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Selecting areas with rare and restricted fish species in mountain streams of Southern Brazil
Author(s) -
Frota Augusto,
Pacifico Ricardo,
Graça Weferson J.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
aquatic conservation: marine and freshwater ecosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1099-0755
pISSN - 1052-7613
DOI - 10.1002/aqc.3566
Subject(s) - fauna , geography , biodiversity , representativeness heuristic , context (archaeology) , streams , ecology , rare species , endemism , abundance (ecology) , diversity of fish , species richness , drainage basin , fish <actinopterygii> , fishery , habitat , biology , cartography , computer science , psychology , social psychology , computer network , archaeology
The delimitation of conservation units may be supported by information on compositional (taxonomic), functional, and phylogenetic diversity of a given locality or region. In this context, systematic conservation planning and key biodiversity areas are promising approaches for biodiversity protection. Factors such as species representativeness and exclusivity may be used to identify geographical distribution patterns and select relevant areas for conservation at a local scale. This study aims to identify areas with rare and restricted fish species in mountain streams in Southern Brazil, using a method that unites ecological and biogeographical approaches. Seven river basins and 152 mountain streams in Southern Brazil were sampled to obtain data on the occurrence and abundance of 115 fish species. The rarity status of each species was determined and endemicity analysis was used to find areas of restricted species (ARS) with three cell sizes. Using larger cells, continuous areas were identified and supported by a higher proportion of rare fish species. Using smaller cells, discontinuous areas were identified within each of the river basins, where rare and endemic fish species occur. Most of the smaller areas relevant for protecting fish fauna were located outside of conservation units. Fundamental areas were selected for the protection of fish species in mountain streams in Southern Brazil. Both the method proposed and the areas with rare and restricted fish species identified may be used to support systematic conservation planning and to delimit new priority areas for conservation.