Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory

15 Jun, 10 AM - 24 Aug, 05 AM

Many stream restoration projects attempt to improve habitat for salmonid populations by adding instream structures. The addition of structure can benefit juvenile salmonids by providing low-velocity resting areas that are adjacent to high velocity areas where food delivery rates are high. Increasing the frequency of these energetically favorable habitats is predicted to increase the density of salmonids in a given reach. However, previous research has found that as salmonid density increases, the average condition of an individual fish decreases. Thus, density may be increased at the expense of individual fitness. We propose to quantify the trade-off between individual and population level benefits of adding structure to streams with the goal of improving the design of future restoration projects. Our study is designed to quantify this trade-off in experimental channels at the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory (SNARL) where the density of instream structure and population characteristics can be directly manipulated. Our research will provide results that can be used to improve restoration designs and habitat enhancements in salmonid bearing streams throughout California.

Visit #17526 @Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory

Approved

Under Project # 19711 | Research

Quantifying individual and population level benefits of instream habitat enhancement for salmonids.

research_scientist - University of California, Santa Barbara

Reservation Members(s)

Steven Zeug Jun 15 - Aug 24, 2009 (71 days)
Steven Zeug Jun 15 - Aug 24, 2009 (71 days)

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