Are Stable Annual Flows Associated with Higher Food Density for Trout in Headwater Streams?
Faculty Mentor Information
Tyson Hallbert and Ernest Keeley
Abstract
Invertebrate drift is the process by which aquatic invertebrates release from substrate and are then transported downstream in the water column. This process serves as a food source for culturally and economically important drift-feeding fish species such as salmon and trout. As many populations of trout and salmon are in decline a need to more fully understand factors that influence the amount of food available for these species is clear. Because of this, a study is being conducted to compare invertebrate drift density between two spring-fed streams which are characterized by stable discharge and water temperature, and two run-off fed streams which typically have large annual fluctuations in discharge and water temperature. Comparisons will be made to see how food availability for drift feeding fishes differs between streams under these two differing regimes.
Are Stable Annual Flows Associated with Higher Food Density for Trout in Headwater Streams?
Invertebrate drift is the process by which aquatic invertebrates release from substrate and are then transported downstream in the water column. This process serves as a food source for culturally and economically important drift-feeding fish species such as salmon and trout. As many populations of trout and salmon are in decline a need to more fully understand factors that influence the amount of food available for these species is clear. Because of this, a study is being conducted to compare invertebrate drift density between two spring-fed streams which are characterized by stable discharge and water temperature, and two run-off fed streams which typically have large annual fluctuations in discharge and water temperature. Comparisons will be made to see how food availability for drift feeding fishes differs between streams under these two differing regimes.
Comments
Poster #W36