Event Title
Influence of Key Environmental Variables on Fish Abundances in Western Michigan Streams
Presentation Type
Oral and/or Visual Presentation
Presenter Major(s)
Natural Resource Management
Mentor Information
C. Griffin
Department
Biology
Location
Kirkhof Center 1142
Start Date
10-4-2013 12:00 AM
End Date
10-4-2013 12:00 AM
Keywords
Environment
Abstract
The primary objective of this research is to find out the relationships between key environmental variables affecting fish species abundance in small streams in Western Michigan. The environmental variables that were collected are water temperature, percent macrophyte cover, substrate composition, amount of woody debris, water conductivity, mean stream depth and mean stream width. The fish species studied are brown trout (Salmo trutta), central mudminnow (Umbra limi), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) and white sucker (Catostomus commersonii). The environmental variables were measured along a 150 m stretch at eleven transects. Within each stretch the fish were collected using an electro-backpack fishing technique. I expect to find a correlation between fish species presence and environmental variables present.
Influence of Key Environmental Variables on Fish Abundances in Western Michigan Streams
Kirkhof Center 1142
The primary objective of this research is to find out the relationships between key environmental variables affecting fish species abundance in small streams in Western Michigan. The environmental variables that were collected are water temperature, percent macrophyte cover, substrate composition, amount of woody debris, water conductivity, mean stream depth and mean stream width. The fish species studied are brown trout (Salmo trutta), central mudminnow (Umbra limi), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) and white sucker (Catostomus commersonii). The environmental variables were measured along a 150 m stretch at eleven transects. Within each stretch the fish were collected using an electro-backpack fishing technique. I expect to find a correlation between fish species presence and environmental variables present.