Landscape Influences on Longitudinal Patterns of River Fishes: Spatially Continuous Analysis of Fish-Habitat Relationships

Abstract

Longitudinal analysis of the distribution and abundance of river fishes provides a context-specific characterization of species responses to riverscape heterogeneity. We exam- ined spatially continuous longitudinal profiles (35-70 km) of fish distribution and aquatic habitat (channel gradient, depth, temperature, and water velocity) for three northeastern Ore- gon rivers. We evaluated spatial patterns of river fishes and habitat using multivariate analysis to compare gradients in fish assemblage structure among rivers and at multiple spatial scales. Spatial structuring of fish assemblages exhibited a generalized pattern of cold- and coolwater fish assemblage zones but was variable within thermal zones, particularly in the warmest river. Landscape context (geographic setting and thermal condition) influenced the observed rela- tionship between species distribution and channel gradient. To evaluate the effect of spatial extent and geographical context on observed assemblage patterns and fish-habitat relation- ships, we performed multiple ordinations on subsets of our data from varying lengths of each river and compared gradients in assemblage structure within and among rivers. The relative associations of water temperature increased and channel morphology decreased as the spatial scale of analysis increased. The crossover point where both variables explained equal amounts of variation was useful for identifying transitions between cool- and coldwater fish assem- blages. Spatially continuous analysis of river fishes and their habitats revealed unexpected eco- logical patterns and provided a unique perspective on fish distribution that emphasized the importance of habitat heterogeneity and spatial variability in fish-habitat relationships.