The context dependency of fish‐habitat associations in separated karst ecoregions

• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10701
• Publication Date: 2023-12-18T09:48:50Z
• Authors: Dusty A. Swedberg; Robert Mollenhauer; Shannon K. Brewer
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; Ecology; multiscale habitat; groundwater; conservation; detection; spring‐associated; occupancy models; 01 natural sciences; QH540-549.5; Research Articles

Abstract Fish populations may be isolated via natural conditions in geographically separated ecoregions. Although reconnecting these is not a management goal, we need to understand how persist across landscapes develop meaningful conservation actions, particularly for species occupying sensitive karst ecosystems. Our study objective was determine the physicochemical factors related occurrence of four spring‐associated fishes. Arbuckle Uplift and Ozark Highlands ecoregions, USA. We used hierarchical approach identify habitat relationships at multiple spatial scales. collected detection data using snorkeling seining. examined fishes occupancy modeling Bayesian framework. found that differed were similar between ecoregions several For three species, different water temperature Smallmouth bass ubiquitous their use drainage areas but only associated with lower network Uplift. There mirrored including an interaction residual pool depth temperature, where sites deeper pools more likely occupied during warmer temperatures. single‐species percent vegetation agriculture. Lastly, efficient sampling method compared seining all results indicate stream mitigation possible maintenance key channel morphologies, shared stressors Channel maintain reaches important strategy maintaining thermal refugia, when considering climate change. Identifying mechanistic underpinning other multiscale ecological would helpful discern if some ecoregion represent warning signals or interactions unmeasured biotic abiotic factors.