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Species-environment relationships of fish and map-based variables in small boreal streams: linkages with climate change and bioassessment
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  • Tapio Sutela,
  • Teppo Vehanen,
  • Pekka Jounela,
  • Jukka Aroviita
Tapio Sutela
Natural Resources Institute Finland

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Teppo Vehanen
Natural Resources Institute Finland
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Pekka Jounela
Natural Resources Institute Finland
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Jukka Aroviita
Suomen ymparistokeskus
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Abstract

Species-environment relationships were studied between the occurrence of 13 fish and lamprey species and 9 mainly map-based environmental variables of Finnish boreal small streams. A self-organizing map (SOM) analysis showed strong relationships between the fish species and environmental variables in a single model (explained variance 55.9%). Besides basic environmental variables such as altitude, catchment size, and mean temperature, landcover variables were also explored. A logistic regression analysis indicated that the occurrence probability of brown trout, Salmo trutta L., decreased with an increasing percentage of peatland ditch drainage in the upper catchment. Ninespine stickleback, Pungitius pungitius (L.), and three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus L., seemed to benefit from urban areas in the upper catchment. Discovered relationships between fish species occurrence and land-use attributes are encouraging for the development of fish-based bioassessment for small streams. The presented ordination of the fish species in the mean temperature gradient will help in predicting fish community responses to climate change.
04 Jun 2021Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
08 Jun 2021Submission Checks Completed
08 Jun 2021Assigned to Editor
11 Jun 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
11 Jun 2021Editorial Decision: Accept
29 Jun 2021Published in Ecology and Evolution. 10.1002/ece3.7848