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Impoundment constraint of fish niche diversity in a temperate Australian river

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Abstract

Dams constitute a major threat to aquatic ecosystems world-wide by modifying habitat and impairing opportunities for many freshwater fish. Subsequently, there can be a loss in fish diversity and change in the species distributions and population structure that ultimately contribute to changes in trophic structure and ecosystem function. In this study, stable isotope analysis (SIA) was used to compare trophic interaction and niche space of five fish species residing upstream and downstream of a significant barrier (Tallowa Dam) on the Shoalhaven River in south-eastern Australia. Significant reduction in niche space was found among predator/prey species residing in upstream habitat, implying limited dietary opportunity. Mixing calculations for Macquaria novemaculeata confirmed ontogenetic differences upstream and downstream of the dam. Causal mechanisms for this variability in trophic structure include habitat modification and/or discontinuity in river connectivity. SIA provides a useful tool for demonstrating the effect of barriers and/or impoundments on aquatic ecosystems, and for developing future monitoring programmes to evaluate restoration strategies.

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Acknowledgments

Mr. Mick Bettanin and Michael Rodgers (NSW Fisheries) are thanked for assisting with sample collection. Tom Doyle (UOW) is thanked for his help in sample preparation. Barbora Neklapilova and Scott Allchin (ANSTO) assisted with stable isotope sample preparation and analysis. Comments from anonymous reviewers allowed us to improve the quality of the completed manuscript. Animal ethics approval was granted by the Director General’s Animal Ethics Committee of the Department of Primary Industries, Project Number 04/03, and samples collected from Shoalhaven River were taken under NSW Scientific Collection Permit Section 37.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Locked Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC, NSW, 2232, Australia

    Debashish Mazumder

  2. NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW Fisheries), Orange, 2800, NSW, Australia

    Robert J. Williams

  3. Science Division, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, PO Box A290, Sydney South, NSW, 1232, Australia

    Li Wen

  4. Department of Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia

    Neil Saintilan

  5. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Batemans Bay Fisheries Centre, PO Box 17, Batemans Bay, NSW, 2536, Australia

    Chris T. Walsh

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  1. Debashish Mazumder
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  5. Chris T. Walsh
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Correspondence to Debashish Mazumder.

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Mazumder, D., Williams, R.J., Wen, L. et al. Impoundment constraint of fish niche diversity in a temperate Australian river. Hydrobiologia 771, 195–206 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2630-5

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