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Crichton BRJ, Hickford MJH, McIntosh AR, Schiel DR. Predicting biomass of resident kōkopu (Galaxias) populations using local habitat characteristics. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0261993. [PMID: 36917579 PMCID: PMC10013890 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
With the global decline of freshwater fishes, quantifying the body size-specific habitat use of vulnerable species is crucial for accurately evaluating population health, identifying the effects of anthropogenic stressors, and directing effective habitat restoration. Populations of New Zealand's endemic kōkopu species (Galaxias fasciatus, G. argenteus, and G. postvectis) have declined substantially over the last century in response to anthropogenic stressors, including habitat loss, migratory barriers, and invasive species. Despite well-understood habitat associations, key within-habitat features underpinning the reach-scale biomass of small and large kōkopu remain unclear. Here, we investigated whether the total biomass of large (> 90 mm) size classes of each kōkopu species and the composite biomass of all small (≤ 90 mm) kōkopu were associated with components of the physical environment that provided refuge and prey resources across fifty-seven 50-m stream reaches. Because kōkopu are nocturnal, populations were sampled by removal at night using headlamps and hand-nets until reaches were visually depleted. Based on Akaike's information criterion, greater large banded kōkopu biomass was most parsimoniously explained by greater pool volume and forest cover, greater large giant kōkopu biomass by greater bank cover and pool volume, and greater large shortjaw kōkopu biomass by greater substrate size and pool volume. In contrast, greater composite small kōkopu biomass was best explained by smaller substrate size, reduced bank cover, and greater pool volume. Local habitat associations therefore varied among kōkopu species and size classes. Our study demonstrates the importance of considering the ontogenetic shift in species' habitat use and provides an effective modelling approach for quantifying size-specific local habitat use of stream-dwelling fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben R J Crichton
- Marine Ecology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.,Freshwater Ecology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Michael J H Hickford
- Marine Ecology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.,National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Angus R McIntosh
- Freshwater Ecology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - David R Schiel
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Tabor RA, Johnson JR, Peters RJ, Mahan R, McHenry ML, Brenkman SJ, Pess GR, Bennett TR, Liermann MC. Distribution, Relative Abundance, and Length of Sculpins in the Elwha River Watershed Following the Removal of Two Hydroelectric Dams. NORTHWEST SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3955/046.095.0305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roger A. Tabor
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, 500 Desmond Drive SE, Lacey, Washington 98503
| | - Jeffery R. Johnson
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, 500 Desmond Drive SE, Lacey, Washington 98503
| | - Roger J. Peters
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, 500 Desmond Drive SE, Lacey, Washington 98503
| | - Rebecca Mahan
- Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Fisheries Department, 760 Stratton Road, Port Angeles, Washington 98363
| | - Michael L. McHenry
- Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Fisheries Department, 760 Stratton Road, Port Angeles, Washington 98363
| | - Samuel J. Brenkman
- National Park Service, Olympic National Park, 600 East Park Avenue, Port Angeles, Washington 98362
| | - George R. Pess
- NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, Washington 98112
| | - Todd R. Bennett
- NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, Washington 98112
| | - Martin C. Liermann
- NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, Washington 98112
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Levi T, Hilderbrand GV, Hocking MD, Quinn TP, White KS, Adams MS, Armstrong JB, Crupi AP, Darimont CT, Deacy W, Gilbert SL, Ripple WJ, Shakeri YN, Wheat RE, Wilmers CC. Community Ecology and Conservation of Bear-Salmon Ecosystems. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.513304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Apex predators play keystone roles in ecosystems through top-down control, but the effects of apex omnivores on ecosystems could be more varied because changes in the resource base alter their densities and reverberate through ecosystems in complex ways. In coastal temperate ecosystems throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere, anadromous salmon once supported abundant bear populations, but both taxa have declined or been extirpated from large parts of their former ranges with limited research on the consequences of diminished or absent interactions among species. Here we review the biogeography of bear-salmon interactions and the role of salmon-subsidized bears in (1) resource provisioning to plants and scavengers through the distribution of salmon carcasses, (2) competition among bears and other large carnivores, (3) predation of ungulate neonates, (4) seed dispersal, and (5) resource subsidies to rodents with seed-filled scats. In addition to our review of the literature, we present original data to demonstrate two community-level patterns that are currently unexplained. First, deer densities appear to be consistently higher on islands with abundant brown bears than adjacent islands with black bears and wolves, and moose calf survival is higher at low bear densities (<∼25 bears per 100 km2) but is constant across the vast majority of bear densities found in the wild (i.e., ∼>25 bears per 100 km2). Our review and empirical data highlight key knowledge gaps and research opportunities to understand the complex ecosystem effects related to bear-salmon interactions.
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Bailey CJ, Moore JW. Resource pulses increase the diversity of successful competitors in a multi‐species stream fish assemblage. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Colin J. Bailey
- Earth to Ocean Research Group Simon Fraser University 8888 University Dr. Burnaby British ColumbiaV5A 1S6USA
| | - Jonathan W. Moore
- Earth to Ocean Research Group Simon Fraser University 8888 University Dr. Burnaby British ColumbiaV5A 1S6USA
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Walsh JC, Pendray JE, Godwin SC, Artelle KA, Kindsvater HK, Field RD, Harding JN, Swain NR, Reynolds JD. Relationships between Pacific salmon and aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems: implications for ecosystem-based management. Ecology 2020; 101:e03060. [PMID: 32266971 PMCID: PMC7537986 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Pacific salmon influence temperate terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems through the dispersal of marine‐derived nutrients and ecosystem engineering of stream beds when spawning. They also support large fisheries, particularly along the west coast of North America. We provide a comprehensive synthesis of relationships between the densities of Pacific salmon and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, summarize the direction, shape, and magnitude of these relationships, and identify possible ecosystem‐based management indicators and benchmarks. We found 31 studies that provided 172 relationships between salmon density (or salmon abundance) and species abundance, species diversity, food provisioning, individual growth, concentration of marine‐derived isotopes, nutrient enhancement, phenology, and several other ecological responses. The most common published relationship was between salmon density and marine‐derived isotopes (40%), whereas very few relationships quantified ecosystem‐level responses (5%). Only 13% of all relationships tended to reach an asymptote (i.e., a saturating response) as salmon densities increased. The number of salmon killed by bears and the change in biomass of different stream invertebrate taxa between spawning and nonspawning seasons were relationships that usually reached saturation. Approximately 46% of all relationships were best described with linear or curved nonasymptotic models, indicating a lack of saturation. In contrast, 41% of data sets showed no relationship with salmon density or abundance, including many of the relationships with stream invertebrate and biofilm biomass density, marine‐derived isotope concentrations, or vegetation density. Bears required the highest densities of salmon to reach their maximum observed food consumption (i.e., 9.2 kg/m2 to reach the 90% threshold of the relationship’s asymptote), followed by freshwater fish abundance (90% threshold = 7.3 kg/m2 of salmon). Although the effects of salmon density on ecosystems are highly varied, it appears that several of these relationships, such as bear food consumption, could be used to develop indicators and benchmarks for ecosystem‐based fisheries management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C Walsh
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jane E Pendray
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sean C Godwin
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kyle A Artelle
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.,Raincoast Conservation Foundation, P.O. Box 2429, Sidney, British Columbia, V8L 3Y3, Canada
| | - Holly K Kindsvater
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08908, USA
| | - Rachel D Field
- Department of Biology, The Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience and Ecosystem Services (BRAES), Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, SCI 133, 1177 Research Road, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Jennifer N Harding
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Noel R Swain
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - John D Reynolds
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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Bampoh D, Earl JE, Zollner PA. Examining the relative influence of animal movement patterns and mortality models on the distribution of animal transported subsidies. Ecol Modell 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.108824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Kiffney PM, Naman SM, Cram JM, Liermann M, Burrows DG. Multiple pathways of C and N incorporation by consumers across an experimental gradient of salmon carcasses. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- P. M. Kiffney
- Fish Ecology National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Fisheries Science Center 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle Washington 98112 USA
| | - S. M. Naman
- Department of Zoology University of British Columbia 4200‐6270 University Boulevard Vancouver British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - J. M. Cram
- Science Division, Fish Program Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 3515 Chelan Highway 97A Wenatchee Washington 98801 USA
| | - M. Liermann
- Fish Ecology National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Fisheries Science Center 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle Washington 98112 USA
| | - D. G. Burrows
- Environmental and Fisheries Sciences National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Fisheries Science Center 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle Washington 98112 USA
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