Biodiversity and Conservation of Canadian Freshwater Fishes

淡水鱼类是世界上最濒危的类群之一。在北美，超过30%的淡水鱼，在加拿大，超过25%的淡水鱼，都是受保护的。与濒危相关的主要压力源是栖息地退化和水生入侵物种。虽然本土物种正在减少，但AIS正在北美蔓延。这些趋势预计将因气候变化和人口增长等压力因素而加剧。生物同质化-整个景观和地球仪上的群落越来越相似-是这些趋势的结果，也是生物多样性丧失的一个指标。我的研究计划的目的是更好地了解加拿大淡水鱼在多个分类和地理尺度的模式，过程和压力。这些知识对于淡水鱼生物多样性的养护、保护和恢复至关重要。淡水鱼生物多样性的模式将在加拿大和劳伦特五大湖及其流域的规模进行审查。将使用即将发布的国家鱼类地图集、在线五大湖鱼类地图集以及未发表和新收集的鱼类分布数据来检查总体丰富度和群落模式。将使用各种统计方法来确定构成这些模式的历史（冰后期历史、冰成史）和环境过程（非生物、生物）。此外，还将审查目前影响生物多样性格局的人类压力因素。为了确定加拿大现有的保护区网络实际保护淡水鱼生物多样性的程度，将进行一项覆盖生物多样性和保护区层的差距分析。这一差距分析将确定需要额外保护的鱼类物种和群落。为了阐明本地淡水鱼和鱼类AIS之间的相互作用的基本机制，他们的共同出现在五大湖的历史将被检查。本地物种的损失和AIS入侵的历史将被检查十年，1870年前到2010年，以测试与AIS的建立和影响（如生物抗性，生态位重叠）相关的假设。这些假设将通过对生态、生活史和形态特征的统计分析来检验，以检查随时间的变化。拟议的研究包括几个新的组成部分。没有对加拿大或五大湖进行全面的分析，研究历史、环境、繁殖和压力对淡水鱼的影响。加拿大或五大湖尚未公布评估保护区对淡水鱼类保护程度的差距分析。年代际五大湖数据库提供了一个独特的机会，测试入侵理论假说和物种同质化在一个较长的时间段。

Freshwater fishes are among the most imperiled taxa in the world. Over 30% of freshwater fishes in North America, and >25% in Canada, are of conservation concern. The primary stressors related to imperilment are habitat degradation and aquatic invasive species (AIS). While native species are declining, AIS are spreading in North America. These trends are expected to be exacerbated by stressors such as climate change and human population growth. Biotic homogenization - the increasing similarity of communities across the landscape and the globe - is a result of these trends and is an indicator of biodiversity loss. The objective of my research program is to better understand the patterns, processes, and stressors of Canadian freshwater fishes at multiple taxonomic and geographic scales. Such knowledge is essential for the conservation, protection, and recovery of freshwater fish biodiversity. Patterns of freshwater fish biodiversity will be examined at the scales of Canada, and the Laurentian Great Lakes and their watersheds. Overall richness and community patterns will be examined using data from an upcoming national fish atlas, online Great Lakes fish atlas, and unpublished and newly collected fish distribution data. The historical (postglacial history, phylogeny) and environmental processes (abiotic, biotic) that structure those patterns will be identified using a variety of statistical methods. In addition, human stressors that currently influence the biodiversity patterns will also be examined. To determine how well Canada's existing network of protected areas actually protect freshwater fish biodiversity, a gap analysis will be undertaken that overlays biodiversity and protected areas layers. This gap analysis will identify fish species and communities in need of additional protection. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of interactions between native freshwater fishes and fish AIS, their history of co-occurrence in the Great Lakes will be examined. The history of native species loss and AIS invasion will be examined decadally, pre-1870 to 2010, to test hypotheses related to the establishment and impact of AIS (e.g. biotic resistance, niche overlap). These hypotheses will be tested through statistical analyses of ecological, life-history, and morphological traits to examine changes over time. The proposed research includes several novel components. Analyses that examine the influence of history, environment, phylogeny, and stressors on freshwater fishes have not been conducted comprehensively for Canada or the Great Lakes. Gap analyses to evaluate how well freshwater fishes are protected by protected areas have not been published for Canada or the Great Lakes. The decadal Great Lakes database provides a unique opportunity to test invasion theory hypotheses and species homogenization over an extended time periods.