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Response of fish assemblages to water quality in boreal rivers

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Abstract

The relationship between fluvial fish assemblages and environmental variables including water quality was studied by nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) and generalised regression neural network (GRNN). Fish assemblages in the studied boreal rivers in Central Finland showed a higher response to water quality than to other environmental variables such as altitude and river width. Of the water quality parameters, total phosphorus, oxygen saturation in winter and solids had the highest influence on fish assemblages. Brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) responded to water quality strongly by favouring pristine waters. Among other fish species, the responses were lighter, and the relative contribution of environmental variables varied. Percentage of fishless sites, i.e. no catch in electrofishing, was 4.4% when pH ≥ 6, and 38.2% when pH < 6. However, the most effective way to influence the fish assemblage composition, and to raise the fish-based FIFI integrity index value, would be to reduce loading of solids and phosphorus, rather than depressing acidification.

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Acknowledgements

Valuable comments given by Heikki Mykrä greatly improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Oulu Game and Fisheries Research, Tutkijantie 2 E, 90570, Oulu, Finland

    Tapio Sutela, Teppo Vehanen & Pekka Jounela

  2. Department of Biology, University of Oulu, Box. 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland

    Tapio Sutela

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  1. Tapio Sutela
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  2. Teppo Vehanen
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Correspondence to Tapio Sutela.

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Sutela, T., Vehanen, T. & Jounela, P. Response of fish assemblages to water quality in boreal rivers. Hydrobiologia 641, 1–10 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-009-0048-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-009-0048-7

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