Living with an engineer: fish metacommunities in dynamic patchy environments
Aneta Bylak A B and Krzysztof Kukuła A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Ecology and Environmental Biology, University of Rzeszów, Zelwerowicza 4, PL-35-601 Rzeszów, Poland.
B Corresponding author. Email: abylak@ur.edu.pl
Marine and Freshwater Research 69(6) 883-893 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF17255
Submitted: 1 September 2017 Accepted: 16 November 2017 Published: 15 February 2018
Abstract
Different environmental preferences and dispersal abilities allow fish to coexist in local communities. In the present study we analysed the effects of engineering species on the community structure based on the example of the European beaver (Castor fiber) and mountainous European stream fish. We hypothesised that the creation of beaver impoundments increases environmental heterogeneity and causes a strong spatial and temporal variation in fish species composition and size structure. Finally, we placed these results in the context of the metacommunity theory. Our research was conducted over a large spatial scale, and over a relatively long (5-year) temporal scale. Data analysis revealed strong environmental gradients associated with stream size and increased environmental heterogeneity associated with the creation of beaver impoundments. The results also indicated strong spatial and temporal variation in fish species composition and size structure associated with this environmental heterogeneity. Although local communities changed over time, the main metacommunity characteristics remained constant. Fish must move and follow environmental changes for their populations and communities to persist in streams inhabited by beavers. Gaining a deeper understanding of the effects of the engineering species on fish community structure may help inform management and the conservation of stream ecosystems.
Additional keywords: beaver dam, coexistence, freshwater fish, mass effects paradigm, source–sink dynamics.
References
Allan, J. D., and Castillo, M. M. (2009). ‘Stream Ecology – Structure and Function of Running Waters’, 2nd edn. (Springer: Dordrecht, Netherlands.)Bylak, A., Kukuła, K., and Mitka, J. (2014). Beaver impact on stream fish life histories: the role of landscape and local attributes. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 71, 1603–1615.
| Beaver impact on stream fish life histories: the role of landscape and local attributes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Closs, G., Krkosek, M., and Olden, J. (Eds) (2015). ‘Conservation of Freshwater Fishes.’ (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.)
Collen, P., and Gibson, R. J. (2001). The general ecology of beavers (Castor spp.), as related to their influence on stream ecosystems and riparian habitats, and the subsequent effects on fish – a review. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 10, 439–461.
| The general ecology of beavers (Castor spp.), as related to their influence on stream ecosystems and riparian habitats, and the subsequent effects on fish – a review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cottenie, K. (2005). Integrating environmental and spatial processes in ecological community dynamics. Ecology Letters 8, 1175–1182.
| Integrating environmental and spatial processes in ecological community dynamics.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dunning, J. B., Danielson, B. J., and Pulliam, H. R. (1992). Ecological processes that affect populations in complex landscapes. Oikos 65, 169–175.
| Ecological processes that affect populations in complex landscapes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fagan, W. F. (2002). Connectivity, fragmentation, and extinction risk in dendritic metapopulations. Ecology 83, 3243–3249.
| Connectivity, fragmentation, and extinction risk in dendritic metapopulations.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Falke, J. A., and Fausch, K. D. (2010). From metapopulation to metacommunities: linking theory with empirical observations of the spatial population dynamics of stream fishes. American Fisheries Society Symposium 73, 207–233.
Fausch, K. D. (2010). Preface: a renaissance in stream ecology. American Fisheries Society Symposium 73, 199–206.
Gonzalez, A. (2009). Metacommunities: spatial community ecology. In ‘Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (ELS)’. pp. 1–8. (Wiley: Chichester, UK.)
Hanski, I. (1998). Metapopulation dynamics. Nature 396, 41–49.
| Metapopulation dynamics.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK1cXntl2rurw%3D&md5=dc5f50f3964cdc748ec6c1e8bde531fcCAS |
Hanski, I., and Ovaskainen, O. (2000). The metapopulation capacity of a fragmented landscape. Nature 404, 755–758.
| The metapopulation capacity of a fragmented landscape.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXjtVWntbg%3D&md5=a97067ea491bf92672e8d62b4ea5c226CAS |
Harrison, S. (1991). Local extinction in a metapopulation context: an empirical evaluation. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. Linnean Society of London 42, 73–88.
| Local extinction in a metapopulation context: an empirical evaluation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hugueney, B., Oberdorff, T., and Tedescco, P. A. (2010). Community ecology of river fishes: a large-scale perspective. American Fisheries Society Symposium 73, 29–62.
Jackson, D. A., Peres-Neto, P. R., and Olden, J. D. (2001). What controls who is where in freshwater fish communities – the roles of biotic, abiotic, and spatial factors. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 58, 157–170.
Jacobs, J. (1974). Quantitative measurement of food selection: a modification of the forage ration and Ivlev’s index. Oecologia 14, 413–417.
| Quantitative measurement of food selection: a modification of the forage ration and Ivlev’s index.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Jones, C. G., Lawton, J. H., and Shachak, M. (1997). Positive and negative effects of organisims as physical ecosystem engineers. Ecology 78, 1946–1957.
| Positive and negative effects of organisims as physical ecosystem engineers.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kukuła, K. (2003). Structural changes in the ichthyofauna of the Carpathian tributaries of the River Vistula caused by anthropogenic factors. Supplementa ad Acta Hydrobiologica 4, 1–63.
Kukuła, K., Bylak, A., Kukuła, E., and Wojton, A. (2008). The influence of European beaver Castor fiber L. on fauna in the mountain stream. Roczniki Bieszczadzkie 16, 375–388.
Labbe, T. R., and Fausch, K. D. (2000). Dynamics of intermittent stream habitat regulate persistence of a threatened fish at multiple scales. Ecological Applications 10, 1774–1791.
| Dynamics of intermittent stream habitat regulate persistence of a threatened fish at multiple scales.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Le Pichon, C., Gorges, G., Boet, P., Baudry, J., Goreaud, F., and Faure, T. (2006). A spatially explicit resource-based approach for managing stream fishes in riverscapes. Environmental Management 37, 322–335.
| A spatially explicit resource-based approach for managing stream fishes in riverscapes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Leibold, M. A., and Miller, T. E. (2004). From metapopulations to metacommunities. In ‘Ecology, Genetics, and Evolution of Metapopulations’. (Eds I. Hanski and O. E. Gaggiotti.) pp. 133–150. (Elsevier: Amsterdam, Netherlands.)
Leibold, M. A., Holoyak, M., Mouquet, N., Amarasekare, P., Chase, J. M., Hoopes, M. F., Holt, R. D., Shurin, J. B., Law, R., Tilman, D., Loreau, M., and Gonzalez, A. (2004). The metacommunity concept: a framework for multi-scale community ecology. Ecology Letters 7, 601–613.
| The metacommunity concept: a framework for multi-scale community ecology.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lojkásek, B., Lusk, S., Halačka, K., Lusková, V., and Drozd, P. (2005). The impact of the extreme floods in July 1997 on the ichthyocenosis of the Oder catchment area (Czech Republic). Hydrobiologia 548, 11–22.
| The impact of the extreme floods in July 1997 on the ichthyocenosis of the Oder catchment area (Czech Republic).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lokteff, R. L., Roper, B. B., and Wheaton, J. M. (2013). Do beaver dams impede the movement of trout? Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 142, 1114–1125.
| Do beaver dams impede the movement of trout?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lucas, M., and Baras, E. (2001). ‘Migration of Freshwater Fishes.’ (Wiley-Blackwell: Oxford, UK.)
Ludwig, J. A., and Reynolds, J. F. (1988). ‘Statistical Ecology. A Primer on Methods and Computing.’ (Wiley: New York, NY, USA.)
Matthews, W. J., and Marsh-Matthews, E. (2017). ‘Stream Fish Community Dynamics: a Critical Synthesis.’ (Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, MD, USA.)
Neville, H. M., Dunham, J. B., and Peacock, M. M. (2006). Landscape attributes and life history variability shape genetic structure of trout populations in stream network. Landscape Ecology 21, 901–916.
| Landscape attributes and life history variability shape genetic structure of trout populations in stream network.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Poff, N. L. (1997). Landscape filters and species traits: towards mechanistic understanding and prediction in stream ecology. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 16, 391–409.
| Landscape filters and species traits: towards mechanistic understanding and prediction in stream ecology.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pulliam, H. R. (1988). Sources, sinks, and population regulation. American Naturalist 132, 652–661.
| Sources, sinks, and population regulation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rieman, B. E., and Dunham, J. B. (2000). Metapopulations and salmonids: a synthesis of life history patterns and empirical observations. Ecology Freshwater Fish 9, 51–64.
| Metapopulations and salmonids: a synthesis of life history patterns and empirical observations.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rosell, F., Bozsér, O., Collen, P., and Parker, H. (2005). Ecological impact of beavers Castor fiber and Castor canadensis and their ability to modify ecosystems. Mammal Review 35, 248–276.
| Ecological impact of beavers Castor fiber and Castor canadensis and their ability to modify ecosystems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Scheurer, J. A., Fausch, K. D., and Bestgen, K. R. (2003). Multi-scale processes regulate brassy minnow persistence in a Great Plains river. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 132, 840–855.
| Multi-scale processes regulate brassy minnow persistence in a Great Plains river.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Schlosser, I. J. (1991). Stream fish ecology: a landscape perspective. Bioscience 41, 704–712.
| Stream fish ecology: a landscape perspective.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Schlosser, I. J. (1995). Dispersal, boundary processes, and trophic-level interactions in stream adjacent to beaver ponds. Ecology 76, 908–925.
| Dispersal, boundary processes, and trophic-level interactions in stream adjacent to beaver ponds.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Schlosser, I. J., and Angermeier, P. I. (1995). Spatial variation in demographic processes of lotic fishes: conceptual models, empirical evidence, and implications for conservation. American Fisheries Society Symposium 17, 392–401.
Schlosser, I. J., and Kallemeyn, L. W. (2000). Spatial variation in fish assemblages cross a beaver-influenced successional landscape. Ecology 81, 1371–1382.
| Spatial variation in fish assemblages cross a beaver-influenced successional landscape.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Shoemaker, L. G., and Melbourne, B. A. (2016). Linking metacommunity paradigms to spatial coexistence mechanisims. Ecology 97, 2436–2446.
| Linking metacommunity paradigms to spatial coexistence mechanisims.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
ter Braak, C. J. F., and Šmilauer, P. (2012). ‘Canoco Reference Manual and User’s Guide. Software for Ordination (ver 5.0).’ (Microcomputer Power: Ithaca, NY, USA.)
Vanak, A. T., Fortin, D., Thaker, M., Ogden, M., Owen, C., Greatwood, S., and Slotow, R. (2013). Moving to stay in place: behavioral mechanisms for coexistence of African large carnivores. Ecology 94, 2619–2631.
| Moving to stay in place: behavioral mechanisms for coexistence of African large carnivores.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wright, J. P. (2009). Linking populations to landscapes: richness scenarios resulting from changes in the dynamics of an ecosystem engineer. Ecology 90, 3418–3429.
| Linking populations to landscapes: richness scenarios resulting from changes in the dynamics of an ecosystem engineer.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wright, J. P., Jones, C. G., and Flecker, A. S. (2002). An ecosystem engineer, the beaver, increases species richness at the landscape scale. Oecologia 132, 96–101.
| An ecosystem engineer, the beaver, increases species richness at the landscape scale.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Zar, J. H. (2010). ‘Biostatistical Analysis’, 5th edn. (Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA.)
