HR: 15:30h
AN: NB14F-01 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Relationships Between Traits of Stream Assemblages and Hydraulics
AU: * Lamouroux, N
EM: lamouroux@lyon.cemagref.fr
AF: Cemagref, UR Biologie des Ecosystemes Aquatiques, 3 bis quai Chauveau, CP 220, Cedex 09 , Lyon, 69336 France
AB: The objective of this contribution is to provide a comparative discussion, across spatial scales (microhabitat, reach) and biological groups (fish, macroinvertebrates), of previous results concerning the relationships between traits of stream assemblages and hydraulics. At the microhabitat scale, some traits related to morphology or longevity respond to hydraulics 'consistently' for fish and macroinvertebrates. Responses of feeding habits and locomotion patterns are more specific to macroinvertebrates. Relationships between traits and hydraulics are generally weak at the microhabitat scale. Only trends can be observed at this scale, where assemblages are unsteady and partly random. Relationships between traits and hydraulics at the reach scale are stronger than those observed at the microhabitat scale, for both fish and macroinvertebrates. They are generally consistent with relationships observed at the microhabitat scale. Therefore, repeated microhabitat constraints may have a strong impact on the structure of assemblages in stream reaches. Tracks for improving our models of functional responses to hydraulics include using more appropriate definitions of microhabitat characteristics, using more quantitative descriptions of species traits, and using models that can reflect alternative strategies to adapt to the environment.
DE: 1899 General or miscellaneous
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly