| Title | Geographical patterns in the body-size structure of European lake fish assemblages along abiotic and biotic gradients |
| Abstract | Our aim was to document geographical patterns of variation in the body-size structure of European lake fish assemblages along abiotic gradients, and any differences in fish assemblage structure. We hypothesized that patterns in the body-size structure of entire lake fish assemblages are primarily temperature driven and consistent with the dominant pattern of the temperature-size rule, which suggests a decrease in adult body size with increasing developmental temperature for many ectothermic species. Location 356 European lakes. Methods Variation in the body-size structure of fish assemblages was explored on a continental scale along gradients of temperature, morphometry, productivity and fish assemblage structure for 356 European lakes. The mean fish assemblage body-size and individual body-size distributions were selected as size metrics. Separate analyses were conducted for lakes located within five ecoregion subsets (Borealic Uplands/Tundra, FennoScandian Shield, Central Plains, Western Plains and Western Highlands) and for lakes with different functional fish classifications (cold-, cool- and warmwater fish assemblages). Results Geographical patterns of variation in the body-size structure of European lake fish assemblages could be clearly discerned along a temperature gradient for both the continental dataset (356 lakes) and the smaller geographical (ecoregion) subsets. We found systematic changes in fish assemblage body-size structure across temperature gradients in correspondence with the dominant thermal fish guild. The majority of the lakes, mainly located in the warmer European lowlands, were dominated by eurythermic cool- and warmwater fish assemblages, with smaller sized individuals characterized by linear individual body-size distributions. Lakes located in colder regions and dominated by stenothermic coldwater salmonids with larger sized individuals were characterized by unimodal or bimodal size distributions. The mean body size of cold-, cool- and warmwater fish assemblages changed uniformly along the temperature gradient. Main conclusions Patterns of variation in the body-size structure of European lake fish assemblages are consistent with the temperature-size rule. Temperature modifies fish assemblage size structure uniformly within the thermal fish guilds and in different ecoregions. Furthermore, our results indicate an increasing predictive power of temperature to explain variability in body-size structure when moving from warmer to colder geographical regions. |
| Source | Journal of biogeography (Print) 41 (12), pp. 2221–2233 |
| Keywords | Body sizeEuropean lakesfreshwater fishfunctional classificationindividual body-size distributionmacroecologymultimesh gillnettemperature gradienttemperature-size rulethermal guild |
| Journal | Journal of biogeography (Print) |
| Editor | Blackwell Scientific,, Oxford, Regno Unito |
| Year | 2014 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.1111/jbi.12366 |
| Authors | Emmrich, Matthias; Pedron, Stephanie; Brucet, Sandra; Winfield, Ian J.; Jeppesen, Erik; Volta, Pietro; Argillier, Christine; Lauridsen, Torben L.; Holmgren, Kerstin; Hesthagen, Trygve; Mehner, Thomas |
| Text | 328859 2014 10.1111/jbi.12366 ISI Web of Science WOS 000345328400003 Scopus 2 s2.0 84903422399 Body size European lakes freshwater fish functional classification individual body size distribution macroecology multimesh gillnet temperature gradient temperature size rule thermal guild Geographical patterns in the body size structure of European lake fish assemblages along abiotic and biotic gradients Emmrich, Matthias; Pedron, Stephanie; Brucet, Sandra; Winfield, Ian J.; Jeppesen, Erik; Volta, Pietro; Argillier, Christine; Lauridsen, Torben L.; Holmgren, Kerstin; Hesthagen, Trygve; Mehner, Thomas Leibniz Inst Freshwater Ecol Inland Fisheries; Agcy Eau Seine Normandie; Commiss European Communities; Universitat de Vic; Aarhus University; Lancaster University; Sino Danish Ctr Educ Res; Greenland Inst Nat Resources; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche CNR ; Irstea; Aarhus University; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Norwegian Inst Nat Res Our aim was to document geographical patterns of variation in the body size structure of European lake fish assemblages along abiotic gradients, and any differences in fish assemblage structure. We hypothesized that patterns in the body size structure of entire lake fish assemblages are primarily temperature driven and consistent with the dominant pattern of the temperature size rule, which suggests a decrease in adult body size with increasing developmental temperature for many ectothermic species. Location 356 European lakes. Methods Variation in the body size structure of fish assemblages was explored on a continental scale along gradients of temperature, morphometry, productivity and fish assemblage structure for 356 European lakes. The mean fish assemblage body size and individual body size distributions were selected as size metrics. Separate analyses were conducted for lakes located within five ecoregion subsets Borealic Uplands/Tundra, FennoScandian Shield, Central Plains, Western Plains and Western Highlands and for lakes with different functional fish classifications cold , cool and warmwater fish assemblages . Results Geographical patterns of variation in the body size structure of European lake fish assemblages could be clearly discerned along a temperature gradient for both the continental dataset 356 lakes and the smaller geographical ecoregion subsets. We found systematic changes in fish assemblage body size structure across temperature gradients in correspondence with the dominant thermal fish guild. The majority of the lakes, mainly located in the warmer European lowlands, were dominated by eurythermic cool and warmwater fish assemblages, with smaller sized individuals characterized by linear individual body size distributions. Lakes located in colder regions and dominated by stenothermic coldwater salmonids with larger sized individuals were characterized by unimodal or bimodal size distributions. The mean body size of cold , cool and warmwater fish assemblages changed uniformly along the temperature gradient. Main conclusions Patterns of variation in the body size structure of European lake fish assemblages are consistent with the temperature size rule. Temperature modifies fish assemblage size structure uniformly within the thermal fish guilds and in different ecoregions. Furthermore, our results indicate an increasing predictive power of temperature to explain variability in body size structure when moving from warmer to colder geographical regions. 41 Published version Articolo 2014_Journal_of_Biogeography_41_2221_2233.pdf Articolo in rivista Blackwell Scientific, 0305 0270 Journal of biogeography Print Journal of biogeography Print J. biogeogr. Print Journal of biogeography. Print pietro.volta VOLTA PIETRO TA.P04.016.004 Ecologia teorica e applicata degli ecosistemi acquatici |
