Southeastern Fishes Council
SFC Abstracts
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Correlates of Demise: Case of the Southern Appalachia Fish Fauna
NOEL M. BURKHEAD and STEPHEN J. WALSH
Southeastern Biological Science Center, National Biological Service, Gainesville, FL 32606
The southeastern United States has the greatest species richness of temperate freshwater fishes in North America, with about 61% of the estimated 800 continental species north of Mexico. Encompassing 70% of the southeastern fish fauna, the southern Appalachian highlands represents the center of this diversity. Serious environmental threats have lead to decline and imperilment of approximately 23% of the species within the region. Generalized patterns of faunal decline correspond to common, widespread forms of habitat degradation, but the ecological correlates of imperilment have not been adequately determined. We analyzed patterns of imperilment using 45 variables representing nine general distributional, habitat, and life history criteria: range size; habitat size; vertical orientation; trophic guilds; longevity; maximum body size; spawning guilds; spawning substrates; and reproductive output. Variables for each taxon were scored using published information, museum records, and unpublished data. The most significant correlates of imperilment were range size, body size, and benthic habitat association; the most jeopardized species were those with relict or endemic distributions, small body size (< 150 mm TL), and/or a strongly benthic spawning orientation. Refined analyses of ecological parameters combined with spatiotemporal data provide improved understanding of imperilment trends and will facilitate greater proactive management of the native southern Appalachian fish fauna.
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