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Ain’t no mountain high enough: the impact of severe typhoon on montane stream fishes

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Abstract

Typhoons are a regular occurrence in tropical Taiwan. Local flora and fauna should be adapted to typhoons, however more severe storms in the past decade most likely due to climate change have caused an apparent impact on local ecosystems and diversity. Heavy rainfall from typhoon events has been associated with declines in density and biodiversity of low altitude freshwater fish. Montane streams on the other hand are assumed to be more resilient to typhoons as these habitats receive less washed-off pollutant and is buffeted by established vegetation. However, as access to isolated montane streams, especially after a typhoon, is difficult, the effects of typhoons on these habitats are rarely studied. In this study, we overcame many obstacles to survey montane freshwater fishes in Beikeng Creek shortly after a typhoon event. We demonstrated extreme changes in physical characteristics, but little changes in chemical characteristics of the stream. We also documented the absence of the endemic Rhinogobius rubromaculatus (red spotted goby) and the crashed population of Onychostoma barbatulum, (Taiwan shovel-jaw carp) after typhoon. Although these two endemic species are expected to survive in other unaffected montane creeks and streams in the vicinity, the dramatic decline in montane fish population in Beikeng Creek suggests that conservation management may need to be reconsidered to prevent possible extinction under increasing human and natural perturbations.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this study was supported by Shei-Pa National Park, Taiwan. This research was conducted with the approval of the appropriate research animal ethics committee (093-301020500G-014) by Shei-Pa National Park. We deeply appreciate the assistance of Jun-Yun Lin during this project. We also thank the field trip assistants from the Conservation and Research Section, especially rangers and Substitute Military Server of Shei-Pa NP. We would like to thank volunteers - DongYing Pai and HsienLoong Chiu (National Taiwan Ocean University) who have been a great help during the challenging field trip after typhoon. I also want to thank Geoffrey Jones and David Williamson who gave me the facilities and financial support to finish this publication after my PhD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Taiwan Ocean Research Institute, Kaohsiung, 852, Taiwan

    Jeng-Ping Chen

  2. Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China

    Colin Kuo-Chang Wen

  3. Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan

    Colin Kuo-Chang Wen & Kwang-Tsao Shao

  4. National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Checheng, Pingtung, 944, Taiwan

    Pei-Jie Meng

  5. School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia

    Kah Leng Cherh

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  1. Jeng-Ping Chen
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  3. Pei-Jie Meng
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Correspondence to Colin Kuo-Chang Wen.

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Jeng-Ping Chen and Colin Kuo-Chang Wen contributed equally to this work.

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Chen, JP., Wen, C.KC., Meng, PJ. et al. Ain’t no mountain high enough: the impact of severe typhoon on montane stream fishes. Environ Biol Fish 98, 35–44 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-014-0243-x

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