Additional Funding Sources
This project was made possible by the NSF Idaho EPSCoR Program and by the National Science Foundation under Award No. OIA-1757324.
Presentation Date
7-2021
Abstract
Invertebrate drift is the downstream transport of benthic invertebrates while in suspension in streams and acts the key food for “drift-feeding” fishes, including salmon and trout. Recent models of stream habitat quality for fish require estimates of drift density—the concentration of drifting insects. How or whether the concentration of invertebrates varies within a stream in areas such as pools and riffles is poorly known. Our study aims to test whether drift density differs across stream habitats and flow conditions in an effort to improve drift foraging models of fish habitat quality and growth in streams.
Measuring Drift Density in Streams to Understand Invertebrate Food Availability for Redband Trout
Invertebrate drift is the downstream transport of benthic invertebrates while in suspension in streams and acts the key food for “drift-feeding” fishes, including salmon and trout. Recent models of stream habitat quality for fish require estimates of drift density—the concentration of drifting insects. How or whether the concentration of invertebrates varies within a stream in areas such as pools and riffles is poorly known. Our study aims to test whether drift density differs across stream habitats and flow conditions in an effort to improve drift foraging models of fish habitat quality and growth in streams.