J. Appl. Ichthyol. 21 (2005), 263–274 2005 Blackwell Verlag, Berlin ISSN 0175–8659 Received: April 16, 2005 Accepted: June 24, 2005 Pathways of ornamental and aquarium fish introductions into urban ponds of Epping Forest (London, England): the human vector* By G. H. Copp1, K. J. Wesley2 and L. Vilizzi3 1 CEFAS, Salmon & Freshwater Team, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England; 2Bedwell Fisheries Services, Welham Green, Hertfordshire, England, UK; 3Viale Italia, Sassari, Italy Summary To examine the role of humans in the non-native fish introductions, we measured the frequency of occurrence and density of non-native fishes in ponds (Epping Forest, Essex, England) that had been restored (drained of water and voided of fish or treated with rotenone) on a known date and into which no piscivorous or non-native fishes had subsequently been stocked intentionally. For each pond, the period of time since pond restoration, pond area, distance to nearest residential housing, distance to nearest footpath, distance to nearest water body or stream, and the proportion of pond vegetated were measured. The occurrence of both non-native and unexpected native fish species was non-random, and the number of ornamental varieties was found to increase as pond distance from the nearest road decreased. Variety richness of each of three categories of fish (non-native, goldfish Carassius auratus and native) was significantly correlated with at least two of the following variables: distance from nearest road, nearest footpath and nearest pond. The rate of non-native fish introductions (adjusted variety richness per year) could also be estimated from pond distance to the nearest road, being about 3.5 ornamental varieties introduced per year in ponds adjacent to roads, but the rate appears to be much greater in ponds that had recently (<1.5 years) undergone restoration. Implications for conservation and management, as well as the potential role of societal issues such as recreational activities, cultural and religious practices, are discussed. Introduction The introduction of ornamental fish to Europe began in the 17th century (Lever, 1996), initially of goldfish Carassius auratus and possibly its close congener, gibel carp C. gibelio (see Copp et al., 2005). Similar to common carp Cyprinus carpio, which had been introduced to the UK in the 15th century, goldfish were introduced mainly into ponds and small lakes, which are now known to be particularly important in sustaining aquatic species diversity (Steiner, 1988; Oertli et al., 2002; Williams et al., 2003). Natural ponds have become less common in the UK over the last two centuries, but this was matched by an increase in the number of artificial ponds for ornamental and water supply purposes. The colonization of Ônewly formedÕ water bodies has long attracted the interest of scientists (e.g. Darwin, 1859) as a means of understanding *This paper is dedicated to the memory of Mr. Alwyn Wheeler: friend, colleague and champion of both our native crucian carp and the ponds of Epping Frest. U.S. Copyright Clearance Centre Code Statement: species dispersal mechanisms, colonization rates (propagule pressure) and establishment success (Kew, 1893; Talling, 1951). However, ponds are increasingly threatened by changes in land use and by releases of non-native species (Semlitsch and Bodie, 1998). Of particular concern are the potential impacts of non-native species (Andrews, 1990; Wheeler, 1991; North, 2000), and some studies suggest that impacts may be enhanced in ecosystems subjected to human alteration (Fox and Fox, 1986; Meffe, 1991). Demonstrated effects of goldfish introductions involve the native European crucian carp Carassius carassius (Wheeler, 2000; Navodaru et al., 2002). Previously believed to have been introduced along with common carp (e.g. Maitland, 1972), crucian carp was re-classified in the 1970s as native to southeastern England, based on archaeological evidence and the similarity of the crucian carp’s pre-1960 distribution to that of other native cyprinids (Wheeler, 2000; Wheeler et al., 2004). As elsewhere in Europe (see Copp et al., 2005), crucian carp populations in England are in decline because of habitat loss (Copp, 1991; Everard et al., 1999) as well as reproductive interference, i.e. hybridization, gynogenesis (Wheeler, 2000; Vetemaa et al., 2005) and associated genetic variability (Tóth et al., 2005). Threats to crucian carp have been exacerbated by its physical similarity to the brown variety of goldfish, which has been mistaken for crucian carp during fish transfers in the UK (North, 2000; Wheeler, 2000) and fisheries catches elsewhere (Vetemaa et al., 2005). Despite the considerable trade in ornamental fishes (Andrews, 1990; Crossman and Cudmore, 1999), which in the UK averages out to about 22 fish per household (OATA, 2004), the release and dispersal of ornamental fishes have received little attention worldwide (e.g. Kahn et al., 1999; Duggan et al., 2005). Indeed, although pet fish releases to open waters have been attributed to the general public (Wheeler, 2000), the pathways and mechanisms associated with these introductions, and the rates at which they occur, remain virtually unstudied. Managed, artificial ponds in urban areas may be subject to rehabilitation management (draining, desilting, refilling), which provide an opportunity to examine the patterns of fish introductions and to estimate colonization rates (Talling, 1951). The aim of the present study was thus to examine the factors associated with pond colonization by nonnative fishes and the implications for the conservation of native species, in particular crucian carp. Our specific objectives were to: (i) test whether the occurrence of non-native fish varieties in restored ponds is random (i.e. Ôchance elementÕ, Talling, 1951); (ii) test for relationships between geographical features and ornamental fish occurrence (number and relative 0175–8659/2005/2104–0263$15.00/0 www.blackwell-synergy.com 264 density); (iii) estimate the rate at which non-native fishes are introduced; and (iv) compare our data from Epping Forest with published information (Wheeler, 1998) to identify trends and clues as to the propensity for non-native fish introductions, including Wheeler’s observation that ponds adjacent to fair grounds are likely introduction sites for goldfish given away as fairground prizes. Study area Epping Forest, situated in the north-eastern part of Greater London (Fig. 1), encompasses over 24 km2 and consists of semi-natural woodland, grassland, scrub, heath, marsh and water bodies (Conservators of Epping Forest, 2002). Most of the Forest is registered as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the highest conservation status in England. Approximately 150 ponds have been recorded in Epping Forest. Besides crucian carp, species of conservation interest associated with these ponds include grey heron (Ardea cinerea), common (Triturus G. H. Copp, K. J. Wesley and L. Vilizzi vulgaris) and great crested (Triturus cristatus) newts. Within the last 8 years, 18 of the ponds have undergone restoration, which included the removal of the water, fish, rubbish, ligneous debris and, if required, accumulated sediments to abate eutrophication and terrestrialization processes (Conservators of Epping Forest, 2002). During pond restoration, the removal of water was virtually complete, with only a single small pool remaining where the sump pump was situated; this pool was intensively fished with nets and electrofishing. Although it is impossible to guarantee that all fish were removed in fish eradications (e.g. Pot et al., 1984), the probability of any fish surviving was extremely low. After restoration, the ponds were usually left to refill naturally; ponds were either not restocked with fish (to promote amphibian populations) or restocking was restricted to one or a few native species of conservation interest (i.e. crucian carp, rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus, tench Tinca tinca). Ponds included in the present study were: (i) of full public access; (ii) restored on a known date; (iii) voided of fish when Fig. 1. Mapof Epping Forest (Essex, England) with ponds included in the study indicated by the number given in Table 1 Introduction of ornamental fish into ponds restored; and (iv) not restocked with fish or restocked with known native, non-piscivorous species (Table 1). In one case (Fairmead Pond), complete restoration was not deemed necessary and fish removal efforts (electrofishing and netting) were followed by application of rotenone piscicide. In another case (Bull’s Head Pond), approximately 30 goldfish were captured within 2 months of pond restoration, with goldfish again captured during two subsequent nettings (D. Huckfield, pers. comm.). Following our visit, we learned that two large pike (Esox lucius) had been introduced to eliminate the goldfish, which were being introduced repeatedly by a nearby resident (D. Huckfield, pers. comm.). We found only one small pike [18.4 cm fork length (FL)], presumably a progeny of the introduced pike. This site was therefore excluded from the analyses. Materials and methods For each pond, we recorded geographical features (distance in m of the pond from the nearest road, footpath, residential buildings, other water bodies/courses) as well as pond character [area in m2, age in years, connectivity with other waters, mean depth in m, and the proportion (%) of the water body occupied by aquatic vegetation]. All sites were sampled by electrofishing using a generator-powered DC electrofishing unit from a fibreglass boat powered by an electric motor. Because of great variation in pond size, fish densities were calculated on a catch per unit of effort (CPUE) basis (number of fish per 10 min; see Murphy and Willis, 1996, p. 616) from three ÔtimedÕ electrofishing passes undertaken from a fibreglass boat or by wading at a similar speed of movement in all cases. Exceptions were: (i) Oak Hill ÔwoodsÕ pond – only one pass by wading was possible due to limited open water due to dense aquatic vegetation over a thick layer of silty substratum, which caused high turbidity once disturbed; and (ii) Jubilee Pond – when routine sampling yielded no fish, a portable batterypowered backpack unit was used in the shallow margins to confirm the complete absence of fish. Where possible, two sweeps of a seine net (50 m length, 3 m depth, 0.9 mm mesh) were undertaken in different parts of the pond to corroborate the CPUE electrofishing results. Immediately after capture, fish were identified to species and ornamental variety, then measured for FL or total length (threespine stickleback), with scale samples (from between the lateral line and the dorsal fin) taken from a sub-sample of the most common varieties for age determination. Because a number of varieties of the same fish species, including native species (e.g. golden rudd, golden tench), may be available in the ornamental trade, we used the number of ornamental varieties rather than the number of species as the measure of richness (S). Both goldfish and common carp are biogeographically alien to the UK (see Copp et al., 2005) but have the legal status of Ôordinarily residentÕ in England and Wales (i.e. exemption from legislation pertaining to non-native freshwater fish species); they are nonetheless categorized as non-native in the present study. Fish density was estimated as catch per unit of effort (CPUE: number of fish per 10 min of electrofishing). We used length–frequency analysis (combined with scale ageing of a sub-sample of specimens) to determine whether population size and age structure were consistent with a successfully reproducing population. To test the randomness of fish occurrence, the observed frequencies of non-native, goldfish and introduced native varieties were subjected to the exact unconditional independence test (EUIT) for the multinomial model in 2 · 2 265 contingency tables (Berger, 1996). The EUIT is generally more powerful than the Fisher exact test (Berger, 1996), which is conditional and often fails to detect even moderately large differences between two proportions when sample sizes are small (Everitt, 1993). Furthermore, to increase the heuristic value of the analyses, tests of significance were at a ¼ 0.10. As six of the variables demonstrated binomial frequency distributions, deviations from expected occurrence were tested with respect to pond area (pond area; small: <3000 m2, large: ‡3000 m2), percentage of the pond occupied by vegetation (vegetation cover; sparse: <50%, dense: ‡50%), and distance of the pond from the nearest water bodies (DPond; close: <200 m, far: ‡200 m), from the nearest footpath (DPath; close: <5 m, far: ‡5 m), from the nearest road (DRoad; close: <25 m, far: ‡25 m), and from the nearest houses (DHouses; close: <100 m, far: ‡100 m) (Table 1). The EUIT was implemented through a Java applet at http://www.stat.ncsu. edu/exact/tables.html (accessed 25 July 2005). Measures of species richness (S) in wild fish populations are known to be influenced by sampling effort and fish density, therefore relationships between S and fish density and between S and sampling effort were also determined by Poisson simple regression models, and variety richness adjusted for fish density (S¢). Relationships between geographical features (Table 1) and S (or S¢) of non-native, goldfish and introduced native varieties were subsequently assessed by Poisson multiple regression (S-Plus, 2000). This is a special case of the generalized linear model, and is useful for modelling counts that typically follow a Poisson distribution (here evaluated by the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test). The best combination of independent variables was then determined by calculating the change in deviance for the sequential addition of each variable, using the chi-square test at a ¼ 0.10 for testing differences between models. Relationships between geographical features and S¢ as well as those with the density of non-native, goldfish and introduced native varieties were assessed by robust multiple regression (S-Plus, 2000). Robust regression models are useful for fitting linear relationships when the random variation in the data is not normal or when the data contain significant outliers. In such situations, standard linear regression may return inaccurate estimates, whereas the robust MM regression (Yohai, 1987) method returns a model that is almost identical in structure to a standard linear regression model. The significance (a ¼ 0.10) of the dependent variables was then determined by the Wald test for sequential addition of the terms. Of the geographical variables, pond area was of particular interest for examining species–area relationships (Connor and McCoy, 1979), of the form S ¼ cAz [S ¼ species (variety) richness; A ¼ pond area; c and z constants], which were fitted to non-native, goldfish and introduced native varieties by non-linear regression, and the validity of parameter estimates assessed by examination of Cook–Weisberg confidence curves using SYSTAT v. 10.2. The resulting individual fits were then compared by a modified analysis of residual sum of squares (ARSS: Chen et al., 1992). Multiple and simple linear regression were used to estimate the rate at which non-native varieties were introduced (DSE). Two of the geographical variables (i.e. DRoad, DHouses) have changed little over the last 15 years and could be derived cartographically with a high degree of confidence. Therefore, data derived from Wheeler (1998) were subjected, where possible, to the same tests of randomization and regression. Although Wheeler’s data were collected using similar methods to those we used, these were not applied in a CPUE manner. Strawberry Hill Johnson’s St-John’s Goldings Hill Oak Hill ÔroadÕb Oak Hill ÔwoodsÕ Fairmead’sc Bull’s Headd Jubilee (Yacht’s)e Bandstand Carroll’s Farm True Love’s Alexandraf Butler’s Bomb crater 1g Bomb crater 2h Bomb crater 3h Bomb crater 4i 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 TQ414965 TQ401920 TQ408941 TQ429981 TQ439992 TQ439993 TQ409966 TQ415955 TQ401862 TQ405859 TQ389967 TQ393975 TQ415863 TQ398948 TQ408964 TQ408964 TQ408963 TQ408963 NGR 21 March 2003 21 March 2003 25 March 2003 26 March 2003 26 March 2003 26 March 2003 31 March 2003 31 March 2003 21 May 2003 1 April 2003 8 April 2003 8 April 2003 28 July 2003 29 July 2003 29 July 2003 29 July 2003 29 July 2003 29 July 2003 Date sampled March 2000 April 2002 April 2000 November 2001 September 1995 September 1995 October 1996 December 2000 August 2002 September 1995 September 1996 August 1998 March 1997 September 1996 September 1995 September 1995 September 1995 September 1995 Date restored 3.00 0.92 2.92 1.33 7.50 7.50 6.42 0.25 0.75 7.50 6.50 4.58 6.33 6.83 7.83 7.83 7.83 7.83 3000 800 12 498 4425 300 360 453 403 24 000 4200 706 196 80 000 731 11 12 14 9 Area (m2) 1.00 0.85 0.50 0.60 0.75 0.80 1.20 1.50 1.30 0.70 2.50 0.25 0.70 0.80 0.25 0.30 0.50 0.30 Mean depth 300 250 500 80 35 35 90 490 420 420 330 340 440 400 25 10 6 6 Pond 27.0 1.8 2.5 8.5 3.5 3.0 47.0 0.5 1.0 13.0 4.0 4.0 5.0 10.0 23.0 10.0 34.0 36.0 Path Distance to nearest: 300.0 1.8 2.5 8.5 3.5 51.0 47.0 2.5 4.0 23.0 4.0 79.0 10.5 19.5 86.0 74.0 80.0 72.0 Road 450.0 12.0 25.0 30.0 11.8 62.0 760.0 9.5 60.0 40.0 3.0 220.0 21.0 660.0 640.0 640.0 640.0 640.0 Houses 2 24 1 22 76 77 90 3 1 61 95 36 1 58 70 95 95 90 Percentage vegetation covera a Aquatic plants consisted of sedge Juncus spp., yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus), reed grasses (Glyceria spp.) + bullrushes (Typhus spp.), common reed (Phragmites australis), yellow lily (Nuphar lutea) and ornamental varities such as white water lily (Nymphaea alba), aquatic mint (Menta aquatica), pondweeds (Potamogeton spp.). b Common newt present. c Rotenoned. d Goldfish sighted within months of cleaning, but two pike (about 1 kg) introduced in April 2002, hence excluded from analyses. e Data from second sampling visit used, many Canada geese on all occasions. f Signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) captured by seine net. g Great crested newt present. h Cattle damage to banks. i Juvenile newts, cattle damage to banks. Pond name Site no. Years restored Table 1 List of man-made ponds of Epping Forest (Essex, England) sampled during spring and summer of 2003, with their national grid reference (NGR), date sampled, date restored, years since restoration (restor.), surface area, mean water depth (m), Distance (in m) to nearest water body (pond), footpath, road and residential area (houses), and the percentage of water surface occupied by aquatic vegetation 266 G. H. Copp, K. J. Wesley and L. Vilizzi Introduction of ornamental fish into ponds This restricted direct comparison with our CPUE data to relative abundance (%) with respect to variety richness (S). For comparisons with Wheeler’s (1998) non-CPUE data, S could not be adjusted for fish density (S¢), but it could be adjusted for sampling effort (S¢¢) by dividing the number of varieties by the number of sites visited (used as a surrogate of sampling effort) during three intervals of Wheeler’s (1998) data (1992–1994, 1995–1996, 1997–1998) and for our data from 2003. To assess the progressive incidence of non-native varieties during these intervals, an index of exoticness (IE) 00 was calculated as: IE ¼ SE00 =SN , where SE00 is the adjusted non00 native variety richness and SN is adjusted native variety richness. We also used Jaccard’s coefficient of similarity, JCS ¼ [a/(a + b + c)] · 100: where a is the number of species present in both biotas, b the number of species present only in the first biota, and c the number of species present only in the second biota. JCS was calculated separately for nonnative and native species (varieties combined by species and hybrids ignored) for each time interval described above (see Rahel, 2002) to assess the temporal pattern of differentiation vs homogenization using the ratio index: JCSE/JCSN, where ratios <1 indicate differentiation and those >1 indicate homogenization (McKinney, 2004). Finally, we were able to assess Wheeler’s (1998) assumption that goldfish in ponds adjacent to fair grounds are likely to receive goldfish as unwanted fairground prizes. Jubilee Pond, created for the Queen’s Jubilee, was filled in August 2002 and purposely not stocked with fish. When no fish were found during the initial sampling in early April 2003, the pond was sampled about a month after the Spring Fair of 2003 (the first held next to the site since its creation), as well as after two subsequent fairs held in early and late summer of 2003. Table 2 List of species and varieties of native and non-native fishes, the number of specimens (n) captured in 18 ponds of Epping Forest during March–August 2003 (Table 1), the frequency of occurrence (f) in all ponds and the numbers of fish (ornamental or fairground prize goldfish) abandoned/ introduced into Jubilee Pond sampled initially (1 April) and as soon as logistically possible after Bank Holiday weekend fairs (5 May, 26 May, 25 August). Fork length in cm given in parenthesis for specimens not included in Fig. 5 267 Results Apart from the native threespine stickleback, the most commonly encountered and most abundant fishes captured in the ponds were varieties of fish not native to the British Isles, in particular the brown and ÔredÕ varieties of goldfish and varieties of common carp (Table 2). Approximately 50% of both golden and brown goldfish were of the Ôfan-tailedÕ morph. Successful establishment (reproduction) of goldfish varieties following un-authorized introduction is evident in the length– frequency distributions (Fig. 2). In Fairmeads Pond, one of two ponds in which crucian carp were known to exist (Wheeler, 1998), hybrids of goldfish with crucian carp occurred in relatively high numbers (Table 2). A goldfish · ghost (common) carp hybrid was also found (Jubilee Pond), having been introduced into Jubilee sometime between 1 April and 21 May 2003 (see below). The occurrences of both non-native and unexpected native fishes in Epping Forest ponds were not random (EUIT), with significant deviations from expected (Table 3) observed with respect to DRoad and DHouses for non-native, goldfish and unexpected native species/varieties, which were more abundant in ponds close to roads and houses respectively. Further, there were fewer unexpected native species/varieties in ponds close to other water bodies. Quantitatively, variety richness increased with sampling effort (P < 0.001, 0.01, 0.05 in non-native, goldfish and introduced native varieties respectively) and the rate of increase was higher for non-native than for goldfish varieties and introduced native species/varieties, in this order (see Appendix 1 for details). A similar pattern was observed between richness and fish density. With regard to S, reliable estimators for non-native varieties are DRoad and DPath, for goldfish varieties DRoad, DPath and to a lesser extent DPond, Species/variety Native Threespine stickleback Tench Crucian carp Rudd Golden rudd Roach Non–native Goldfish (golden)b Goldfish (fairground size) Goldfish (brown)b Goldfish (shubunkin)b Lion’s head goldfishb Common carpb Common carp (ghost)b Common carp (koi)b Common carp (ogen koi)b Goldfish · ghost carp Brown goldfish · common carp Brown goldfish · crucian carp Golden orfe (golden ide) Topmouth gudgeon (clicker barb) a All sites Jubilee Pond n f 1 April 21 May 24 Julya 28 August 229 113 17 46 1 1 22.2 5.6 5.6 11.2 5.6 5.6 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 286c – 307 5 1 9 2 6 1 1 1 9 1 5 38.9c – 27.8 11.1 5.6 22.2 11.1 11.1 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1 2 – – – – 1 (16.4) – – 1 (15.1)e – – 1 (14.5) – – )a 186d – 1 – – – – – 1 (19.0) – – – 2 13 218d – – – – – – – – – – – Long delay in sampling after fair because of illness. Biogeographically non-native and thus categorized as such despite their legal status in England and Wales as Ôordinarily residentÕ. c Includes 30 goldfish captured in Bull’s Head Pond 2 months after restoration – this site excluded from analysis due to subsequent introduction of a pike). d Young-of-the-year progeny. e Possessed large open ulcer across left lateral line. b 268 G. H. Copp, K. J. Wesley and L. Vilizzi Fig. 2. Length–frequency distributions of goldfish varieties captured during March–May 2003 in ponds of Epping Forest (Essex, England) and for introduced natives DRoad and DPond (Fig. 3, Table 4). The pair-wise relationships of DPond, DPath and DRoad are considered here graphically (Fig. 3) by virtue of their sociobiological interest (Yoccoz, 1991). With regard to adjusted richness (S¢), pond area was the most influential geographical variable for all three variety groups (Table 4), accompanied by DPond and DRoad for non-native varieties, by vegetation cover for goldfish varieties. Species–area relationships differed among non-native, goldfish and introduced native varieties (ARSS test: P < 0.001). Richness increased with pond area more markedly in non-native, and less so in goldfish and introduced native varieties, in this order (Fig. 4, Table 5). When adjusted richness is considered, only the relationship for non-native species was sound, this differing among non-native, goldfish and introduced native varieties (ARSS test: P < 0.001). Relationships between fish densities and geographical variables were never statistically significant (Table 6), although the density of goldfish is weakly related to DRoad (robust MM multiple regression, P ¼ 0.104). The multiple regression relationships between the rate of introductions (DSE) and geographical variables were significant for DSE (P ¼ 0.07), in particular vegetation cover (P ¼ 0.08) and DRoad (P ¼ 0.07), with these relationships of greater statistical significance for log10 + 1 transformed DSE (P ¼ 0.02), in particular pond area (P ¼ 0.06) and DRoad (P ¼ 0.02). The bivariate relationship DSE and DRoad was significant (Fig. 5) and correspondingly this improved with DSE log10 + 1 transformed (F ¼ 14.44, r2 ¼ 0.49, P ¼ 0.002). Also significant, but again with a caveat for small sample size, were the bivariate relationships between DSE and vegetated area (AV) was significant (DSE ¼ )0.03AV + 2.41r2 ¼ 0.25, F ¼ 4.97, P ¼ 0.042) as was that between DSE and DPath (DSE ¼ )2.36DPath + 3.11r2 ¼ 0.35, F ¼ 7.95, P ¼ 0.013). The relationship between DRoad and adjusted variety richness (DSE0 ) was also significant, but at a lower significance level (DSE0 ¼ )1.94 log10 DR + 3.55, r2 ¼ 0.30, F ¼ 6.46, P ¼ 0.023). Potential differences appear to exist between young (restored <1.5 years ago) and older (restored >2.5 years ago) ponds in the relationship between DSE and DRoad (Fig. 5). For example, and with caveats for small sample sizes, the relationship for young ponds approaches statistical significance (SE ¼ )5.20x + 8.05, r2 ¼ 0.96, F ¼ 24.00, Table 3 Exact unconditional independence test results for observed and expected (in brackets) frequencies of non-native, goldfish and introduced native varieties of freshwater fishes captured in 17 restored ponds of Epping Forest (Essex, England), and of non-native and native varieties from Wheeler’s (1998) data. Significant (a ¼ 0.10) associations in bold Present study Variable Area Small Large Cover Sparse Dense DPond Close Far DPath Close Far DRoad Close Far DHouses Close Far Wheeler Non-natives Goldfish Introduced natives Non-natives Absent Present P Absent Present P Absent Present P Absent Present Natives P Absent Present P 6 (5.2) 2 (2.8) 5 (5.8) 4 (3.2) 7 (6.5) 0.527 3 (3.5) 4 (4.5) 3 (2.5) 8 (7.1) 0.622 3 (3.9) 3 (3.9) 3 (2.1) – 0.484 – – – – – – – – – 2 (3.3) 6 (4.7) 5 (3.7) 4 (5.3) 3 (4.1) 0.262 7 (5.9) 4 (2.9) 3 (4.1) 4 (4.5) 0.321 7 (6.5) 3 (2.5) 3 (3.5) – 0.622 – – – – – – – – – 5 (3.8) 3 (4.2) 3 (4.2) 6 (4.8) 5 (4.7) 0.302 5 (5.3) 3 (3.3) 4 (3.7) 7 (5.2) 1.000 4 (5.8) 1 (2.8) 5 (3.2) – 0.082 – – – – – – – – – 2 (3.8) 6 (4.2) 6 (4.2) 3 (4.8) 3 (4.7) 0.121 7 (5.3) 5 (3.3) 2 (3.7) 4 (5.2) 0.121 7 (5.8) 4 (2.8) 2 (3.2) – 0.262 – – – – – – – 1 (4.2) 7 (3.8) 8 (4.8) 1 (4.2) 3 (5.3) 0.002 7 (4.7) 6 (3.7) 1 (3.3) 3 (5.8) 0.034 8 (5.2) 6 (3.2) 0 (2.8) 2 (4.1) 0.005 5 (2.9) 19 (16.9) 0 (0.6) 10 (12.1) 0.077 1 (0.4) 21 (20.4) 14 (14.6) 0.320 2 (4.2) 6 (3.8) 7 (4.8) 2 (4.2) 3 (5.3) 0.041 7 (4.7) 6 (3.7) 1 (3.3) 4 (5.8) 0.034 7 (5.2) 5 (3.2) 1 (2.8) 2 (3.7) 0.082 5 (3.3) 17 (15.3) 0 (0.5) 12 (13.7) 0.167 1 (0.5) 19 (18.5) 16 (16.5) 0.391 – – Introduction of ornamental fish into ponds 269 Fig. 3. Surface plots for pair-wise multiple Poisson regression relationships between richness and distance from pond, road, and path for unexpected native, non-native, and goldfish varieties of freshwater fishes captured in 17 restored ponds of Epping Forest (Essex, England). Shaded plots are for significant relationships at P ¼ 0.10, white plots at P < 0.20 (shown for consistency) (see also Table 4) P ¼ 0.128) whereas that for older ponds is highly significant (SE ¼ )0.35x + 0.67, r2 ¼ 0.60, F ¼ 17.90, P < 0.002). The progressive change in the relative abundance, species richness (and adjusted species richness) of non-native varieties of fish in Epping Forest ponds during the 1990s, summarized by the exotic-ness and Jaccard’s ratios (Fig. 6d), reveals an increasing influence, during the last decade, of non-native fishes, which exert a homogenizing effect on fish community composition (Jaccard’s ratio) at the species level but a differentiating effect when species variety is considered. The rise in non-native species influence is corroborated in the EUIT on Wheeler’s (1998) data, with only one significant deviation from random (Table 3): DRoad for non-native varieties (P ¼ 0.08), which was of much lower statistical significance than that for our data. When time intervals (1992–1994, 1995– 1996, 1997–1998) within Wheeler’s (1998) data set were examined separately, the only statistically significant deviation from expected was with regard to DHouses for non-native varieties, which occurred more often than expected in ponds close to roads (P ¼ 0.032) during the most recent interval (1997–1998). Similarly, and with a caveat for small sample size, only one significant regression relationship was observed, for 1995–1996 with regard to variety richness, which decreased in introduced native varieties with increasing DRoad (slope ¼ )0.004, SE ¼ 0.002, t ¼ )1.730, d.f. ¼ 1, deviance ¼ 3.411, residual d.f. ¼ 12, residual deviance ¼ 11.152, P ¼ 0.065). Repeated sampling at Jubilee Pond, once in spring and then once after each of three summer fairs (held on open ground near the pond) provided evidence of fair-ground prizes and garden-pond fish being abandoned (Table 2, Fig. 7). In spring, prior to the first fair held near Jubilee Pond since its construction, no fish were captured despite intensive sampling. Following the first summer fair, two golden goldfish of size consistent with goldfish being given away as prizes (D. Huckfield, personal communication) were captured at the end of this long, narrow pond nearest the fair ground. Whereas, fish from a garden pond were captured at the end of the pond adjacent to a car park – the presence of these fish corroborated a report received by a Forest Keeper that a person had recently been observed releasing large fish into the pond (D. Huckfield, pers. comm.). Sampling after the second summer fair was delayed because of illness, and no goldfish of size consistent with fairground prizes were found, but a lion’s head goldfish was captured, suggesting a subsequent release of aquarium/garden pond fish. A large number of young-of-theyear brown goldfish of various sizes were also observed on 24 July, suggesting two sub-cohorts (spawnings). Sampling soon after the third (and last) summer fair, yielded about a dozen goldfish of size consistent with fair-ground prizes as well as a large number of brown goldfish of three or four sub-cohorts (spawning events). Discussion The distribution of fish in restored Epping Forest ponds was not random and can be attributed to human access routes (Table 3), in particular distance from the nearest road (Figs 3 and 4) for both non-native varieties and unexpected native species. For example, the sequence of occurrence and sizedistributions of non-native fishes observed in Jubilee Pond evinces the abandonment of unwanted fish (from garden ponds and fairground prizes) and their immediate reproduction (Table 2, Figs 2 and 7). This was particularly true of goldfish, which are known to undertake multiple spawning events, especially following translocation, during the same vegetative season (e.g. Gillet et al., 1977). The successful establishment of goldfish in restored ponds is probably facilitated by the genetic diversity that comes with sporadic, unauthorized introductions of fish derived from a variety of sources (Sakai et al., 2001). Our sampling may have underestimated the numbers of ÔredÕ goldfish abandoned in public ponds. These brightly pigmented 270 G. H. Copp, K. J. Wesley and L. Vilizzi Table 4 Poisson multiple regression models for richness (S) and robust MM multiple regression models for adjusted richness (S¢) of introduced native, non-native and goldfish varieties of freshwater fishes captured in 17 restored ponds of Epping Forest (Essex, England), and of native and nonnative varieties from Wheeler’s (1998) data as a function of geographical features (Table 1). Significant (a ¼ 0.10) probabilities (chi-square) in bold. Value ¼ intercept or slope value for the variable considered (see also Fig. 3) Richness Adjusted richness Parameters Variable Value SE Present study Non-natives Intercept 2.315 Area 0.001 Cover )0.012 )0.001 DPond 0.162 DPath )0.242 DRoad 0.003 DHouses Goldfish Intercept 0.978 Area )0.001 Cover )0.008 0.001 DPond 0.320 DPath )0.329 DRoad 0.001 DHouses Introduced natives Intercept )0.501 Area 0.001 Cover )0.001 0.002 DPond 0.145 DPath )0.242 DRoad 0.004 DHouses Wheeler Non-natives Intercept 0.357 0.001 DRoad DHouses )0.001 Natives Intercept 1.434 )0.003 DRoad DHouses )0.001 t Analysis of deviance Parameters d.f. Deviance Resid. d.f. Resid. deviance P Value SE Wald test Chi-square d.f. Wald t P 0.745 3.106 1 0.001 0.432 1 0.008 )1.312 1 0.002 )0.886 1 0.162 1.000 1 0.220 )1.097 1 0.004 0.774 1 1.393 1.939 2.243 9.453 21.220 1.225 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 39.308 37.915 1.834 35.672 26.218 4.999 3.773 0.252 0.330 0.763 1 0.238 0.001 0.001 22.062 1 0.164 )0.001 0.004 )0.305 1 0.134 )0.001 0.001 )0.549 1 0.002 0.007 0.010 0.706 1 <0.001 )0.006 0.002 )3.563 1 0.268 0.001 0.001 0.566 1 0.927 1.056 1 0.001 )0.426 1 0.010 )0.783 1 0.002 0.532 1 0.227 1.412 1 0.278 )1.223 1 0.006 0.106 1 0.019 0.651 2.986 3.610 17.847 0.085 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 26.937 26.919 1.738 23.933 20.322 2.475 2.390 0.891 0.420 0.084 0.057 <0.001 0.771 1.577 )0.318 0.001 0.364 1 0.016 )0.044 1 0.004 0.565 1 0.263 0.552 1 0.352 )0.686 1 0.007 0.611 1 0.941 0.002 3.607 1.782 3.528 0.805 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 15.195 14.253 4.529 10.646 8.864 5.336 4.531 )0.073 0.040 )1.827 1 0.332 0.001 0.001 5.372 1 0.965 0.001 0.001 1.600 1 0.057 0.001 0.001 1.620 1 0.182 )0.001 0.001 )1.433 1 0.060 0.001 0.001 0.963 1 0.370 0.001 0.001 1.478 1 0.187 1.192 1 0.002 0.020 1 0.001 )0.295 1 0.001 0.089 35 34 33 33.012 33.012 32.923 0.989 0.765 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 0.116 12.389 1 0.001 )1.934 1 0.001 )0.357 1 5.014 0.130 35 34 33 43.429 38.415 38.284 0.025 0.718 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 0.162 0.001 )0.001 )0.001 0.001 )0.001 )0.001 0.073 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.001 0.001 2.215 )1.958 )1.650 )0.503 0.414 )1.714 )1.033 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 244.711 <0.001 0.982 0.382 3.796 0.051 0.190 0.663 5.543 0.018 1.305 0.253 3.834 2.723 0.253 0.171 2.937 1.067 0.050 0.099 0.615 0.679 0.087 0.302 28.854 <0.001 2.560 0.110 2.626 0.105 2.052 0.152 0.927 0.336 2.183 0.139 Table 5 Species–area relationships for non-native, goldfish and introduced native varieties of freshwater fishes captured in 17 restored ponds of Epping Forest (Essex, England). Values (± ASE) for the parameters (c, z) are reported (see also Fig. 4) Statistic Raw richness n 17 c 0.417 z 0.185 0.541 r2 Adjusted richness n 17 c 0.013 z 0.599 2 0.737 r Fig. 4. Linear relationship of the rate of introduction (number of varieties per year: DSE) of non-native fishes introduced into ponds of Epping Forest (Essex, England) Goldfish Introduced natives ± 0.402 ± 0.108 17 0.323 ± 0.339 0.142 ± 0.123 0.442 17 0.089 ± 0.108 0.221 ± 0.131 0.472 ± 0.021 ± 0.156 17 0.073 ± 0.200 0.335 ± 0.277 0.234 17 0.737 ± 1.414 0.086 ± 0.241 0.152 Non-natives goldfish are more visible to avian predators (Ödeen and Håstad, 2003) and thus are less likely than the brown variety to survive in ponds subjected to grey heron predation. Grey herons were observed fishing on numerous occasions during our field work, and they are known to predate on the most abundant available prey (Adams and Mitchell, 1995), with Introduction of ornamental fish into ponds 271 Table 6 Robust multinomial model MM multiple regression models for the density of non-native, goldfish and introduced native varieties of freshwater fishes captured in 17 restored ponds of Epping Forest (Essex, England) as a function of geographical features (Table 1). Biologically interesting probabilities in bold 6.0 5.0 Non-natives Intercept 2.700 Area 0.001 )0.003 DPond 0.020 DPath )0.007 DRoad )0.001 DHouses Cover )0.018 Goldfish Intercept 1.848 Area 0.001 )0.002 DPond 0.022 DPath )0.005 DRoad )0.001 DHouses Cover )0.013 Introduced natives Intercept 0.068 Area 0.001 0.001 DPond 0.001 DPath )0.001 DRoad )0.001 DHouses Cover )0.001 SE t-test v2 d.f. Wald P 2.447 0.001 0.004 0.058 0.010 0.003 0.031 1.103 )0.474 )0.693 0.351 )0.725 )0.375 )0.583 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0.816 0.001 0.001 0.019 0.003 0.001 0.010 2.266 )1.131 )1.454 1.118 )1.623 )0.832 )1.313 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1.280 2.114 1.250 2.634 0.692 1.725 0.258 0.146 0.263 0.104 0.406 0.189 0.063 0.000 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 1.073 )0.691 0.017 0.357 )0.663 )0.592 )0.488 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0.479 0.001 0.128 0.440 0.351 0.238 0.489 0.987 0.721 0.507 0.554 0.625 0.224 0.480 0.123 0.526 0.141 0.339 Non-natives 3.0 2.0 0.636 0.488 0.726 0.468 0.707 0.560 Goldfish 1.0 Unexpected natives 0.0 Non-natives 10.0 Adjusted richness Value Richness 4.0 Variable 8.0 6.0 4.0 Goldfish 2.0 Unexpected natives 0.0 10 100 1000 10 000 100 000 Area clear size selectivity (Britton and Moser, 1982) as well as elevated violet sensitivity (e.g. Ödeen and Håstad, 2003); this suggests that more colourful prey items (golden/red goldfish) are taken preferentially over more cryptic prey (e.g. brown goldfish). This said, goldfish would be expected to benefit from greater amounts of aquatic vegetation cover, but goldfish densities were not correlated with percentage cover and the number of goldfish varieties decreased with increasing percentage cover. Wheeler’s (1998) assumption that ponds close to roads, car parks and fairgrounds are likely sites for the introduction of non-native fishes (and in particular goldfish) was validated, at least for ponds of Epping Forest. This was particularly true of Jubilee Pond for which we were able to obtain time-series information on introductions (Table 2, Fig. 7). Our results contribute to growing evidence on the role of roads as transport routes for the dispersal of non-native species (Trombulak and Frissell, 2000). Humans are indeed the main active agents in the dispersal of ornamental fishes in ponds of Epping Forest (Table 2, Fig. 3). The highly significant relationships between the number (SE) of non-native varieties and distances from nearest road and footpath suggest an active role. Indeed, the rate at which these introductions takes place appears to be about 3.5 varieties per year in new or recently restored ponds if distance from road is used as the estimator (Figs 4 and 5). The causative role of humans is further corroborated by the relationship between SE0 and distance to nearest house. Percentage area of pond occupied by aquatic vegetation and distance to nearest house both predict a much lower introduction rate (about one variety per 2 years), but distance from nearest road is statistically a far more reliable estimator. A similar causal relationship between roads and non-native plants species has recently been described, with the richness and the area covered by exotic plants being >50% Fig. 5. Species–area relationships for the variety richness (upper graph) and fish density-adjusted variety richness (lower graph) of fishes captured during 2003 in 17 restored ponds of Epping Forest (Essex, England). Separate curves for non-native (dotted line, open circles), goldfish (dashed line, grey circles) and unintentional (i.e. unexpected) native (solid line, filled circles) varieties are provided. Overlap in data points for non-native and goldfish varieties is highlighted by slight displacement (see also Table 5) greater, and the richness of native species 30% lower, at 50 m distances from paved roads when compared with four-wheel track routes, and the verges along paved roads tended to have greater cover of common exotic forb species (Gelbard and Belnap, 2003). The relationships between distance from road and ornamental fish richness may also be valid in other areas of the British Isles, but this remains to be tested. The temporal trend in the composition of fishes in Epping Forest ponds (Fig. 6) indicates an increasing predominance of non-native fish species and varieties thereof. In the first two periods of Wheeler’s (1998) study, goldfish and common carp were the only nonnative species reported, and they played a homogenizing role (Fig. 6d) except during 1995–1996 and 1997–1998, when the arrival of topmouth gudeon plays a differentiating role (McKinney, 2004). However, when all varieties of non-native fish are considered, they definitely serve to differentiate between the time periods as regards the fish community composition. The increasingly important role of non-native fishes can be attributed to changes in society’s attitude and behaviour with regard to ornamental fishes. The abandonment (or donation) of goldfish to ponds is not a recent phenomenon (e.g. West, 1910), but the incidence of non-native introductions appears to have risen substantially in the last decade (Fig. 6). This is most apparent in the latter phase (1997–1998) of 272 G. H. Copp, K. J. Wesley and L. Vilizzi Fig. 7. Length–frequency distributions of goldfish varieties captured from Jubilee Pond (Essex) on consecutive sampling dates (bottom to top) following bank-holiday fairs held adjacent to the pond (Table 2). Goldfish of size consistent with those given away as fair-ground prizes are given as black bars, whereas the lone specimen of the lion’s head variety is given as a striped bar Fig. 6. For three time intervals of Wheeler’s (1998) data (1992–1994, 1995–1996, 1997–1998) and for our data from 2003 from ponds of Epping Forest (Essex, England), illustrated are (a) the proportions of native and non-native species/varieties, (b) the variety richness 0 ) and non-native varieties (SE0 ), (number of varieties) for native (SN (c) the adjusted variety richness (S¢) and (d) the exoticness index 0 ) and the ratio of Jaccard’s coefficient of similarity (JCSE/ (IE ¼ SE0 =SN JCSN) at the species (filled circles) and variety (open circles) levels Wheeler’s study period, when the association between distance from road and the incidence of non-native varieties was first observed (see Results). Taken as a whole, the relationships between variety richness, access proximity and pond area in our data suggest that ponds are selected (by the general public) for the introduction of fish according two main factors: proximity and size. Ponds within about 10 m of a road or footpath are most likely to receive both non-native and native varieties, whereas larger ponds are more likely to sustain a wider diversity of both non-native and native varieties. Therefore, one might speculate that the primary motivations for the release of fish into public ponds near access routes are related to personal beliefs (ethnicity, animal protection) for smaller water bodies and to angling amenity for larger water bodies, with a caveat for the potential influence of grey heron predation on fish assemblage structure. The goldfish has become more and more commonplace in the aquarium and garden trade, and its intrinsic economic value has subsequently declined. This ready availability of goldfish in the ornamental trade equates to an elevated Ôfrequency of occurrence in natureÕ, an intrinsic dispersal property of reproductive bodies as regards pond colonization (Talling, 1951). With the increasing affluence of British society in the late 20th century, the pressure on threatened species is expected to increase (Naidoo and Adamowicz, 2001) as the importance of introduced non-native species increases (Fig. 6). The range of unusual fish species/varieties available in the ornamental trade has dramatically increased, and goldfish are now so common that the species is viewed by some members of the general public, albeit incorrectly, as indigenous to the UK and therefore of no apparent threat to native species. This misconception is perhaps facilitated by the species legal status as Ôordinarily residentÕ under UK legislation. Cultural beliefs and practices are clearly a motivation for some introductions. For example, Crossman and Cudmore (1999) attributed the release of some non-native fishes into open waters (of Ontario, Canada) to the ancient Chinese practice, endorsed by the Buddhist faith, of releasing a live fish as a highly approvable act of compassion, a Ôgood deedÕ to accumulate merits for favourable judgement in the afterlife. Such releases of live ornamental fishes to Epping Forest ponds are accompanied by the provision of food, which is manifest by bags of rice and other ÔfastÕ foods found at pond’s edge (G.H. Copp and K.J. Wesley, pers. obs.). This practice is linked to cultural/religious beliefs, i.e. the reincarnate souls of deceased relatives are embodied in lower animals – so the introduction of foodstuffs to the ponds is de facto the provision for deceased family members. These introduced foodstuffs constitute a major injection of nutrients to ponds, which are already subjected to an elevated nutrient load (land runoff, anglersÕ ground bait, etc.), and this accelerates eutrophication. Introductions of fish to ponds by humans do not appear restricted to non-native ornamental fish varieties, as the number of native species/varieties (SN) also increases significantly with decreasing pond distance from the nearest road (Fig. 3, Appendix 1). This may be expected, given the highly managed nature of these artificial ponds and the practice of (illegally) introducing native fish species (e.g. rudd, tench, roach Rutilus rutilus), or their ornamental (golden rudd, golden tench) varieties, into still waters for sport fishing Introduction of ornamental fish into ponds (e.g. Trombulak and Frissell, 2000). In the light of the increasing prevalence of non-native fishes, especially goldfish, in public ponds (Table 2, Fig. 7), the implications of our findings for management and policy are threefold: (i) the use of ornamental fishes (in particular goldfish) as fairground prizes should be re-evaluated, with a view to restriction (in the UK, this restriction has effectively come into force during 2004 under animal protection legislation, which includes prohibition of the use of goldfish as fairground prizes); (ii) efforts to protect and conserve the genetic integrity of crucian carp populations should concentrate on ponds that are situated at greater distances from public access routes (roads, pathways, car parks, fair ground sites) so as to enhance the chances of maintaining genetically pure self-sustaining populations; and (iii) increased public awareness (i.e. risk communication) should be stimulated through educational programmes that explain and highlight the potential and real risks of non-native species to our native flora and fauna, such as the genetic impact of goldfish on crucian carp (Wheeler, 2000; Tóth et al., 2005). 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Value ¼ intercept or slope value for the variable considered. Significant (a ¼ 0.10) probabilities (v2) in bold Parameters Analysis of deviance Variable Value SE t-test Non-natives Intercept Minutes Intercept Density –1.085 0.022 )0.072 0.066 0.521 0.006 0.277 0.019 –2.083 3.726 )0.259 3.465 Goldfish Intercept Minutes Intercept Density )1.407 0.018 )0.908 0.090 0.646 0.007 0.419 0.026 –2.176 2.476 )2.165 3.478 Introduced natives Intercept )2.298 Minutes 0.020 Intercept )1.351 Density 0.105 0.966 0.011 0.505 0.046 )2.378 1.926 )2.674 2.274 d.f. Deviance 1 16.158 1 10.765 1 6.483 1 11.647 1 4.265 1 4.204 Resid. d.f. Resid. deviance 16 15 16 15 39.308 23.149 39.308 28.543 16 15 16 15 26.937 20.094 26.937 15.290 16 15 16 15 15.195 10.930 15.195 10.991 P <0.001 0.001 0.009 <0.001 0.039 0.040
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