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    Rights statement: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Leal CG, Barlow J, Gardner T, et al. Is environmental legislation conserving tropical stream faunas? A large‐scale assessment of local, riparian and catchment‐scale influences on Amazonian fish. J Appl Ecol. 2018;55:1312–1326. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13028 which has been published in final form at https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2664.13028 This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.

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Is environmental legislation conserving tropical stream faunas?: A large-scale assessment of local, riparian and catchment-scale influences on Amazonian fish

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Is environmental legislation conserving tropical stream faunas? A large-scale assessment of local, riparian and catchment-scale influences on Amazonian fish. / Leal, Cecilia G.; Barlow, Jos; Gardner, Toby A. et al.
In: Journal of Applied Ecology, Vol. 55, No. 3, 05.2018, p. 1312-1326.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Leal, CG, Barlow, J, Gardner, TA, Hughes, RM, Leitao, RP, Mac Nally, R, Kaufmann, PR, Ferraz, SFB, Zuanon, J, de Paula, FR, Ferreira, J, Thomson, JR, Lennox, GD, Dary, EP, Ropke, CP & Pompeu, PS 2018, 'Is environmental legislation conserving tropical stream faunas? A large-scale assessment of local, riparian and catchment-scale influences on Amazonian fish', Journal of Applied Ecology, vol. 55, no. 3, pp. 1312-1326. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13028

APA

Leal, C. G., Barlow, J., Gardner, T. A., Hughes, R. M., Leitao, R. P., Mac Nally, R., Kaufmann, P. R., Ferraz, S. F. B., Zuanon, J., de Paula, F. R., Ferreira, J., Thomson, J. R., Lennox, G. D., Dary, E. P., Ropke, C. P., & Pompeu, P. S. (2018). Is environmental legislation conserving tropical stream faunas? A large-scale assessment of local, riparian and catchment-scale influences on Amazonian fish. Journal of Applied Ecology, 55(3), 1312-1326. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13028

Vancouver

Leal CG, Barlow J, Gardner TA, Hughes RM, Leitao RP, Mac Nally R et al. Is environmental legislation conserving tropical stream faunas? A large-scale assessment of local, riparian and catchment-scale influences on Amazonian fish. Journal of Applied Ecology. 2018 May;55(3):1312-1326. Epub 2017 Nov 12. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.13028

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Bibtex

@article{56d54ded94164cc4982975d8c6da5b88,
title = "Is environmental legislation conserving tropical stream faunas?: A large-scale assessment of local, riparian and catchment-scale influences on Amazonian fish",
abstract = "1. Agricultural expansion and intensification are major threats to tropical biodiversity. In addition to the direct removal of native vegetation, agricultural expansion often elicits other human-induced disturbances, many of which are poorly addressed by existing environmental legislation and conservation programmes. This is particularly true for tropical freshwater systems, where there is considerable uncertainty about whether a legislative focus on protecting riparian vegetation is sufficient to conserve stream fauna.2. To assess the extent to which stream fish are being effectively conserved in agricultural landscapes, we examined the spatial distribution of assemblages in river basins to identify the relative importance of human impacts at instream, riparian and catchment scales, in shaping observed patterns. We used an extensive dataset on the ecological condition of 83 low-order streams distributed in three river basins in the eastern Brazilian Amazon.3. We collected and identified 24,420 individual fish from 134 species. Multiplicative diversity partitioning revealed high levels of compositional dissimilarity (DS) among stream sites (DS = 0.74 to 0.83) and river basins (DS = 0.82), due mainly to turnover (77.8% to 81.8%) rather than nestedness. The highly heterogeneous fish faunas in small Amazonian streams underscore the vital importance of enacting measures to protect forests on private lands outside of public protected areas.4. Instream habitat features explained more variability in fish assemblages (15%-19%) than riparian (2%-12%), catchment (4%-13%) or natural covariates (4%-11%). Although grouping species into functional guilds allowed us to explain up to 31% of their abundance (i.e. for nektonic herbivores), individual riparian - and catchment- scale predictor variables that are commonly a focus of environmental legislation explained very little of the observed variation (partial R-2 values mostly5. Policy implications. Current rates of agricultural intensification and mechanization in tropical landscapes are unprecedented, yet the existing legislative frameworks focusing on protecting riparian vegetation seem insufficient to conserve stream environments and their fish assemblages. To safeguard the species-rich freshwater biota of small Amazonian streams, conservation actions must shift towards managing whole basins and drainage networks, as well as agricultural practices in already-cleared land.",
keywords = "Amazon, Brazilian Forest Code, functional guilds, human-modified landscapes, multiplicative diversity partitioning, physical habitat, species turnover, tropical landscapes, watershed management, FRESH-WATER BIODIVERSITY, MULTIPLE SPATIAL SCALES, LAND-USE, ECOLOGICAL VARIATION, RELATIVE INFLUENCE, PACIFIC-NORTHWEST, RIVER RESTORATION, BIOTIC INTEGRITY, EASTERN AMAZONIA, HUMAN PRESSURES",
author = "Leal, {Cecilia G.} and Jos Barlow and Gardner, {Toby A.} and Hughes, {Robert M.} and Leitao, {Rafael P.} and {Mac Nally}, Ralph and Kaufmann, {Philip R.} and Ferraz, {Silvio F. B.} and Jansen Zuanon and {de Paula}, {Felipe R.} and Joice Ferreira and Thomson, {James R.} and Lennox, {Gareth D.} and Dary, {Eurizangela P.} and Ropke, {Cristhiana P.} and Pompeu, {Paulo S.}",
note = "This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Leal CG, Barlow J, Gardner T, et al. Is environmental legislation conserving tropical stream faunas? A large‐scale assessment of local, riparian and catchment‐scale influences on Amazonian fish. J Appl Ecol. 2018;55:1312–1326. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13028 which has been published in final form at https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2664.13028 This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.",
year = "2018",
month = may,
doi = "10.1111/1365-2664.13028",
language = "English",
volume = "55",
pages = "1312--1326",
journal = "Journal of Applied Ecology",
issn = "0021-8901",
publisher = "Blackwell Publishing Ltd",
number = "3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Is environmental legislation conserving tropical stream faunas?

T2 - A large-scale assessment of local, riparian and catchment-scale influences on Amazonian fish

AU - Leal, Cecilia G.

AU - Barlow, Jos

AU - Gardner, Toby A.

AU - Hughes, Robert M.

AU - Leitao, Rafael P.

AU - Mac Nally, Ralph

AU - Kaufmann, Philip R.

AU - Ferraz, Silvio F. B.

AU - Zuanon, Jansen

AU - de Paula, Felipe R.

AU - Ferreira, Joice

AU - Thomson, James R.

AU - Lennox, Gareth D.

AU - Dary, Eurizangela P.

AU - Ropke, Cristhiana P.

AU - Pompeu, Paulo S.

N1 - This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Leal CG, Barlow J, Gardner T, et al. Is environmental legislation conserving tropical stream faunas? A large‐scale assessment of local, riparian and catchment‐scale influences on Amazonian fish. J Appl Ecol. 2018;55:1312–1326. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13028 which has been published in final form at https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2664.13028 This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.

PY - 2018/5

Y1 - 2018/5

N2 - 1. Agricultural expansion and intensification are major threats to tropical biodiversity. In addition to the direct removal of native vegetation, agricultural expansion often elicits other human-induced disturbances, many of which are poorly addressed by existing environmental legislation and conservation programmes. This is particularly true for tropical freshwater systems, where there is considerable uncertainty about whether a legislative focus on protecting riparian vegetation is sufficient to conserve stream fauna.2. To assess the extent to which stream fish are being effectively conserved in agricultural landscapes, we examined the spatial distribution of assemblages in river basins to identify the relative importance of human impacts at instream, riparian and catchment scales, in shaping observed patterns. We used an extensive dataset on the ecological condition of 83 low-order streams distributed in three river basins in the eastern Brazilian Amazon.3. We collected and identified 24,420 individual fish from 134 species. Multiplicative diversity partitioning revealed high levels of compositional dissimilarity (DS) among stream sites (DS = 0.74 to 0.83) and river basins (DS = 0.82), due mainly to turnover (77.8% to 81.8%) rather than nestedness. The highly heterogeneous fish faunas in small Amazonian streams underscore the vital importance of enacting measures to protect forests on private lands outside of public protected areas.4. Instream habitat features explained more variability in fish assemblages (15%-19%) than riparian (2%-12%), catchment (4%-13%) or natural covariates (4%-11%). Although grouping species into functional guilds allowed us to explain up to 31% of their abundance (i.e. for nektonic herbivores), individual riparian - and catchment- scale predictor variables that are commonly a focus of environmental legislation explained very little of the observed variation (partial R-2 values mostly5. Policy implications. Current rates of agricultural intensification and mechanization in tropical landscapes are unprecedented, yet the existing legislative frameworks focusing on protecting riparian vegetation seem insufficient to conserve stream environments and their fish assemblages. To safeguard the species-rich freshwater biota of small Amazonian streams, conservation actions must shift towards managing whole basins and drainage networks, as well as agricultural practices in already-cleared land.

AB - 1. Agricultural expansion and intensification are major threats to tropical biodiversity. In addition to the direct removal of native vegetation, agricultural expansion often elicits other human-induced disturbances, many of which are poorly addressed by existing environmental legislation and conservation programmes. This is particularly true for tropical freshwater systems, where there is considerable uncertainty about whether a legislative focus on protecting riparian vegetation is sufficient to conserve stream fauna.2. To assess the extent to which stream fish are being effectively conserved in agricultural landscapes, we examined the spatial distribution of assemblages in river basins to identify the relative importance of human impacts at instream, riparian and catchment scales, in shaping observed patterns. We used an extensive dataset on the ecological condition of 83 low-order streams distributed in three river basins in the eastern Brazilian Amazon.3. We collected and identified 24,420 individual fish from 134 species. Multiplicative diversity partitioning revealed high levels of compositional dissimilarity (DS) among stream sites (DS = 0.74 to 0.83) and river basins (DS = 0.82), due mainly to turnover (77.8% to 81.8%) rather than nestedness. The highly heterogeneous fish faunas in small Amazonian streams underscore the vital importance of enacting measures to protect forests on private lands outside of public protected areas.4. Instream habitat features explained more variability in fish assemblages (15%-19%) than riparian (2%-12%), catchment (4%-13%) or natural covariates (4%-11%). Although grouping species into functional guilds allowed us to explain up to 31% of their abundance (i.e. for nektonic herbivores), individual riparian - and catchment- scale predictor variables that are commonly a focus of environmental legislation explained very little of the observed variation (partial R-2 values mostly5. Policy implications. Current rates of agricultural intensification and mechanization in tropical landscapes are unprecedented, yet the existing legislative frameworks focusing on protecting riparian vegetation seem insufficient to conserve stream environments and their fish assemblages. To safeguard the species-rich freshwater biota of small Amazonian streams, conservation actions must shift towards managing whole basins and drainage networks, as well as agricultural practices in already-cleared land.

KW - Amazon

KW - Brazilian Forest Code

KW - functional guilds

KW - human-modified landscapes

KW - multiplicative diversity partitioning

KW - physical habitat

KW - species turnover

KW - tropical landscapes

KW - watershed management

KW - FRESH-WATER BIODIVERSITY

KW - MULTIPLE SPATIAL SCALES

KW - LAND-USE

KW - ECOLOGICAL VARIATION

KW - RELATIVE INFLUENCE

KW - PACIFIC-NORTHWEST

KW - RIVER RESTORATION

KW - BIOTIC INTEGRITY

KW - EASTERN AMAZONIA

KW - HUMAN PRESSURES

U2 - 10.1111/1365-2664.13028

DO - 10.1111/1365-2664.13028

M3 - Journal article

VL - 55

SP - 1312

EP - 1326

JO - Journal of Applied Ecology

JF - Journal of Applied Ecology

SN - 0021-8901

IS - 3

ER -