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Spatial and temporal variation in habitat and fish community characteristics in a Kansas Flint Hills stream
Author(s) -
Tripe J. A.,
Guy C. S.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
ecology of freshwater fish
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1600-0633
pISSN - 0906-6691
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0633.1999.tb00073.x
Subject(s) - ephemeral key , spatial variability , habitat , ecology , substrate (aquarium) , trophic level , environmental science , spatial distribution , variation (astronomy) , geography , physical geography , biology , statistics , physics , remote sensing , mathematics , astrophysics
– Four locations (i. e., mouth, lower midreach, upper midreach, and headwater) were sampled bimonthly for two years in a Kansas, Flint Hills stream. Principal components 1 (PC1; depth, width, substrate) and 2 (PC2; velocity, water temperature, conductivity) accounted for 70% of the variation in habitat variables. Principal component 1 varied more spatially than temporally, and PC2 exhibited the opposite pattern. Species diversity varied spatially with the highest values at the upper midreach and mouth and lowest in the headwaters. Species diversity also varied temporally with highest values in summer months and lowest in late fall and carly spring. Catch per unit effort (C/f) varied temporally and spatially by trophic guilds and species. In general, C/f values were highest in late fall and early spring and were lowest in early and mid summer. Fixed spatial variation (i. e., spatial difference independent of temporal factors) was higher than ephemeral spatial variation (i. e., spatial variation that varies temporally) for species with specialized feeding habits. Conversely, ephemeral spatial variation was highest for fish species with generalized feeding habits. These data indicate that standardizing reaches and dates are important if habitat, species diversity, and C/f data will be used in managing stream ecosystems.