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Identifying links between Fluvial Geomorphic Response Units (FGRUs) and fish species in the Assiniboine River, Manitoba
Author(s) -
Carr Meghan K.,
Watkinson Douglas A.,
Lindenschmidt KarlErich
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
ecohydrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.982
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1936-0592
pISSN - 1936-0584
DOI - 10.1002/eco.1714
Subject(s) - electrofishing , habitat , fluvial , resource (disambiguation) , range (aeronautics) , environmental science , fauna , geography , species distribution , hydrology (agriculture) , river ecosystem , ecology , geology , geotechnical engineering , structural basin , biology , paleontology , computer network , materials science , computer science , composite material
The Assiniboine River, located in east central Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba, provides recreational opportunities, irrigation, and industrial and municipal water resources to Manitoba residents while supporting a diverse fish fauna. Improving our understanding of patterns in the spatial distribution of different fish species in relation to physical habitat features can aid management of this important water resource. The Fluvial Geomorphic Response Unit (FGRU) method is a geospatial modelling technique that allows the classification of large‐scale river reaches that exhibit similar geomorphic structure and provide a link between the hydrological regime and physical riverine habitats. Historical electrofishing data provide catch per unit effort data for various fish species and allow an investigation of fish distribution among different FGRUs. This study has identified significant differences (Kruskal–Wallis test, p < 0·05) in the catch per unit effort between three FGRUs for ten fish species in the Assiniboine River. These findings have the potential to increase our understanding of habitat complexity, availability, and connectivity in prairie rivers, a valuable tool for resource managers. This model can contribute to the development of sampling programmes by allowing efficient a priori site selection, ensuring sampling of diverse unit types and thus a greater representation of the range of physical habitats present within a river system. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.