Research

Climate Change and Freshwaters

Lookout Creek, HJ Andrews Experimental Forest

How does climate change alter fish and streams? How and why do freshwater ecosystems differ in vulnerability, resilience and adaptability to climate change?

My research has focused on climate change influences on thermal regimes and hydrology. Although there is general consensus among scientists that climate change affects freshwaters, we showed that observed impacts have been not uniform across riverscapes. We examined long-term time series of temperature from western North American streams and found substantial evidence contradicting a widely accepted hypothesis of unidirectional warming (Arismendi et al. 2012). When we used a finer temporal scale, however, a shorter time lag between annual extreme events of maximum temperature and minimum streamflow over time was revealed (Arismendi et al. 2013). High temperatures coupled with lower flows increase extreme conditions that could negatively affect cold-water fish. Along these lines, we used an individual-based population model to examine land use and climate change impacts on trout in nearby streams (Penaluna et al. 2015). Our findings illustrated that trout responses to single and combined effects of increasing temperature and changes in hydrology were idiosyncratic; some trout populations were greatly affected while others responded very little.

In the Press

Part of my current research is focused on examining the importance of environmental regimes and physical habitats to understand a differential vulnerability and resilience of streams ecosystems to climate change across multiple spatiotemporal scales. We are using field experiments to undertstand stream vertebrate responses to extreme environmental conditions. In addition, we are applying a scenario-neutral approach that contrasts trout population’s responses to changes in variability versus central tendency values of temperature and streamflow using an individual-based population model. In addition, we are investigating the role of local drivers and environmental regimes on the degree of synchrony among trout population abundances across multiple spatial scales over time. Conceptually, a high degree of population synchrony among sites is expected if regional drivers such as climate exert a common influence across different scales. Alternatively, lack of synchrony suggests the importance of local influences and the presence of the portfolio effect. By using models combined with field observations, we will provide key information about how strong the influence of climate change needs to be to maximize/minimize the synchrony of population abundances across space. Understanding patterns of population synchrony is relevant to ecological questions related to extinction risk, changes on species interactions and ecosystem functioning, as well as stream restoration. Lastly, I am working with other scientitst to understand links between phenology of fish upstream migration and environmental regimes of streams in Coastal Oregon.

Experimental stream reach (left), mesocosms (center) and vertebrate tagging (rigth) from our summer field experiments conducted in McRae Creek, HJ Andrews Experimental Forest

Related publications

Safeeq M, S Shukla, I Arismendi, GE Grant, SL Lewis, A Nolin (2015) Influence of winter season climate variability on snow-precipitation ratio in the Western U.S. International Journal of Climatology DOI: 10.1002/joc.4545

Penaluna BE, JB Dunham, SF Railsback, I Arismendi, SL Johnson, RE Bilby, M Safeeq, AE Skaugset (2015) Local variability explains vulnerability of trout populations to land use and climate change. PLoS ONE 10(8):e0135334

Arismendi I, SL Johnson, JB Dunham (2015) Higher-order statistical moments and a procedure that detects potentially anomalous years as two alternative methods describing alterations in continuous environmental data. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 19, 1169-1180

Safeeq M, GS Mauger, GE Grant, I Arismendi, A Hamlet, S Lee (2014) Comparing large-scale hydrological model predictions with observed streamflow in the Pacific Northwest: effect of climate and groundwater. Journal of Hydrometeorology 15(6):2501-2521

Arismendi I, M Safeeq, JB Dunham, SL Johnson (2014) Can air temperature be used to -project influences of climate change on stream temperature? Environmental Research Letters 9, 084015

Arismendi I, SL Johnson, JB Dunham & R Haggerty (2013) Descriptors of natural thermal regimes in streams and their responsiveness to change in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Freshwater Biology 58:880-894

Arismendi I, M Safeeq, SL Johnson, JB Dunham & R Haggerty (2013) Increasing synchrony of high temperature and low flow in western North American streams: double trouble for coldwater biota? Hydrobiologia 712:61-70

Arismendi I, SL Johnson, JB Dunham, R Haggerty & D Hockman-Wert (2012) The paradox of cooling streams in a warming world: Regional climate trends do not parallel variable local trends in stream temperature in the Pacific continental United States. Geophysical Research Letters 39:L10401.

In the Press

Biological Invasions

Biological invasions create complex ecological and societal issues worldwide. Most of our knowledge about invasions comes only from successful invaders, but we know less about what processes determine the differential success of invasions.

Brown Trout are among the most succesful fish introductions worldwide. The photo above corresponds to an individual captured in the Lakes District of southern Chile. The photo below shows a mature trout captured from a small creek in the Torres del Paine National Park.

In the Press

Why are some species introductions successful and others are not? Can we assess the vulnerability of particular regions to be successfully invaded by a given species?

Part of my research has focused on the invasion biology of salmonids in the Patagonia. Salmonid introductions represent an ideal case-study to illustrate biological invasions because they rank among the most widely introduced fish species around the globe. In the Patagonia, some species have established self-sustaining populations whereas others have shown mixed success (Soto et al. 2006, 2007; Arismendi et al. 2014). I have investigated the influences of salmonids on native fishes in both streams (Arismendi et al. 2012) and lakes (Arismendi et al. 2009), but also the economic outcomes of salmonid introductions (Arismendi et al. 2007). My research has also been expanded to examine broader scale questions about fish invasions in Mediterranean regions across the globe (Marr et al. 2010, 2013).

Generalizations and predictions about successful species introductions remain limited. I led an international collaboration where we developed a conceptual framework to identify the main factors driving the success and failure of invaders, including human influences, characteristics of the invader, and ecological interactions (Arismendi et al. 2014). This conceptual model will help to evaluate empirical evidence that supports the role of invader traits and their environmental requirements (Grinnellian view of an ecological niche) in predicting invasion success.

Escapes from aquaculture facilities have been identified as one of the factors facilitating the establishment of naturalized populations of salmonids in Chile. The photograph shows a typical salmon farming facility found across fjords and estuaries in southern Chile.

Carcassses of naturalized Chinook Salmon (left) and snorkeling survey (center) to estimate the number of adult Chinook Salmon returning to the Petrohue River, Sourthern Chile. The photographs on the right show the inpoundments made by the introduced North American Beaver in Tierra del Fuego.

Related publications

Benavente JN, LW Seeb, JE Seeb, I Arismendi, CE Hernández, G Gajardo, R Galleguillos, MI Cadiz, SS Musleh, D Gomez-Uchida (2015) Temporal genetic variance and propagule-driven genetic structure characterize naturalized rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from a Patagonian lake impacted by trout farming. PLoS ONE 10(11): e0142040

Vargas PV, I Arismendi, D Gomez-Uchida (2015) Evaluating taxonomic homogenization of freshwater fish assemblages in Chile. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 88(16) DOI: 10.1186/s40693-015-0046-2

Tagliaferro M, I Arismendi, J Lancelotti, M Pascual (2015) A natural experiment of dietary overlap between introduced rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and native puyen (Galaxias maculatus) in the Santa Cruz River, Patagonia. Environmental Biology of Fishes 98:1311-1325

Arismendi I, BE Penaluna, JB Dunham, C García de Leaniz, D Soto, I Fleming, D Gomez-Uchida, G Gajardo, P Vargas, J León-Muñoz (2014) Differential invasion success of salmonids in southern Chile: patterns and hypotheses. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 24:919-941

Sepúlveda M, I Arismendi, D Soto, F Jara & F Farias (2013) Escaped farmed salmon and trout in Chile: incidence, impacts, and the need for an ecosystem view. Aquaculture Environment Interactions 4:273-283

Marr SM, JD Olden, F Leprieur, I Arismendi, M Ćaleta, DL Morgan, A Nocita, R Šanda, AS Tarkan & E García-Berthou (2013) A global assessment of freshwater fish introductions in Mediterranean-climate regions. Hydrobiologia 719:317-329

Arismendi I & D Soto (2012) Are salmon-derived nutrients being incorporated in food webs of invaded streams? Evidence from southern Chile. Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems 405, 01

Arismendi I, J González, D Soto & BE Penaluna (2012) Piscivory and diet overlap between two non-native fishes in southern Chile. Austral Ecology 37(3):346-354

Arismendi I, J Sanzana & D Soto (2011) Seasonal age distributions of introduced resident rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum) reveal lake-inlet fish movements in southern Chile. Annales de Limnologie - International Journal of Limnology 47:133-140

Arismendi I, BE Penaluna & D Soto (2011) Body condition indices as a rapid assessment of the abundance of introduced salmonids in oligotrophic lakes of southern Chile. Lake and Reservoir Management 27(1):61-69

Vargas PV, I Arismendi, G Lara, S Peredo & J Millar (2010) Evidence of niche overlap between juvenile introduced Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, Walbaum, 1792) and native catfish (Trichomycterus areolatus, Valenciennes, 1842) in the Allipén river, Chile. Revista de Biologia Marina y Oceanografia 45(2):285-292

Marr SM, MP Marchetti, JD Olden, E García-Berthou, DL Morgan, I Arismendi, JA Day, CL Griffiths & PH Skelton (2010) Freshwater fish introductions in Mediterranean-climate regions: are there commonalities in the conservation problem? Diversity and Distributions 16(4):606-619

Arismendi I & BE Penaluna (2009) Native inland fishes of Southern Chile. A bilingual field fish guide (Spanish/English). Universidad Austral de Chile-Valdivia. Funded by ICM Mideplan, Chile. 52 pp

Arismendi I, D Soto, BE Penaluna, C Jara, C Leal & J León-Muñoz (2009) Aquaculture, non-native salmonid invasions, and associated declines of native fishes in lakes of the northern Chilean Patagonia. Freshwater Biology 54:1135–1147

Penaluna BE, I Arismendi & D Soto (2009) Evidence of interactive segregation between introduced trout and native fishes in Northern Patagonian Rivers, Chile. Transactions of American Fisheries Society 138:839-845

Arismendi I, P Szejner, A Lara & ME González (2008) Impact of beaver on Nothofagus pumilio riparian forest structure in Tierra del Fuego, Chile. Bosque 29(2):146-154 (In Spanish)

Astorga MP, Valenzuela C, Arismendi I & JL Iriarte (2008) Naturalized Chinook salmon in the northern Chilean Patagonia: Do they originate from salmon farming? Revista de Biologia Marina y Oceanografia 43(3):669-674

Arismendi I & L Nahuelhual (2007) Non-native salmon and trout recreational fishing in Lake Llanquihue, southern Chile: Economic benefits and management implications. Reviews in Fisheries Science 15:311-325

Soto D, I Arismendi, Di Prinzio C & F Jara (2007) Establishment of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in Pacific basins of Southern South America and its potential ecosystem implications. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 80(1):81-98

Soto D, I Arismendi, J González, J Sanzana, F Jara, C Jara, E Guzman & A Lara (2006) Southern Chile, trout and salmon country: invasion patterns and threats for native species. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 79:97-117

Soto D & I Arismendi (2005) Fish fauna of Bueno River basin: affluent relevance in native species conservation. In: Ecology and biodiversity in forest of coastal corridor of Chile. Eds. C Smith-Ramírez, J Armesto & C Valdovinos. Editorial Universitaria, Chile. pp.390-398 (In Spanish)

Freshwater-Terrestrial Links

View of a portion of the Trask watershed at the Oregon coast. The Trask Watershed Study provides an excellent setting for examining patterns of fine sediment transport in streams because the study is multi-disciplinary, long-term, and has been designed to examine the effects of current forest practices at the ecosystem level.

How does global environmental change affect freshwaters at different spatial and temporal scales? Under what conditions do multiple stressors interact and exacerbate the overall stress on freshwater systems?

I am interested in contrasting climate change, biological invasions, and other human stressors (land use change and stream regulation) by evaluating their separate and combined influence on freshwaters (Lara et al. 2009; Fierro et al. 2016; Penaluna et al. 2015). In addition, part of my research has been dedicated to developing methodological approaches that can help to identify temporal changes in environmental regimes due to human influences (Arismendi et al. 2013, 2015). Currently, I am working on the examination of the effects of forest management on temperature and fine sediments in coastal streams of Oregon and California. I am also part of a research team that is working in Oregon reservoirs to evaluate the effects of extended drawdowns on aquatic food webs.

Roads in forested watersheds are one of the main sources of turbidity and fine sediments to streams. We sampled at different road crossings within the Trask River Watershed (left). Automatic pump samplers were used to estimate turbidity and fine sediments concentrations above and below several road-crossing (right).

Related publications

Fierro P, L Quilodrán, C Bertrán, I Arismendi, J Tapia, F Peña-Cortés, E Hauenstein, R Arriagada, E Fernández, L Vargas-Chacoff (2016) Rainbow Trout diets and macroinvertebrates assemblages responses from watersheds dominated by native and exotic plantations. Ecological Indicators 60:655-667

Vargas-Chacoff L, L Quilodrán, C Bertrán, I Arismendi, P Fierro, J Tapia, F Peña-Cortés & E Hauenstein (2013) Food of rainbow trout and changes in soil use: the Chilean example. In: Trout: from physiology to conservation. Eds. S Polakof & TW Moon. Nova Science Publishers, NY, USA. pp.65-79

Dunham JB, R Jr Hoffman & I Arismendi (2011) Practical guidelines for monitoring movement of aquatic organisms at stream-road crossings: Stream Notes, U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, pp. 1-7

Lara A, C Little, R Urrutia, J Mcphee, C Álvarez-Garretón, C Oyarzún, D Soto, P Donoso, L Nahuelhual, M Pino & I Arismendi (2009) Assessment of Ecosystem Services as an opportunity for the Conservation and Management of Native Forests in Chile. Forest Ecology and Management 258:415-424

Arismendi I, P Szejner, A Lara & ME González (2008) Impact of beaver on Nothofagus pumilio riparian forest structure in Tierra del Fuego, Chile. Bosque 29(2):146-154 (In Spanish)

Arismendi I (2007) Stable isotopes as potential deforestation indicators in watersheds. Bosque 28(3):183-186 (In Spanish)

Cuevas J, D Soto, I Arismendi, M Pino, A Lara & C Oyarzún (2006) Relating land cover to stream properties in southern Chilean watersheds: trade-off between geographical scale, sample size, and explicative power. Biogeochemistry 81(3):313-329

Cuevas J, J León, I Arismendi & D Soto (2006) Riparian vegetation occurrence as a function of biotic and abiotic variables in rivers of Southern Chile. Gayana Botánica 63 (Supplement):30 (In Spanish)

Native Fishes of Patagonia

Chile’s freshwater ecosystems encompass a diverse and highly endemic fish fauna that might be sensitive to the introduction of non-native species, an ongoing process that started two centuries ago. I am interested in identifying most important hotspots for native fish diversity in order to provide key information to policy makers related to land and water management as well as conservation initiatives. In particular, contrasting past and current fish distribution of freshwater fishes will contribute to the improvement of fisheries management and conservation of native Chilean fishes.

From top to the bottom: Pochita or Pocha del sur (Cheirodon australe), Puye Chico or Puyen (Galaxias maculatus), and Lamprea de Bolsa (Geotria australis).

Related publications

Vargas PV, I Arismendi, D Gomez-Uchida (2015) Evaluating taxonomic homogenization of freshwater fish assemblages in Chile. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 88(16) DOI: 10.1186/s40693-015-0046-2

Arismendi I & B Penaluna (2009) Native inland fishes of Southern Chile. A bilingual field fish guide (Spanish/English). Universidad Austral de Chile-Valdivia. Funded by ICM Mideplan, Chile. 52 pp

Arismendi I, D Soto, B Penaluna, C Jara, C Leal & J León-Muñoz (2009) Aquaculture, non-native salmonid invasions, and associated declines of native fishes in lakes of the northern Chilean Patagonia. Freshwater Biology 54:1135–1147

Penaluna B, I Arismendi & D Soto (2009) Evidence of interactive segregation between introduced trout and native fishes in Northern Patagonian Rivers, Chile. Transactions of American Fisheries Society 138:839-845