The Past as a Prelude to the Future: Assessing Climate Effects on Native Trout in the U.S.
Using the Past as a Prelude to the Future to Assess Climate Effects on Native Trout across the United States
Dates
Start Date
2014-07-23
End Date
2015-07-23
Release Date
2014
Summary
Salmonids (a family of fish that includes salmon, trout, and char) are a keystone species for both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and can be an early warning indicator of ecosystem health. Salmonids also have strong societal values and contribute enormously to regional economies and Native American cultures. Today, many native salmonid populations are small, highly fragmented, and isolated from genetic exchange, thereby increasing their vulnerability to disturbances due to their limited ability to adapt through migration. Rising global air temperatures are altering the characteristics of aquatic ecosystems worldwide, including freshwater in the United States. Understanding the vulnerability of aquatic species and habitats to [...]
Summary
Salmonids (a family of fish that includes salmon, trout, and char) are a keystone species for both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and can be an early warning indicator of ecosystem health. Salmonids also have strong societal values and contribute enormously to regional economies and Native American cultures. Today, many native salmonid populations are small, highly fragmented, and isolated from genetic exchange, thereby increasing their vulnerability to disturbances due to their limited ability to adapt through migration.
Rising global air temperatures are altering the characteristics of aquatic ecosystems worldwide, including freshwater in the United States. Understanding the vulnerability of aquatic species and habitats to changing conditions is critical for conservation and management of these important natural resources. However, no studies have used existing data to understand the relationships between climate and the survival of salmonid populations to more accurately assess and predict climate effects on freshwater fish species across the entire United States.
This project aimed to use existing fish population and climate data from the recent past (1950 – current) to understand the responses of fish to climate impacts on streams. The project team focused on these main questions: 1) how have stream temperatures and flows been changing over the last 60 years and how do these changes vary across the United States?, 2) how have trout populations responded to these changes?, 3) have invasive species, land use change, and other stressors exacerbated the effects of climate on native trout populations?, and 4) how useful are current management and conservation tools when applied to historical data?
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NCCW-2014-7_BullTrout_MT_JonathanArmstrong1.jpg “Bull trout, MT - Credit: Jonathan Armstrong”
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NCCW-2014-7_BullTrout_MT_JonathanArmstrong2.jpg “Bull trout, MT - Credit: Jonathan Armstrong”
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NCCW-2014-7_NativeWestslope_CutthroatTrout_MT_JonathanArmstrong1.jpg “Native westslope cutthroat trout, MT - Credit: Jonathan Armstrong”
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NCCW-2014-7_NativeWestslope_CutthroatTrout_MT_JonathanArmstrong2.jpg “Native westslope cutthroat trout, MT - Credit: Jonathan Armstrong”
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Copyright_JonathanArmstrong.pdf “Photo release Jonathan Armstrong”
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Purpose
Future climate change is expected to dramatically alter the structure and function of freshwater ecosystems that support salmonid species. The response of salmonids to climate change will vary through space and time and manifest in both known and currently unknown ways. A potentially rich source of understanding of how salmonids interact with climate lies in a unified retrospective analysis of observed climate and population data in diverse habitats across the United States. Through research and management partners, tens of thousands of sampling events have occurred and continue to occur across the ranges of native salmonid species. We propose to capitalize on existing fish population and climate data from the recent past (1950-current) to: 1) test species-climate hypotheses, 2) identify mechanisms linking species to climate drivers, 3) validate current forecasting models, and 4) improve monitoring programs, vulnerability assessments, and risk assessment tools. An inherent benefit of this approach is the use of empirical climate and species population data, thus minimizing the uncertainty associated with extrapolations and climate projections.
Project Extension
projectStatus
Completed
Budget Extension
annualBudgets
year
2014
totalFunds
150000.0
totalFunds
150000.0
Preview Image
Native westslope cutthroat trout, MT - Credit: Jonathan Armstrong