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Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems face numerous threats that contribute to decreases in biodiversity and ecosystem function loss. Southeastern United States rivers are among the most biodiverse freshwater systems in the temperate world and support numerous endemic, rare, and imperiled fishes. Long-term monitoring in the Conasauga River in northwest Georgia has revealed declines in some fish taxa, but causes are uncertain. This study (1) collected data on spawning timing and behavior for 16 species, enhancing our understanding of the life histories of fishes in the Conasauga River; (2) quantified changes in fish community composition and size over 24 years, and evaluated streamflow effects on community change; and (3) analyzed relationships between traits and inter-specific variation in abundance trends. We found weak flow effects on community change, but evidence that the traits of crevice-spawning, insectivory and small body size were associated with steeper population declines over the study period.