Spatial and seasonal patterns in fish assemblages of the Bakırçay river are associated with physicochemical and habitat parameters
Abstract The significance of long-term biodiversity monitoring studies for the protection of natural biodiversity and human well-being is well recognised by the Turkish scientific community. Despite understanding the ecological importance of freshwater ecosystems, spatially or temporally congruent s...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-14709-2 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849342994203803648 |
|---|---|
| author | Irmak Kurtul Phillip J. Haubrock Cüneyt Kaya Sadi Aksu Ali İlhan Hasan M. Sari Cem Aygen Ismael Soto Ben Parker Robert Britton Ali Serhan Tarkan |
| author_facet | Irmak Kurtul Phillip J. Haubrock Cüneyt Kaya Sadi Aksu Ali İlhan Hasan M. Sari Cem Aygen Ismael Soto Ben Parker Robert Britton Ali Serhan Tarkan |
| author_sort | Irmak Kurtul |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The significance of long-term biodiversity monitoring studies for the protection of natural biodiversity and human well-being is well recognised by the Turkish scientific community. Despite understanding the ecological importance of freshwater ecosystems, spatially or temporally congruent studies using high resolution biodiversity monitoring data from Turkish freshwater resources remain scarce. To determine a biodiversity baseline for future studies, biological and environmental sampling was carried out in 15 different locations from the highly anthropogenically impacted Bakırçay River and its catchment in Western Anatolia between 2017 and 2018. A total of 17 fish species from 10 families were recorded, belonging mainly to the Cyprinidae and Leuciscidae families. These included six non-native, six regionally endemic, and five native species. The endangered endemic Alburnus attalus was the most widespread species, whereas several non-native species were restricted to single sites. Patterns in community composition were primarily associated with pH and stream order. However, community metrics such as species richness, Pielou’s evenness, and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index were not significant. Intensifying anthropogenic activity within the Bakırçay basin suggests that sources of pollution and other detrimental stressors like non-native species should be managed to protect riverine biodiversity and maintain the provision of ecosystem services. Our findings therefore not only present a baseline for future studies on fish biodiversity and community composition, but also the possible onset of future monitoring studies in the region. Our findings underline the importance of long-term biomonitoring studies for the conservation of Türkiye’s freshwater ecosystems to monitor changes occurring over time. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5c8365a5e1704f9a82017baa83e8541c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-5c8365a5e1704f9a82017baa83e8541c2025-08-20T03:43:11ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-08-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-14709-2Spatial and seasonal patterns in fish assemblages of the Bakırçay river are associated with physicochemical and habitat parametersIrmak Kurtul0Phillip J. Haubrock1Cüneyt Kaya2Sadi Aksu3Ali İlhan4Hasan M. Sari5Cem Aygen6Ismael Soto7Ben Parker8Robert Britton9Ali Serhan Tarkan10Marine and Inland Waters Sciences and Technology Department, Faculty of Fisheries, Ege UniversityDepartment of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth UniversityFaculty of Fisheries, Recep Tayyip Erdogan UniversityVocational School of Health Services, Eskişehir Osmangazi UniversityMarine and Inland Waters Sciences and Technology Department, Faculty of Fisheries, Ege UniversityMarine and Inland Waters Sciences and Technology Department, Faculty of Fisheries, Ege UniversityMarine and Inland Waters Sciences and Technology Department, Faculty of Fisheries, Ege UniversityFaculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of HydrocenosesDepartment of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of ExeterDepartment of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth UniversityDepartment of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth UniversityAbstract The significance of long-term biodiversity monitoring studies for the protection of natural biodiversity and human well-being is well recognised by the Turkish scientific community. Despite understanding the ecological importance of freshwater ecosystems, spatially or temporally congruent studies using high resolution biodiversity monitoring data from Turkish freshwater resources remain scarce. To determine a biodiversity baseline for future studies, biological and environmental sampling was carried out in 15 different locations from the highly anthropogenically impacted Bakırçay River and its catchment in Western Anatolia between 2017 and 2018. A total of 17 fish species from 10 families were recorded, belonging mainly to the Cyprinidae and Leuciscidae families. These included six non-native, six regionally endemic, and five native species. The endangered endemic Alburnus attalus was the most widespread species, whereas several non-native species were restricted to single sites. Patterns in community composition were primarily associated with pH and stream order. However, community metrics such as species richness, Pielou’s evenness, and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index were not significant. Intensifying anthropogenic activity within the Bakırçay basin suggests that sources of pollution and other detrimental stressors like non-native species should be managed to protect riverine biodiversity and maintain the provision of ecosystem services. Our findings therefore not only present a baseline for future studies on fish biodiversity and community composition, but also the possible onset of future monitoring studies in the region. Our findings underline the importance of long-term biomonitoring studies for the conservation of Türkiye’s freshwater ecosystems to monitor changes occurring over time.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-14709-2West anatoliaBakırçay riverFreshwater fishFish ecologyEcological modeling |
| spellingShingle | Irmak Kurtul Phillip J. Haubrock Cüneyt Kaya Sadi Aksu Ali İlhan Hasan M. Sari Cem Aygen Ismael Soto Ben Parker Robert Britton Ali Serhan Tarkan Spatial and seasonal patterns in fish assemblages of the Bakırçay river are associated with physicochemical and habitat parameters Scientific Reports West anatolia Bakırçay river Freshwater fish Fish ecology Ecological modeling |
| title | Spatial and seasonal patterns in fish assemblages of the Bakırçay river are associated with physicochemical and habitat parameters |
| title_full | Spatial and seasonal patterns in fish assemblages of the Bakırçay river are associated with physicochemical and habitat parameters |
| title_fullStr | Spatial and seasonal patterns in fish assemblages of the Bakırçay river are associated with physicochemical and habitat parameters |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial and seasonal patterns in fish assemblages of the Bakırçay river are associated with physicochemical and habitat parameters |
| title_short | Spatial and seasonal patterns in fish assemblages of the Bakırçay river are associated with physicochemical and habitat parameters |
| title_sort | spatial and seasonal patterns in fish assemblages of the bakircay river are associated with physicochemical and habitat parameters |
| topic | West anatolia Bakırçay river Freshwater fish Fish ecology Ecological modeling |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-14709-2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT irmakkurtul spatialandseasonalpatternsinfishassemblagesofthebakırcayriverareassociatedwithphysicochemicalandhabitatparameters AT phillipjhaubrock spatialandseasonalpatternsinfishassemblagesofthebakırcayriverareassociatedwithphysicochemicalandhabitatparameters AT cuneytkaya spatialandseasonalpatternsinfishassemblagesofthebakırcayriverareassociatedwithphysicochemicalandhabitatparameters AT sadiaksu spatialandseasonalpatternsinfishassemblagesofthebakırcayriverareassociatedwithphysicochemicalandhabitatparameters AT aliilhan spatialandseasonalpatternsinfishassemblagesofthebakırcayriverareassociatedwithphysicochemicalandhabitatparameters AT hasanmsari spatialandseasonalpatternsinfishassemblagesofthebakırcayriverareassociatedwithphysicochemicalandhabitatparameters AT cemaygen spatialandseasonalpatternsinfishassemblagesofthebakırcayriverareassociatedwithphysicochemicalandhabitatparameters AT ismaelsoto spatialandseasonalpatternsinfishassemblagesofthebakırcayriverareassociatedwithphysicochemicalandhabitatparameters AT benparker spatialandseasonalpatternsinfishassemblagesofthebakırcayriverareassociatedwithphysicochemicalandhabitatparameters AT robertbritton spatialandseasonalpatternsinfishassemblagesofthebakırcayriverareassociatedwithphysicochemicalandhabitatparameters AT aliserhantarkan spatialandseasonalpatternsinfishassemblagesofthebakırcayriverareassociatedwithphysicochemicalandhabitatparameters |