Spatial versus temporal heterogeneity in abundance of fishes in north-temperate lakes

Probing relationships between spatial and temporal heterogeneity is a central pursuit in limnology and ecology, but until recently, data availability has constrained empirical tests of these patterns. In this study, I quantified spatial and temporal heterogeneity in fish species abundances within a landscape of north-temperate lakes and resolved an empirical relationship between heterogeneity dimensions. Across 18 species, there was an asymptotic relationship between spatial and temporal heterogeneity; thus spatial heterogeneity predicted temporal heterogeneity, but only at low heterogeneity levels. Some species expressed low levels of temporal-to-spatial heterogeneity while others, remarkably, had temporal heterogeneity >= 100 % spatial heterogeneity. Relationships between spatial and temporal heterogeneity are likely useful for conservation and management. For example, species with low temporal:spatial heterogeneity ratios might benefit from landscape-scale management efforts (e.g., watershed management, hydrologic connectance, public land acquisitions). In contrast, species with high temporal:spatial heterogeneity ratios might be more successfully managed locally (e.g., via biomanipulation, hydrologic management, habitat restoration).