Associations between submerged macrophytes and fish communities at two spatial scales in 88 temperate shallow lakes

Bárbara Angélio Quirino; Martin Søndergaard; Torben Linding Lauridsen; Liselotte Sander Johansson; Rosemara Fugi; Sidinei Magela Thomaz; Fernando Miranda Lansac-Tôha; Erik Jeppesen

doi:10.1111/fwb.14098

Associations between submerged macrophytes and fish communities at two spatial scales in 88 temperate shallow lakes

Bárbara Angélio Quirino^*, Martin Søndergaard, Torben Linding Lauridsen, Liselotte Sander Johansson, Rosemara Fugi, Sidinei Magela Thomaz, Fernando Miranda Lansac-Tôha, Erik Jeppesen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Ecoscience - Freshwater Ecology

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Fish community structure is affected by a range of lake characteristics, including the cover of macrophytes that provide spawning habitats, nursery area, refuge against predators, and food. We assessed fish–macrophyte relationships at both lake and point scale using an extensive dataset from 88 Danish shallow lakes (maximum depth ≤4.5 m). At lake scale, we used mean values from fish and macrophyte community samples for all lakes, in total 88 samples. The point scale data were derived from multiple points in each lake (in total 595 samples) where both macrophytes and fish were sampled, allowing us to assess within-lake variations. We found generally negative relationships between macrophyte cover and fish abundance and biomass, which was strongest at point scale. Contrary to macrophytes, chlorophyll a showed positive relationships with fish abundance—except for perch and all fish <10 cm, which did not show significant relationships. The deeper and more eutrophic the lakes, the more the fish tended to occupy points covered by macrophytes. The abundances of species such as roach and bream were negatively related to macrophyte cover, but, for perch, this relationship was not significant. Our results suggest that fish abundance and biomass were associated with a combination of factors that are often intercorrelated and difficult to isolate. The relationship between fish abundance and biomass and macrophyte cover may depend on, among other factors, fish species, fish size, and the characteristics of the individual lakes.

Original language	English
Journal	Freshwater Biology
Volume	68
Issue	7
Pages (from-to)	1211-1223
Number of pages	13
ISSN	0046-5070
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.14098
Publication status	Published - Jul 2023

Keywords

aquatic plants
fish abundance
fish biomass
habitat complexity
macrophyte cover

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10.1111/fwb.14098

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title = "Associations between submerged macrophytes and fish communities at two spatial scales in 88 temperate shallow lakes",

abstract = "Fish community structure is affected by a range of lake characteristics, including the cover of macrophytes that provide spawning habitats, nursery area, refuge against predators, and food. We assessed fish–macrophyte relationships at both lake and point scale using an extensive dataset from 88 Danish shallow lakes (maximum depth ≤4.5 m). At lake scale, we used mean values from fish and macrophyte community samples for all lakes, in total 88 samples. The point scale data were derived from multiple points in each lake (in total 595 samples) where both macrophytes and fish were sampled, allowing us to assess within-lake variations. We found generally negative relationships between macrophyte cover and fish abundance and biomass, which was strongest at point scale. Contrary to macrophytes, chlorophyll a showed positive relationships with fish abundance—except for perch and all fish <10 cm, which did not show significant relationships. The deeper and more eutrophic the lakes, the more the fish tended to occupy points covered by macrophytes. The abundances of species such as roach and bream were negatively related to macrophyte cover, but, for perch, this relationship was not significant. Our results suggest that fish abundance and biomass were associated with a combination of factors that are often intercorrelated and difficult to isolate. The relationship between fish abundance and biomass and macrophyte cover may depend on, among other factors, fish species, fish size, and the characteristics of the individual lakes.",

keywords = "aquatic plants, fish abundance, fish biomass, habitat complexity, macrophyte cover",

author = "Quirino, {B{\'a}rbara Ang{\'e}lio} and Martin S{\o}ndergaard and Lauridsen, {Torben Linding} and Johansson, {Liselotte Sander} and Rosemara Fugi and Thomaz, {Sidinei Magela} and Lansac-T{\^o}ha, {Fernando Miranda} and Erik Jeppesen",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.",

year = "2023",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1111/fwb.14098",

language = "English",

volume = "68",

pages = "1211--1223",

journal = "Freshwater Biology",

issn = "0046-5070",

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Associations between submerged macrophytes and fish communities at two spatial scales in 88 temperate shallow lakes. / Quirino, Bárbara Angélio; Søndergaard, Martin ; Lauridsen, Torben Linding et al.
In: Freshwater Biology, Vol. 68, No. 7, 07.2023, p. 1211-1223.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Associations between submerged macrophytes and fish communities at two spatial scales in 88 temperate shallow lakes

AU - Quirino, Bárbara Angélio

AU - Søndergaard, Martin

AU - Lauridsen, Torben Linding

AU - Johansson, Liselotte Sander

AU - Fugi, Rosemara

AU - Thomaz, Sidinei Magela

AU - Lansac-Tôha, Fernando Miranda

AU - Jeppesen, Erik

PY - 2023/7

Y1 - 2023/7

N2 - Fish community structure is affected by a range of lake characteristics, including the cover of macrophytes that provide spawning habitats, nursery area, refuge against predators, and food. We assessed fish–macrophyte relationships at both lake and point scale using an extensive dataset from 88 Danish shallow lakes (maximum depth ≤4.5 m). At lake scale, we used mean values from fish and macrophyte community samples for all lakes, in total 88 samples. The point scale data were derived from multiple points in each lake (in total 595 samples) where both macrophytes and fish were sampled, allowing us to assess within-lake variations. We found generally negative relationships between macrophyte cover and fish abundance and biomass, which was strongest at point scale. Contrary to macrophytes, chlorophyll a showed positive relationships with fish abundance—except for perch and all fish <10 cm, which did not show significant relationships. The deeper and more eutrophic the lakes, the more the fish tended to occupy points covered by macrophytes. The abundances of species such as roach and bream were negatively related to macrophyte cover, but, for perch, this relationship was not significant. Our results suggest that fish abundance and biomass were associated with a combination of factors that are often intercorrelated and difficult to isolate. The relationship between fish abundance and biomass and macrophyte cover may depend on, among other factors, fish species, fish size, and the characteristics of the individual lakes.

AB - Fish community structure is affected by a range of lake characteristics, including the cover of macrophytes that provide spawning habitats, nursery area, refuge against predators, and food. We assessed fish–macrophyte relationships at both lake and point scale using an extensive dataset from 88 Danish shallow lakes (maximum depth ≤4.5 m). At lake scale, we used mean values from fish and macrophyte community samples for all lakes, in total 88 samples. The point scale data were derived from multiple points in each lake (in total 595 samples) where both macrophytes and fish were sampled, allowing us to assess within-lake variations. We found generally negative relationships between macrophyte cover and fish abundance and biomass, which was strongest at point scale. Contrary to macrophytes, chlorophyll a showed positive relationships with fish abundance—except for perch and all fish <10 cm, which did not show significant relationships. The deeper and more eutrophic the lakes, the more the fish tended to occupy points covered by macrophytes. The abundances of species such as roach and bream were negatively related to macrophyte cover, but, for perch, this relationship was not significant. Our results suggest that fish abundance and biomass were associated with a combination of factors that are often intercorrelated and difficult to isolate. The relationship between fish abundance and biomass and macrophyte cover may depend on, among other factors, fish species, fish size, and the characteristics of the individual lakes.

KW - aquatic plants

KW - fish abundance

KW - fish biomass

KW - habitat complexity

KW - macrophyte cover

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85156202981&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/fwb.14098

DO - 10.1111/fwb.14098

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85156202981

SN - 0046-5070

VL - 68

SP - 1211

EP - 1223

JO - Freshwater Biology

JF - Freshwater Biology

IS - 7

ER -

Associations between submerged macrophytes and fish communities at two spatial scales in 88 temperate shallow lakes

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