Edge-mediated effects of forest fragments on the trophic structure of stream fish

Author(s)

Ferreira, Cristiane de Paula ^[1] ; Casatti, Lilian ^[2] ; Zeni, Jaquelini O. ^[2] ; Ceneviva-Bastos, Monica ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] UFPA Univ Fed Para, BR-66075110 Belem, Para - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Dept Bot & Zool, IBILCE, BR-15054000 Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Hydrobiologia; v. 762, n. 1, p. 15-28, DEC 2015.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

The aquatic communities of headwater streams are highly influenced by the surrounding matrix. The edge effects of forest fragments are known to influence terrestrial communities; however, their influence on aquatic communities remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether and how edge effects can influence stream environmental variables and fish trophic structure. We sampled stream reaches located within forest fragments (192-2480 ha) and stream reaches located on the forest edge during wet and dry periods to describe local habitat variables and fish trophic structure. We found high dissimilarity in the trophic structure (> 60%) between stream positions and between seasons. Aquatic invertivores contributed to the majority of the observed dissimilarity. Omnivores and algivores were more abundant on edge reaches and were notably associated with high water temperature. Herbivores and terrestrial invertivores were more abundant in the interior reaches mostly during the wet season and were associated with high dissolved oxygen. The scarcity of riparian forest cover on the edge reaches not only caused physical changes but also influenced the fish trophic structure, therefore providing evidence of edge-mediated effects. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/11641-1 - Effects of increasing structural complexity in degraded streams: detritus dynamics, energy flow, and food webs
• Grantee: Mônica Ceneviva Bastos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 12/20280-5 - Landscape changes in medium term: consequences for the composition, trophic structure and functional diversity of fish fauna in tropical streams.
• Grantee: Jaquelini de Oliveira Zeni
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 04/04820-3 - Fauna and flora from forest fragments in the northwest region of São Paulo State: the basis to biodiversity conservational studies
• Grantee: Orlando Necchi Junior
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants