7717/peerj.4890Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblagesAdam D. CanningBiomonitoring is a common method to monitor environmental change in river ecosystems, a key advantage of biomonitoring over snap-shot physicochemical monitoring is that it provides a more stable, long-term insight into change that is also effects-based. In New Zealand, the main biomonitoring method is a macroinvertebrate sensitivity scoring index, with little established methods available for biomonitoring of fish. This study models the contemporary distribution of common freshwater fish and then uses those models to predict freshwater fish assemblages for each river reach under reference conditions. Comparison of current fish assemblages with those predicted in reference conditions (as observed/expected (O/E) ratios) may provide a suitable option for freshwater fish biomonitoring. Most of the fish communities throughout the central North Island and lower reaches show substantial deviation from the modelled reference community. Most of this deviation is explained by nutrient enrichment, followed by downstream barriers (i.e. dams) and loss of riparian vegetation. The presence of modelled introduced species had relatively little impact on the presence of the modelled native fish. The maps of O/E fish assemblage may provide a rapid way to identify potential restoration sites.https://peerj.com/articles/4890.pdfEcosystem healthFish barriersObserved/expectedNutrientsRiparianExotic fish |
| spellingShingle | Adam D. Canning Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblages PeerJ Ecosystem health Fish barriers Observed/expected Nutrients Riparian Exotic fish |
| title | Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblages |
| title_full | Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblages |
| title_fullStr | Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblages |
| title_full_unstemmed | Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblages |
| title_short | Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblages |
| title_sort | predicting new zealand riverine fish reference assemblages |
| topic | Ecosystem health Fish barriers Observed/expected Nutrients Riparian Exotic fish |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/4890.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adamdcanning predictingnewzealandriverinefishreferenceassemblages |