Article Dans Une Revue Ecological Processes Année : 2023

Functional responses to deforestation in fish communities inhabiting neotropical streams and rivers

Résumé

Abstract Background Deforestation is a widespread disturbance for neotropical freshwater ecosystems. While biodiversity declines have been associated with deforestation, its functional consequences for stream and river fish faunas remain poorly understood. In this study, we explored how deforestation affects the different facets of the functional structure of fish communities inventoried using environmental DNA metabarcoding in 64 river and 35 stream sites of French Guiana. Specifically, we investigated how functional richness, divergence, evenness and identity of fish faunas are affected by deforestation. Results We showed that anthropogenic disturbances in French Guiana are modifying the functional diversity of freshwater fish communities. These disturbances not only affected the amount of functional traits held by the communities but also the identity of the traits and the internal structure of the functional space. Consequently, different facets of the functional diversity supported by fish assemblages were altered. In streams, deforestation did not affect the overall diversity of traits but reduced functional redundancy, underlined by a shift in functional identity towards assemblages dominated by pelagic detritivores. In contrast, river fish faunas experienced a decline in functional richness, paired with shifts in functional identity and a loss of fish species with extreme functions. Conclusions The response to deforestation differed between streams and rivers, but it supports the hypothesis that deforestation is linked to functional changes in fish assemblages. By diminishing the range of the functions in rivers or by jeopardizing the redundancy of functions in streams, deforestation could severely hamper the functioning and stability of neotropical freshwater ecosystems.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
J79_Cantera2023_EcologicalProcesses.pdf (2.71 Mo) Télécharger le fichier
Origine Publication financée par une institution
licence

Dates et versions

hal-04909539 , version 1 (24-01-2025)

Licence

Identifiants

Citer

Isabel Cantera, Céline Jézéquel, Tony Dejean, Jérôme Murienne, Régis Vigouroux, et al.. Functional responses to deforestation in fish communities inhabiting neotropical streams and rivers. Ecological Processes, 2023, 12 (1), pp.52. ⟨10.1186/s13717-023-00463-8⟩. ⟨hal-04909539⟩
0 Consultations
0 Téléchargements

Altmetric

Partager

More