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Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - 8:45 AM
345
Effect of watershed size on fish biomass and species richness in Gatineau Park streams (Québec, Canada)
Liza A. Hamilton, Department of Biology, Institute of Biology Ottawa-Carleton, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada, Antoine Morin, Institute of Biology Ottawa-Carleton, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada, and Scott C. Findlay, Department of Biology, Institute of Biology Ottawa-Carelton, University of Ottawa, 555 King Edward, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada.
Twenty seven streams of Gatineau Park were sampled to examine how fish biomass and species richness vary with watershed size and to assess whether fish communities are affected by the presence of beaver dams on the streams. Fish biomass was sampled by electrofishing intensively from a 10 meter riffle segment at each site and biomass was estimated by the attrition method. Species richness was estimated from electrofishing a longer segment of each stream corresponding to a riffle-run-pool section. Species richness varied from 1 to 6 species and the most common species were creek chub (found at 52% of sites), brook trout (30% of sites) and northern redbelly dace (19% of sites). Biomass varied from 0 to 88.6 (g/m2). In watersheds ranging from 0.22 to 61.2 km2, fish species richness increased with watershed area (R2=0.27, p=0.006) although biomass did not vary with watershed size. Similar species-area trends have been found by authors in European streams. The presence of beaver dams did not affect species richness or biomass.
Web Page: fish species richness, watershed size
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See more of The NABS 57th Annual Meeting (16-23 May, 2009)