• myGriffith
    • Staff portal
    • Contact Us⌄
      • Future student enquiries 1800 677 728
      • Current student enquiries 1800 154 055
      • International enquiries +61 7 3735 6425
      • General enquiries 07 3735 7111
      • Online enquiries
      • Staff phonebook
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • Griffith Research Online
    • Book chapters
    • View Item
    • Home
    • Griffith Research Online
    • Book chapters
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

  • All of Griffith Research Online
    • Communities & Collections
    • Authors
    • By Issue Date
    • Titles
  • This Collection
    • Authors
    • By Issue Date
    • Titles
  • Statistics

  • Most Popular Items
  • Statistics by Country
  • Most Popular Authors
  • Support

  • Contact us
  • FAQs
  • Admin login

  • Login
  • Comparing fish biomass models based on biophysical factors in two northern Murray-Darling Basin rivers: a cautionary tale

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    63243_1.pdf (164.6Kb)
    File version
    Accepted Manuscript (AM)
    Author(s)
    Balcombe, Stephen
    Huey, Joel
    Lobegeiger, Jaye
    Marshall, Jonathan
    Arthington, Angela
    Davis, Louisa
    Sternberg, David
    Thoms, Martin
    Griffith University Author(s)
    Arthington, Angela H.
    Year published
    2010
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    We used multiple linear regression to test the hypothesis that the productivity of two fish species (Nematalosa erebi and Macquaria ambigua) in two Northern basin MDB rivers (Moonie and Warrego) can be predicted from a suite of physical habitat variables. To explore the importance of hydrology and season, these models were developed for two different sampling periods; no-flow and post-flow. For both catchments, simple models were developed using within-waterhole habitat variables and then compared to infer the transferability of the models between catchments. Then, the explanatory power of variables measured at multiple ...
    View more >
    We used multiple linear regression to test the hypothesis that the productivity of two fish species (Nematalosa erebi and Macquaria ambigua) in two Northern basin MDB rivers (Moonie and Warrego) can be predicted from a suite of physical habitat variables. To explore the importance of hydrology and season, these models were developed for two different sampling periods; no-flow and post-flow. For both catchments, simple models were developed using within-waterhole habitat variables and then compared to infer the transferability of the models between catchments. Then, the explanatory power of variables measured at multiple spatial scales was examined in the Warrego catchment. Poor predictive power was revealed in the simple Moonie biomass model for both species. Conversely, high predictive power was detected in the simple Warrego River biomass model, which was considerably improved by including variables measured at multiple spatial scales (within-waterhole, whole-waterhole and landscape scale). Differences between the models suggest that there is no generic model capable of predicting fish biomass in the two catchments. We conclude that the poor transferability of habitat–biomass models between catchments may be due to fundamental differences in their physical characteristics. Furthermore, the improved predictive power of the expanded Warrego model demonstrates the importance of considering factors affecting fish species at all relevant spatial scales. The more powerful Warrego models also differed between sampling periods, no-flow and post-flow, highlighting the role of hydrological variability in determining fish responses to environmental conditions in the MDB.
    View less >
    Book Title
    Ecosystem Response Modelling in the Murray-Darling Basin
    Publisher URI
    http://www.publish.csiro.au/book/6350
    Copyright Statement
    © 2010 CSIRO publishing. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. It is the author-manuscript version of the paper. Please refer to the publisher's website for further information.
    Subject
    Freshwater ecology
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/35504
    Collection
    • Book chapters

    Footer

    Disclaimer

    • Privacy policy
    • Copyright matters
    • CRICOS Provider - 00233E
    • TEQSA: PRV12076

    Tagline

    • Gold Coast
    • Logan
    • Brisbane - Queensland, Australia
    First Peoples of Australia
    • Aboriginal
    • Torres Strait Islander