Longitudinal changes on ecological diversity of Neotropical fish along a 1700 km river gradient show declines induced by dams

Anahí López-Rodríguez; Mariana Meerhoff; Alejandro D'Anatro; Sunshine de Ávila-Simas; Ivana Silva; Joaquín Pais; Franco Teixeira de Mello; David Augusto Reynalte-Tataje; Evoy Zaniboni-Filho; Iván González-Bergonzoni

doi:10.1016/j.pecon.2024.03.003

Longitudinal changes on ecological diversity of Neotropical fish along a 1700 km river gradient show declines induced by dams

Anahí López-Rodríguez^*, Mariana Meerhoff, Alejandro D'Anatro, Sunshine de Ávila-Simas, Ivana Silva, Joaquín Pais, Franco Teixeira de Mello, David Augusto Reynalte-Tataje, Evoy Zaniboni-Filho, Iván González-Bergonzoni

^*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

Abstract

In naturally flowing waters, communities are expected to increase their taxonomic and functional diversity as well as increase the complexity of food web architecture along the longitudinal gradient from headwaters to mouth. However, these theories do not necessarily apply to dammed rivers. We analysed fish communities at 12 locations along the 1700 km stretch of the transnational Uruguay River. We determined species richness, beta-diversity and its components (turnover and nestedness), trophic diversity, and isotopic niches at community level, with particular focus on areas upstream and downstream of the four existing dams. We estimated trophic diversity metrics based on diet analysis, and isotopic niche breadth based on Bayesian isotopic niche models. We detected consistent longitudinal changes, supporting predictions from the River Continuum Concept. However, taxonomic richness, trophic diversity, and isotopic niche decreased abruptly immediately downstream of dams, and the component contributing the most to beta diversity was turnover, with the highest values occurring mainly after the cascade of dams in the upper Uruguay River, fitting expectations from the Serial Discontinuity Concept. The dam-free stretches of the Uruguay River allowed the recovery of ecological diversity as fish richness and trophic and isotopic niche increased. The negative impacts of dams should urgently be considered in the Neotropics, where many large dams are projected.

Original language	English
Journal	Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation
Volume	22
Issue	2
Pages (from-to)	186-195
Number of pages	10
ISSN	2530-0644
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecon.2024.03.003
Publication status	Published - Apr 2024

Keywords

Beta diversity
Fish diversity
Habitat fragmentation
Isotopic niche
Longitudinal gradient
Trophic diversity

Access to Document

10.1016/j.pecon.2024.03.003Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

López-Rodríguez, A., Meerhoff, M., D'Anatro, A., de Ávila-Simas, S., Silva, I., Pais, J., Teixeira de Mello, F., Reynalte-Tataje, D. A., Zaniboni-Filho, E., & González-Bergonzoni, I. (2024). Longitudinal changes on ecological diversity of Neotropical fish along a 1700 km river gradient show declines induced by dams. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation, 22(2), 186-195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecon.2024.03.003

@article{f6bb57a34c9443048774a932db5335f7,

title = "Longitudinal changes on ecological diversity of Neotropical fish along a 1700 km river gradient show declines induced by dams",

abstract = "In naturally flowing waters, communities are expected to increase their taxonomic and functional diversity as well as increase the complexity of food web architecture along the longitudinal gradient from headwaters to mouth. However, these theories do not necessarily apply to dammed rivers. We analysed fish communities at 12 locations along the 1700 km stretch of the transnational Uruguay River. We determined species richness, beta-diversity and its components (turnover and nestedness), trophic diversity, and isotopic niches at community level, with particular focus on areas upstream and downstream of the four existing dams. We estimated trophic diversity metrics based on diet analysis, and isotopic niche breadth based on Bayesian isotopic niche models. We detected consistent longitudinal changes, supporting predictions from the River Continuum Concept. However, taxonomic richness, trophic diversity, and isotopic niche decreased abruptly immediately downstream of dams, and the component contributing the most to beta diversity was turnover, with the highest values occurring mainly after the cascade of dams in the upper Uruguay River, fitting expectations from the Serial Discontinuity Concept. The dam-free stretches of the Uruguay River allowed the recovery of ecological diversity as fish richness and trophic and isotopic niche increased. The negative impacts of dams should urgently be considered in the Neotropics, where many large dams are projected.",

keywords = "Beta diversity, Fish diversity, Habitat fragmentation, Isotopic niche, Longitudinal gradient, Trophic diversity",

author = "Anah{\'i} L{\'o}pez-Rodr{\'i}guez and Mariana Meerhoff and Alejandro D'Anatro and {de {\'A}vila-Simas}, Sunshine and Ivana Silva and Joaqu{\'i}n Pais and {Teixeira de Mello}, Franco and Reynalte-Tataje, {David Augusto} and Evoy Zaniboni-Filho and Iv{\'a}n Gonz{\'a}lez-Bergonzoni",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 Associa{\c c}{\~a}o Brasileira de Ci{\^e}ncia Ecol{\'o}gica e Conserva{\c c}{\~a}o",

year = "2024",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1016/j.pecon.2024.03.003",

language = "English",

volume = "22",

pages = "186--195",

journal = "Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation",

issn = "2530-0644",

publisher = "Associacao Brasileira de Ciencia Ecologica e Conservacao",

number = "2",

}

López-Rodríguez, A, Meerhoff, M, D'Anatro, A, de Ávila-Simas, S, Silva, I, Pais, J, Teixeira de Mello, F, Reynalte-Tataje, DA, Zaniboni-Filho, E & González-Bergonzoni, I 2024, 'Longitudinal changes on ecological diversity of Neotropical fish along a 1700 km river gradient show declines induced by dams', Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 186-195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecon.2024.03.003

Longitudinal changes on ecological diversity of Neotropical fish along a 1700 km river gradient show declines induced by dams. / López-Rodríguez, Anahí; Meerhoff, Mariana; D'Anatro, Alejandro et al.
In: Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation, Vol. 22, No. 2, 04.2024, p. 186-195.

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

TY - JOUR

T1 - Longitudinal changes on ecological diversity of Neotropical fish along a 1700 km river gradient show declines induced by dams

AU - López-Rodríguez, Anahí

AU - Meerhoff, Mariana

AU - D'Anatro, Alejandro

AU - de Ávila-Simas, Sunshine

AU - Silva, Ivana

AU - Pais, Joaquín

AU - Teixeira de Mello, Franco

AU - Reynalte-Tataje, David Augusto

AU - Zaniboni-Filho, Evoy

AU - González-Bergonzoni, Iván

PY - 2024/4

Y1 - 2024/4

N2 - In naturally flowing waters, communities are expected to increase their taxonomic and functional diversity as well as increase the complexity of food web architecture along the longitudinal gradient from headwaters to mouth. However, these theories do not necessarily apply to dammed rivers. We analysed fish communities at 12 locations along the 1700 km stretch of the transnational Uruguay River. We determined species richness, beta-diversity and its components (turnover and nestedness), trophic diversity, and isotopic niches at community level, with particular focus on areas upstream and downstream of the four existing dams. We estimated trophic diversity metrics based on diet analysis, and isotopic niche breadth based on Bayesian isotopic niche models. We detected consistent longitudinal changes, supporting predictions from the River Continuum Concept. However, taxonomic richness, trophic diversity, and isotopic niche decreased abruptly immediately downstream of dams, and the component contributing the most to beta diversity was turnover, with the highest values occurring mainly after the cascade of dams in the upper Uruguay River, fitting expectations from the Serial Discontinuity Concept. The dam-free stretches of the Uruguay River allowed the recovery of ecological diversity as fish richness and trophic and isotopic niche increased. The negative impacts of dams should urgently be considered in the Neotropics, where many large dams are projected.

AB - In naturally flowing waters, communities are expected to increase their taxonomic and functional diversity as well as increase the complexity of food web architecture along the longitudinal gradient from headwaters to mouth. However, these theories do not necessarily apply to dammed rivers. We analysed fish communities at 12 locations along the 1700 km stretch of the transnational Uruguay River. We determined species richness, beta-diversity and its components (turnover and nestedness), trophic diversity, and isotopic niches at community level, with particular focus on areas upstream and downstream of the four existing dams. We estimated trophic diversity metrics based on diet analysis, and isotopic niche breadth based on Bayesian isotopic niche models. We detected consistent longitudinal changes, supporting predictions from the River Continuum Concept. However, taxonomic richness, trophic diversity, and isotopic niche decreased abruptly immediately downstream of dams, and the component contributing the most to beta diversity was turnover, with the highest values occurring mainly after the cascade of dams in the upper Uruguay River, fitting expectations from the Serial Discontinuity Concept. The dam-free stretches of the Uruguay River allowed the recovery of ecological diversity as fish richness and trophic and isotopic niche increased. The negative impacts of dams should urgently be considered in the Neotropics, where many large dams are projected.

KW - Beta diversity

KW - Fish diversity

KW - Habitat fragmentation

KW - Isotopic niche

KW - Longitudinal gradient

KW - Trophic diversity

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85190736215&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.pecon.2024.03.003

DO - 10.1016/j.pecon.2024.03.003

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85190736215

SN - 2530-0644

VL - 22

SP - 186

EP - 195

JO - Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation

JF - Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation

IS - 2

ER -

Longitudinal changes on ecological diversity of Neotropical fish along a 1700 km river gradient show declines induced by dams

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this