Effects of land and water use on fish community and aquatic food web structure within the upper Northern Ewaso Ngiro basin

Freshwater biodiversity in arid East Africa is beset with many ongoing threats. Population growth, pollution, and water extraction provide an uncertain future for the aquatic fauna and stakeholders that rely on these water... [ view full abstract ]

Freshwater biodiversity in arid East Africa is beset with many ongoing threats. Population growth, pollution, and water extraction provide an uncertain future for the aquatic fauna and stakeholders that rely on these water resources for survival. The Northern Ewaso Ngiro River is one such river system that is facing myriad threats. This ongoing study is investigating how land use and water use influence the fish community and aquatic food web structure within the basin. The importance of fish and other freshwater community in ecosystem functioning (e.g., nutrient cycling), effects of fish extirpation, and preliminary results of the study will be discussed. Reproductive biology and life history strategies of the fishes and macroinvertebrates in the basin discovered during the study will also be presented. Knowledge on the response of aquatic communities to water-related disturbances in semi-arid tropical ecosystems and will be of particular significance to threatened aquatic ecosystems within tropical East Africa. Outcomes of the study will inform land and water managers about the ecosystem consequences of current land and water resource utilization within the Northern Ewaso Ngiro basin.