Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblages

Canning, Adam D. (2018) Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblages. PeerJ, 6. e4890.

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DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4890

View at Publisher Website: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4890

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Abstract

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.


Item ID:	64218
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	2167-8359
Keywords:	Ecosystem health, Fish barriers, Observed/expected, Nutrients, Riparian, Exotic fish,Biomonitoring, New Zealand, Freshwater, Fish community
Copyright Information:	Copyright © 2018 Canning Distributed under Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0.
Date Deposited:	01 Sep 2020 04:57
FoR Codes:	41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4199 Other environmental sciences > 419999 Other environmental sciences not elsewhere classified @ 33% 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310304 Freshwater ecology @ 33% 41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4104 Environmental management > 410402 Environmental assessment and monitoring @ 34%
SEO Codes:	96 ENVIRONMENT > 9605 Ecosystem Assessment and Management > 960506 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Fresh, Ground and Surface Water Environments @ 33% 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9606 Environmental and Natural Resource Evaluation > 960608 Rural Water Evaluation (incl. Water Quality) @ 33% 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9611 Physical and Chemical Conditions of Water > 961103 Physical and Chemical Conditions of Water in Fresh, Ground and Surface Water Environments (excl. Urban and @ 34%
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