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Cited by 36Fish biology, ecology, and behaviorFish Ecology and Management StudiesFreshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology

Effects of deforestation on headwater stream fish assemblages in the Upper Xingu River Basin, Southeastern Amazonia

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Ilha, Paulo, Rosso, Sergio, Schiesari, Luis·2019·Neotropical Ichthyology
DOI 10.1590/1982-0224-20180099
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Abstract

ABSTRACT The expansion of the Amazonian agricultural frontier represents the most extensive land cover change in the world, detrimentally affecting stream ecosystems which collectively harbor the greatest diversity of freshwater fish on the planet. Our goal was to test the hypotheses that deforestation affects the abundance, richness, and taxonomic structure of headwater stream fish assemblages in the Upper Xingu River Basin, in Southeastern Amazonia. Standardized sampling surveys in replicated first order streams demonstrated that deforestation strongly influences fish assemblage structure. Deforested stream reaches had twice the fish abundance than reference stream reaches in primary forests. These differences in assemblage structure were largely driven by increases in the abundance of a handful of species, as no influence of deforestation on species richness was observed. Stream canopy cover was the strongest predictor of assemblage structure, possibly by a combination of direct and indirect effects on the provision of forest detritus, food resources, channel morphology, and micro-climate regulation. Given the dynamic nature of change in land cover and use in the region, this article is an important contribution to the understanding of the effects of deforestation on Amazonian stream fish, and their conservation.

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  • Indicator species displayed functional and taxonomic group response patterns, consistent with prior studies showing divergent fish responses to forest cover gradients in Amazonian rivers, floodplains, and streams.

    “Indicator species displayed functional and taxonomic group response patterns, consistent with prior studies showing divergent fish responses to forest cover gradients in Amazonian rivers, floodplains, and streams (Arantes, Winemiller, Asher, et al., 2019; Brejão et al., 2017; Ilha et al., 2019; Lugo‐Carvajal et al., 2023).”

    From Threshold responses of floating meadow fish communities to floodplain forest cover in the lower Amazon River (2025) · cites this paper as Ilha et al., 2019

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Authors
Ilha, P., Rosso, S., & Schiesari, L.
Affiliations
  • Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
  • Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
Corresponding author
Ilha, Paulo
ORCID
Venue
Neotropical Ichthyology
Publisher
FapUNIFESP (SciELO)
Published
2019
Volume
17
Issue
1
ISSN
  • 1679-6225 (ISSN-L)
  • 1982-0224
DOI
10.1590/1982-0224-20180099
OpenAlex
W2914923494
Cited by
36
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3
FWCI
3.75
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Neotropical Ichthyology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Americanae (AECID Library) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (08/57939-9, 88887)
  • Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (23038.000452/2017‐16, 88887, 88887.136288/2017‐00, 23038)
  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (23038.000452/2017-16)
  • Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Fish Ecology and Management Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
Keywords
deforestation, headwater streams, freshwater fish assemblages, Amazonian streams, fish abundance, species richness, taxonomic composition, agricultural frontier, land cover change, fish conservation

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