Vegetation Effects on Fish Distribution in Impounded Salt Marshes
We compared the density and biomass of resident fish in vegetated andunvegetated flooded habitats of impounded salt marshes in the northern IndianRiver Lagoon (IRL) Estuary of east-central Florida. A 1-m2 throw trap was usedto sample fish in randomly located, paired sample plots (n = 198 pairs) over 5 seasonsin 7 impoundments. We collected a total of 15 fish taxa, and 88% of the fisheswe identified from the samples belonged to three species: Cyprinodon variegatus(Sheepshead Minnow), Gambusia holbrooki (Eastern Mosquitofish), and Poecilialatipinna (Sailfin Molly). Vegetated habitat usually had higher density and biomassof fish. Mean fish density (and 95% confidence interval) for vegetated and unvegetatedsites were 8.2 (6.7–9.9) and 2.0 (1.6–2.4) individuals m-2, respectively; meanbiomass (and 95% confidence interval) for vegetated and unvegetated sites were3.0 (2.5–3.7) and 1.1 (0.9–1.4) g m-2, respectively. We confirmed previous findingsthat impounded salt marshes of the northern IRL Estuary produce a high standingstock of resident fishes. Seasonal patterns of abundance were consistent with fishmoving between vegetated and unvegetated habitat as water levels changed in theestuary. Differences in density, mean size, and species composition of residentfishes between vegetated and unvegetated habitats have important implications formovement of biomass and nutrients out of salt marsh by piscivores (e.g., wadingbirds and fishes) via a trophic relay.
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | article biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2009
|
| Subjects: | Biology, Ecology, Indian River Lagoon, Florida, fish biomass, vegetation, salt marshes, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/23061 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|