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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 61(1)

Response and recovery of fish and invertebrate assemblages following flooding in five tributaries of a sub-tropical river

F. J. Kroon A B and J. A. Ludwig A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, PO Box 780, Atherton, Qld 4883, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: frederieke.kroon@csiro.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 61(1) 86-96 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF08357
Submitted: 22 December 2008  Accepted: 11 June 2009   Published: 29 January 2010

Abstract

The response and recovery of aquatic ecosystems to major flooding is directly associated with the resistance and resilience of the perturbed ecosystem. In this 2-year study, we document the response of taxa assemblages in five tributary creeks of the Clarence River, Australia, following two sequential floods. Prior to the floods, we observed clear differences of taxa assemblages among tributaries, and clear but relatively small seasonal changes in all creeks. Flooding triggered large shifts in taxa assemblages in all creeks; however, only a few species out of the 106 taxa analysed were contributing to this pulse response. Combinations of specific water quality variables were significantly associated with the observed patterns in taxa assemblages in all but one creek. After an initial rapid recovery period, taxa compositions in all tributaries more slowly returned to resemble those before the floods. This strong resilience to major floods is most likely associated with high flushing rates, spatial and temporal refugia and life history characteristics of key biota. Overall, the results suggest that the current state of the Clarence floodplain has achieved a strong resilience to major flood disturbances, and that a shift to an alternate, potentially more desirable state may be difficult to achieve.

Additional keywords: Acetes sibogae australis, fisheries, heterogeneity.


Acknowledgements

We are indebted to the Clarence Floodplain Project for introducing us to the Clarence floodplain. Thanks to staff at the Australian Museum and the Oxford University Museum of Natural History for species identifications, to Graham Lancaster (EAL Lismore) for prompt analysis of water quality samples, and to Kate Browning (NSW Department of Natural Resources) for providing invaluable hydrological information. NSW Fisheries staff, work experience students, and volunteers helped out in too many ways to describe. Special thanks go to Matt Barwick, Andrew Bruce, Tony Fowler, Chris Gallen, Graham Housefield, Roger Laird, Brooke McCartin, Kris Pitman and Isabelle Thiebaud. Proofreading by Helen Murphy and Nick Abel and two anonymous reviewers improved the draft manuscript. The field work was conducted when the first author was employed by NSW DPI Fisheries. This work was part of grant no 1998/215 from the Australian ‘Fisheries Research and Development Corporation’, and was conducted under a NSW Fisheries Collection Permit and NSW Fisheries Animal Research Authorities ACEC 98/11 and ACEC 00/07.


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