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Dynamics of fish dispersal during river-floodplain connectivity and its implications for community assembly

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Abstract

In river-floodplain ecosystems, overbank flows interact with floodplain geomorphology to generate a network of transient inter-waterbody connections. Heterogeneity in the characteristics of these connections may interact with species-specific dispersal capacity to affect the maintenance of diversity and community assembly on the floodplain. We modelled the immigration and emigration rates of nine species of fish entering and leaving a large floodplain lake during a hydrological connection with the parent river. Dispersal rates were modelled as a continuous function of time-since-connection over 3 months, with the aim of testing for species-specific patterns in (a) the timing and magnitudes of lateral dispersal, and (b) the balance between total immigration into, and emigration from, the lake. Significant interspecific variation in the timing and magnitude of lateral dispersal was evident. Magnitude of lateral dispersal was not a function of local abundance for all species. Further, the balance between immigration to, and emigration from, the lake varied significantly across species, and over time within species. The immigration–emigration balance of a species was not related to its magnitude of lateral dispersal, but may be related to its behavioural and life-history traits. Spatial heterogeneity in the duration of inter-waterbody connections may interact with species-specific dispersal functions to shape assembly of floodplain communities. Accordingly, habitat heterogeneity among floodplain waterbodies is not strictly necessary for heterogeneity in fish community composition. These dynamics have implications for the maintenance of diversity in river-floodplain fish metacommunities under both natural and managed connectivity regimes.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and the Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre. We thank Adrian Clements and Adam Richardson for assistance in the field. Thanks to Arthur Kirby for permitting access to Washpen Lake.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Land and Water, Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, Wodonga, VIC, Australia

    Rick J. Stoffels

  2. Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Wodonga, VIC, Australia

    Rick J. Stoffels

  3. New South Wales Fisheries, Narrandera, NSW, Australia

    Rohan A. Rehwinkel

  4. The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, La Trobe University, Wodonga, VIC, Australia

    Amina E. Price

  5. Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    William F. Fagan

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  1. Rick J. Stoffels
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Correspondence to Rick J. Stoffels.

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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. Fish sampling was carried out under La Trobe University Ethics Approval AEC07-22-MD-V2.

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Stoffels, R.J., Rehwinkel, R.A., Price, A.E. et al. Dynamics of fish dispersal during river-floodplain connectivity and its implications for community assembly. Aquat Sci 78, 355–365 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-015-0437-0

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