Ecology of a declining great plains fish, Fundulus sciadicus , in the Missouri Ozarks

摘要: Anthropogenic habitat disturbances are of growing concern due to their impacts on native biota, especially in freshwater ecosystems. Damming, channelization, urbanization, wetland draining, and non-native fish introductions all play large roles homogeneity, fragmentation, species competition. This has negative effects invertebrate species. In the Midwestern United States, plains topminnow (Fundulus sciadicus) been declining across its range, point becoming a special Missouri. is possibly combination above anthropogenic disturbances. To better understand ecology Missouri, this study examined distribution within state from 1930-2010 diet, size distribution, preferences two Ozark populations. I also competitive interactions with western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) laboratory experiment. My findings indicate little no change populations Missouri since 1930, while have grown by over 520% county scale. Plains diets sites indicated broad range prey items, including Diptera (larvae adult), Coleoptera, Gastropoda, number other taxa. Size one site healthy population high recruitment sexually mature adults 4 age classes. Habitat data showed significant correlation presence moderate dense algae macrophytes dissolved oxygen or temperature. competition experiment revealed adult mortality G. affinis through intraspecific was often killed territorial male.