FISH COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF OKLAHOMA GULF COASTAL PLAINS

We collected the common fish species in all available aquatic habitats (streams, oxbow lakes, swamps) in bottomlands of McCurtain County, Oklahoma. Abundance and distribution of fishes, and environmental data were analyzed by a multivariate approach and examined for fit to a hierarchical model. The variables maximum depth, substrate, and presence of flow were the most important variables predicting fish community structure. Our multivariate analyses demonstrate that environmental factors can explain much variation in presence and abundance of the common fish species. Kolasa's hierarchical model relates species to each other by comparing ranges. This habitat-based model explained the relationships of our species ranges.