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Abstract <br />- Changes in species composition and abundance of organisms <br />which comprised the plant, terrestrial wildlife, and aquatic <br />wildlife communities are discussed in the context of pre- and <br />post-control times of the Missouri River ecosystem. Due to <br />changes in the basin plant community, which was attributed to <br />agricultural development, there has been a net loss of nearly 65 <br />percent in total organic carbon available on the floodplain. <br />Structural changes of the main channel and tributaries and <br />physical management of the constructed .system has eliminated <br />flooding, meandering, and erosion. This has reduced available <br />supplies of organic carbon to aquatic inhabitants by at least 80 <br />percent. Estimates of larval fish density, an indicator of impact <br />to the aquatic community, were placed at 70 fish/m3. In addition <br />33 of the 156 native fish species in the basin are listed by <br />basin states as either rare, endangered, or threatened. The loss <br />- of habitat diversity associated with agricultural development of <br />the floodplain has reduced the populations of furbearers and <br />other terrestrial wildlife species. Habitats previously used as <br />feeding, loafing, basking,-and breeding areas by a widely diverse <br />group of shorebirds, reptiles, amphibians, and waterfowl are <br />gone. We postulate that a further decline in species diversity <br />and abundance can only be stopped by reestablishing successional <br />plant community structure, lost terrestrial and aquatic habitat, <br />and the return of some flooding and meandering. <br />- 2 - <br />