2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

5/23/2019 | 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM | TRANSLATING COMMUNITY DYNAMICS INTO METRICS USEFUL FOR WATER MANAGERS | 250 CF

TRANSLATING COMMUNITY DYNAMICS INTO METRICS USEFUL FOR WATER MANAGERS

Ideally, we should be able to advance environmental flow management by quantifying effects of streamflow variation on the mechanisms that shape aquatic communities. However, models of flow effects on rates of organism survival or dispersal may intersect only indirectly with broadly stated management objectives (e.g., minimizing loss of biological integrity). We are exploring ways to translate rates of community turnover (i.e., species persistence and colonization) and individual survival in stream fishes in the southeast United States, estimated in relation to flow regime attributes, into management-relevant metrics. A motivating application is management of flows in the Flint River, GA , as part of a collaboration between water-utility managers and conservationists concerned with meeting human and environmental needs during low flow periods. We are using measured effects of low-flow magnitude and duration on fish survival and dispersal to identify flow regime conditions that could signal a need for management actions. This application highlights the potential relevance of rate-based models to flow-management questions, particularly if monitoring data can be collected and used to improve ecological understanding and refine management options.

Fish
Hydrology
Management

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Presenters/Authors

Mary Freeman (), U.S. Geological Survey, mcfreeman78@gmail.com;