Biogeographic Associations in Fish Assemblages: Local vs. Regional Processes

摘要: Six geographic regions along the Laurentian Great Lakes in Ontario, represented by 286 lakes, were examined to identify existence of regional similarities fish species composition and their association location patterns lake morphology pH. differed significantly among with respect surface area, maximum depth, Species presence/absence data summarized using correspondence analysis, resultant scores used multivariate analysis variance canonical variates analysis. These results indicated that faunas six geographical areas distinct. Interregional distances based on community scores, morphology–chemistry data, contrasted Mantel's test. Regional faunal correlated proximity, but not morphology. We propose post—glacial dispersal thermal regimes are important determinants structuring assemblages, whereas environmental conditions such as depth pH assume greater importance determining compositions individual lakes.