Effects of logging with and without riparian strips on fish species abundance, mean size, and the structure of native fish assemblages in Coromandel, New Zealand, streams

Abstract

Abstract We determined the effects of logging, both with and without a riparian buffer strip, on the native fish fauna at 27 stream sites in an exotic pine (mainly Pinus radiata) forest on the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand. Fish abundance at the logged sites was compared with reference sites in both unlogged pine and native forest. The abundance of Anguilla dieffenbachii (Gray) and Anguilla australis (Richardson) was not significantly affected by logging. However, the abundance of Galaxias fasciatus (Gray) and Gobiomorphus huttoni (Ogilby) was. There were fewer Ga. fasciatus at the logged sites without buffers than at the reference sites, but more at the logged sites with buffers. The abundance of Go. huttoni was higher at the logged sites than at the reference sites, and was highest at the logged sites with riparian buffers. Overall, the different, species‐specific responses to logging maximised total fish numbers at the logged sites. As total fish numbers, the abundance of Ga. fasciatus , and species equitability, a measure of fish assemblage structure, were all highest at the logged sites with riparian buffer strips, we concluded that riparian strips enhanced the native fish community of streams within these logged catchments.