Linking the recruitment and survivorship of a freshwater stream-specialist fish species to flow metrics in Mediterranean climate temporary streams |
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Authors: | Nick S Whiterod Michael Hammer Lorenzo Vilizzi |
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Institution: | 1. Aquasave?Nature Glenelg Trust, Goolwa Beach, Australianick.whiterod@aquasave.com.au;3. Aquasave?Nature Glenelg Trust, Goolwa Beach, Australia;4. Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia;5. Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of ?ód?, ?ód?, Poland |
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Abstract: | Novel modelling was utilised in the present study to reveal significant relationships between the abundance of the Australian freshwater stream-specialist fish Galaxias olidus and metrics defining flow regimes across a region dominated by temporary streams. It was revealed that increases in total abundance were linked to metrics (both 1- and 3-year periods) that indicate greater water availability and the persistence of water in pools across the year, namely the average duration of zero-flow days over the low-flow season (negatively) and total duration of bankfull flows across the year (positively). The analysis identified 3-year metrics as being more important to the abundance of 0+ fish rather than annual ones. Taken together, these findings describing the flow requirements of a stream specialist will help to guide implementation of environmental flows, but will also highlight the need for continued exploration of flow–ecology relationships. |
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Keywords: | flow–ecology relationships flow alteration intermittent streams Murray-Darling Basin generalised linear models Bayesian analysis |
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