Community Assembly Rules of Fish Assemblages Along a Large Tropical River Catchment: A View from Different Perspectives

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dc.contributor.advisorWinemiller, Kirk O
dc.contributor.committeeMemberFitzgerald, Lee
dc.contributor.committeeMemberConway, Kevin
dc.contributor.committeeMemberLawing, Michell
dc.creatorLopez Delgado, Edwin Orlando
dc.date.accessioned2019-10-16T21:09:10Z
dc.date.available2021-05-01T12:33:44Z
dc.date.created2019-05
dc.date.issued2019-04-04
dc.date.submittedMay 2019
dc.date.updated2019-10-16T21:09:10Z
dc.description.abstractCommunity ecologist have studied biodiversity worldwide principally focusing on species richness. However, little is known about how species composition varies in space, time and even less about the species role in the ecosystem functioning, which is critical for natural resource management and conservation. In this study, I investigated mechanisms underlying community structure and how environmental and spatial factors influence fish taxonomic and functional (α,β) diversity along a longitudinal gradient in a nearly pristine Neotropical river. Standardized surveys were conducted during the low-water period at 34 sites within the Bita River Basin in the Colombian Llanos. Physical, chemical and landscape parameters were recorded at each site. Asymmetric eigenvector maps were used as spatial variables. To examine the relative influence of spatial and environmental variables on taxonomic and functional diversity, a distance-based redundancy analysis (db-RDA) and variation partitioning analysis were conducted. Results of these two facets of biodiversity showed that environmental filtering and stochastic dynamics might be structuring fish communities in this river system. Variation partitioning analyses for both biodiversity facets revealed that environmental features related to in-stream cover might act as filters structuring fish communities, therefore, in order to preserve fish biodiversity in this diverse river, it is crucial that habitat variability (in-stream cover) and connectivity be preserved.en
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/185076
dc.language.isoen
dc.subjectBiodiversityen
dc.subjectbeta diversityen
dc.subjectfunctional diversityen
dc.subjectin-stream coveren
dc.subjectNeotropical river.en
dc.titleCommunity Assembly Rules of Fish Assemblages Along a Large Tropical River Catchment: A View from Different Perspectivesen
dc.typeThesisen
dc.type.materialtexten
local.embargo.terms2021-05-01
local.etdauthor.orcid0000-0001-6991-1409
thesis.degree.departmentWildlife and Fisheries Sciencesen
thesis.degree.disciplineWildlife and Fisheries Sciencesen
thesis.degree.grantorTexas A & M Universityen
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophyen

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