Frequent Usage of Tributaries by the Endangered Fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin: Observations from the San Rafael River, Utah

Bottcher, Jared L.; Walsworth, Timothy E.; Thiede, Gary P.; Budy, Phaedra; Speas, David W.

doi:10.1080/02755947.2013.785993

Cited by 46 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…While previous studies suggest the large‐bodied piscivore trophic niche was occupied seasonally by endangered Colorado pikeminnow in Colorado River tributaries (Tyus & Saunders ; Bottcher et al. ), the established populations of channel catfish, black bullhead and green sunfish present a novel, year‐round source of predation pressure for juveniles of the ‘three species’. Our limited catches of juveniles in the river suggest that they occur at low abundances, are highly patchy in distribution, or are less susceptible to our sampling methods.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Longer food chains and crowded niche space: effects of multiple invaders on desert stream food web structure

Walsworth

Budy

Thiede

2013

Ecology of Freshwater Fish

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Tributaries of the Colorado River Basin, historically home to a complex of endemic omnivores collectively referred to as the 'three species'; flannelmouth sucker (Catostomus latipinnis), bluehead sucker (C. discobolus) and roundtail chub (Gila robusta), have experienced the establishment of numerous non-native fish species. In this study, we examine the impacts of the trophic ecology of non-native fishes on the 'three species' in the San Rafael River, Utah, USA. We employ a suite of abundance comparisons, stable isotope techniques and size-at-age back-calculation analyses to compare food web structure and growth rates of the 'three species' in study areas with and without established populations of non-native species. We found that the 'three species' are more abundant in areas with few non-native fishes present, regardless of habitat complexity. Stable isotope analyses indicate non-native fishes lengthen the food chain by 0.5 trophic positions. Further, the trophic niche spaces of the native fishes shift and are narrower in the presence of non-native fishes, as several non-native species' trophic niche spaces overlap almost entirely with each of the 'three species' (bluehead sucker and flannelmouth sucker 100%, roundtail chub 98.5%) indicating strong potential for competition. However, the 'three species' demonstrated no evidence of reduced growth in the presence of these non-native fishes. Collectively, these results suggest that while non-native fishes alter the food web structure presenting novel sources of predation and competition, mechanisms other than competition are controlling the size-structure of 'three species' populations in the San Rafael River.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Longer food chains and crowded niche space: effects of multiple invaders on desert stream food web structure

Walsworth

Budy

Thiede

2013

Ecology of Freshwater Fish

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Pool & Olden, ). Consequently, native species persistence may be vulnerable for species that increasingly rely on intermittent tributary habitats to provide refuge from non‐native fishes (Bottcher, Walsworth, Thiede, Budy, & Speas, ; Cathcart et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamic contributions of intermittent and perennial streams to fish beta diversity in dryland rivers

Rogosch

Olden

2019

Journal of Biogeography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aim To determine the role of flow intermittence and species origin in shaping freshwater fish beta diversity across dryland riverscapes. Location Verde and Little Colorado River basins, United States. Methods Fish beta diversity was investigated in two large rivers with marked differences in basin‐wide flow intermittence. Local site (continually flowing perennial vs. periodically flowing intermittent) and species (native vs. non‐native) contributions to beta diversity were compared within each basin and over multiple decades (1987–2013) in relation to changing hydrologic conditions. Metacommunity dynamics were quantified using changes in alpha‐ (local), beta‐ and gamma‐ (regional) diversity through time. Results Beta‐diversity patterns varied in relation to basin‐wide intermittence. Intermittent sites were most influential to beta diversity where basin‐wide intermittence was lower (Verde River), whereas perennial sites were most influential where basin‐wide intermittence was higher (Little Colorado River). In intermittent sites, native fish species contributions to beta diversity tended to be higher than non‐native species contributions. The relative contributions of perennial and intermittent sites to β‐diversity within each basin were invariant to annual flow regimes, whether atypically lower or higher than average flows, but somewhat related to intra‐annual flow variation. Native species contributions to β‐diversity increased in years with high flow conditions in the Verde River. Over time, beta diversity decreased in the lower intermittence Verde River, indicating taxonomic homogenization, but remained relatively unchanged in the Little Colorado River. Main Conclusions Investigations of beta‐diversity components over time are considered pivotal for conservation prioritization and planning. We found that both intermittent and perennial streams play complementary roles in supporting fish beta diversity, and that their relative contributions increase as basin wide availability of the habitat type decreases. Moreover, contributions of intermittent streams to overall beta diversity were relatively consistent through time and supported native fish diversity. Despite weakening policy protections of intermittent streams, these habitats are critical for supporting local species persistence and regional biodiversity.

show abstract

“…In the UCRB, direct tracking of fish movement has provided evidence of the extensive use of tributaries by native fishes, including ESA‐listed species (Bottcher et al. ; Cathcart et al. ; Fraser et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the Conservation Potential of Tributaries for Native Fishes in the Upper Colorado River Basin

et al. 2018

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We explored the conservation potential of tributaries in the upper Colorado River basin by modeling native fish species richness as a function of river discharge, temperature, barrier‐free length, and distance to nearest free‐flowing main‐stem section. We investigated a historic period prior to large‐scale water development and a contemporary period. In the historic period, species richness was log‐linearly correlated to variables capturing flow magnitude, particularly mean annual discharge. In the contemporary period, the log‐linear relationship between discharge and species richness was still evident but weaker. Tributaries with lower average temperature and separated from free‐flowing main‐stem sections often had fewer native species compared to tributaries with similar discharge but with warmer temperature and directly connected to free‐flowing main stems. Thus, tributaries containing only a small proportion of main‐stem discharge, especially those at lower elevations with warmer temperatures and connected to free‐flowing main stems, can support a relatively high species richness. Tributaries can help maintain viable populations by providing ecological processes disrupted on large regulated rivers, such as natural flow and temperature regimes, and may present unique conservation opportunities. Efforts to improve fish passage, secure environmental flows, and restore habitat in these tributaries could greatly contribute to conservation of native fish richness throughout the watershed.

show abstract

Frequent Usage of Tributaries by the Endangered Fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin: Observations from the San Rafael River, Utah

Cited by 46 publications

References 29 publications

Longer food chains and crowded niche space: effects of multiple invaders on desert stream food web structure

Longer food chains and crowded niche space: effects of multiple invaders on desert stream food web structure

Dynamic contributions of intermittent and perennial streams to fish beta diversity in dryland rivers

Evaluating the Conservation Potential of Tributaries for Native Fishes in the Upper Colorado River Basin

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About