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The rise and fall of fish diversity in a neotropical river after impoundment

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Abstract

In contrast to the fast-paced dam construction and river ecosystem alteration which is taking place in the neotropics, ecological knowledge about the effects on fish fauna are still scarce. To contribute with knowledge on the effects of damming on fish fauna, we assessed the response of fish assemblages to the construction of a run-of-the-river dam in an Amazonian river by selecting eight sampling sites along a longitudinal gradient in the vicinity of a new hydroelectric dam. Sites were sampled monthly through a 1-year period before dam closure (2004–2005), 1 year after closure (2006–2007), and 5 years after closure (2011–2012). Following dam closure, there was an initial overall increase in fish abundance and richness across sites. However, despite the initial upsurge, after 5 years, populations were reduced and communities contracted to a level of diversity below that observed prior to dam closure. Respective sites demonstrated distinct ecological responses that were related to the environmental characteristics of their transformed habitats. Important changes in fish assemblages were visible in a short-term period of 5 years after dam closure. Therefore, monitoring fish species assemblages in a longer term is important to assess the consequences of a decrease in diversity.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by National Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) with a grant to ACL (SFRH/BD/51408/2011) and CESAM funding (UID/AMB/50017/2013). The authors would like to thank ENERPEIXE S.A. for providing the data which made this study possible and anonymous editor and reviewers for valuable comments and suggestions on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    Ana Carolina Lima, Amadeu M. V. M. Soares & Kieran A. Monaghan

  2. Núcleo de Estudos Ambientais (Neamb), Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Rua 3, Quadra 17, Jardim dos Ipês, Porto Nacional, TO, Brazil

    Carlos Sérgio Agostinho & Fernando Mayer Pelicice

  3. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Produção Vegetal, Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Campus de Gurupi. Rua Badejós, Zona Rural, Cx. Postal 66, Gurupi, TO, CEP: 77402-970, Brazil

    Amadeu M. V. M. Soares

  4. Departamento de Estatística e Investigação Operacional, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Bloco C 6, Piso 4 - Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal

    Diogo Sayanda

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  1. Ana Carolina Lima
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  2. Carlos Sérgio Agostinho
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Correspondence to Ana Carolina Lima.

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Lima, A.C., Agostinho, C.S., Sayanda, D. et al. The rise and fall of fish diversity in a neotropical river after impoundment. Hydrobiologia 763, 207–221 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2377-z

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