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Influence of Land-Use Classes on the Functional Structure of Fish Communities in Southern Brazilian Headwater Streams

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Abstract

Changes in landscape composition caused by conversion of natural habitats into human-altered ecosystems can directly influence the physical characteristics of stream networks. Such impacts can modify the functional structure of fish communities, although the exact consequences of anthropic land-use changes can be context-dependent. This study investigated the influence of different land-use classes on the functional structure of fish communities in 32 headwater streams from southern Brazil. Trait composition and indices of functional diversity of the fish community were related to four land-use classes: native forest vegetation, silviculture, agriculture, and urban areas. Streams surrounded by larger areas of native forest were characterized by the predominance of foraging specialist species like grazers. However, as native vegetation is replaced by agriculture and urban areas, specialist species are replaced by species with generalist diet like detritivores. In streams surrounded by larger areas of agriculture, functional richness and divergence increased, while functional evenness decreased. Most likely, these changes were induced by alterations in the water quality, indicated by increased electrical conductivity and water temperature in streams with more agriculture areas. In conclusion, the conservation of the native forest vegetation is essential to maintain habitat characteristics and ecological processes in streams and to avoid the loss of specialist species in fish communities.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Marlon Ferraz da Rosa for the development of the map and help with fieldwork. We thank Rafael Gomes de Moura for helping in the analysis of land use. This research was funded by grants from the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, grant numbers: 151152/2018-7 and 307455/2016-5).

Author Contributions

ASB participated in data acquisition, data analysis, and drafting of the manuscript. MMP participated in data analysis and drafting of the manuscript. UHS was the supervisor of the doctoral thesis of ASB. He contributed to the ecological framework of the thesis and provided the infrastructure for the study.

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Correspondence to Uwe Horst Schulz.

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Barbosa, A.S., Pires, M.M. & Schulz, U.H. Influence of Land-Use Classes on the Functional Structure of Fish Communities in Southern Brazilian Headwater Streams. Environmental Management 65, 618–629 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-020-01274-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-020-01274-9

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