Using Habitat Guilds to Develop Habitat Suitability Criteria for a Warmwater Stream Fish Assemblage Jason Persinger, Don Orth,, Tammy Newcomb
Shenandoah River Basin North Fork Shenandoah River 20% discharge 60% basin growth Growing concern IFIM Study Spring Hollow Rt. 648 Edinburg Winchester Dam Posey Hollow Laurel Hill Farm Covered Bridge Plains Mill
Habitat Suitability Criteria Original approach Important species Warmwater Streams High Diversity Habitat Guilds NFS 60 species 4 habitat guilds Image from Jenkins and Burkhead 1994
Objectives Test guild structure Develop habitat suitability criteria for fish species and habitat guilds Compare species and guild criteria
Methods Two sampling techniques Snorkeling Throwable anode electrofishing
Habitat Sampling Habitat measurements Depth Velocity Froude # Substrate Embeddedness Cover Distance to Cover
Guild Structure Depth (cm) Previously established Guilds 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 Velocity (cm/s) Pool cover Open Pool Pool/Run Shallow Rheophilic Fast Generalist Riffle/Run Fast Riffle Vadas and Orth (2000) Guild Structure
Our Approach North Fork Shenandoah Guild Structure Depth (m) 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 Velocity (m/s) Pool-Cover Pool-Run Fast Generalist Riffle
Guild Structure Tests Discriminant Analysis Squared distance between guilds Depth, velocity, Froude #, substrate, embeddedness, distance to cover, and cover Misclassification matrix
Criteria Development Nonparametric Tolerance Limits Depth & velocity Channel Index Substrate, cover, and embeddedness PHABSIM output
Guild Structure Results Squared distance Depth (m) significant distance between guilds P-values <0.0001 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 Velocity (m/s) Pool-Cover Pool-Run Fast Generalist Riffle
Guild Structure Results Misclassification Matrix Highest % of data in proper guild Riffle 64.4% Fast generalist 58.9% Pool-cover 42.7% Only exception pool-run guild
Guild Placement Riffle Guild greenside darter mottled sculpin central stoneroller bluehead chub (J) river chub (Y) longnose dace Etheostoma blennioides Cottus bairdi Campostoma anomalum Nocomis leptocephalus Nocomis micropogon Rhinichthys cataractae Images from Jenkins and Burkhead 1994
Riffle Guild Comparison Mottled Sculpin Longnose Dace Riffle 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 Depth (m)
Riffle Guild Comparison Mottled Sculpin Longnose Dace Riffle 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 Velocity (m/s)
PHABSIM Model Output WUA (sq. ft) 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 Depth and Velocity criteria only Mottled Sculpin Longnose Dace 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Discharge (cfs( cfs)
PHABSIM Model Output WUA (sq. ft) 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 Depth and Velocity criteria only Mottled Sculpin Longnose Dace Riffle Guild 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Discharge (cfs( cfs)
25000 PHABSIM Model Output Depth, Velocity, and Channel Index WUA (Sq. ft) 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 Mottled Sculpin Longnose Dace 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Discharge (cfs( cfs)
25000 PHABSIM Model Output Depth, Velocity, and Channel Index WUA (Sq. ft) 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 Mottled Sculpin Longnose Dace Riffle Guild 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Discharge (cfs( cfs)
Fast generalist Guild potomac sculpin margined madtom roseyface shiner comely shiner satinfin shiner (A) spotfin shiner (A) bluehead chub (A) bull chub fallfish (J&Y) blacknose dace Guild Placement Cottus girardi Noturus insignis Notropis rubellus Notropis amoenus Cyprinella analostana Cyprinella spiloptera Nocomis leptocephalus Nocomis raneyi Semotilus corporalis Rhinichthys atratulus Images from Jenkins and Burkhead 1994
Fast Generalist Guild Comparison Margined Madtom Cyprinella sp. Fast Generalist 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 Depth (m)
Fast Generalist Guild Comparison Margined Madtom Cyprinella sp. Fast Generalist 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 Velocity (m/s)
PHABSIM Model Output WUA (Sq. ft) 45000 40000 35000 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 Depth and Velocity criteria only Margined Madtom Cyprinella sp. 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Discharge (cfs( cfs)
PHABSIM Model Output WUA (Sq. ft) 45000 40000 35000 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 Depth and Velocity criteria only Margined Madtom Cyprinella sp. Fast Generalist Guild 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Discharge (cfs( cfs)
PHABSIM Model Output Depth, Velocity, and Channel Index WUA (Sq. ft) 20000 18000 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 Margined Madtom Cyprinella sp. 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Discharge (cfs( cfs)
PHABSIM Model Output Depth, Velocity, and Channel Index WUA (Sq. ft) 20000 18000 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 Margined Madtom Cyprinella sp. Fast Generalist Guild 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Discharge (cfs( cfs)
Summary Guild structure Fish assemblage Habitat differences Criteria development Most abundant species Species vs. Guild Response to flow very similar
Recommendations Guild or Representative Criteria Viable option Considerations Effect of common species Importance of rare species Guild structure realism
Acknowledgements NFS Crew: A. Averett,, J. Harris, C. Holbrook, J. Milam & L. Scarborough Committee: D. Orth, A. Dolloff,, & T. Newcomb USGS: D. Hayes & J. Kristolic North Fork landowners Lord Fairfax Planning District Commission Funding by Virginia General Assembly S. Reeser & J. Kauffman (VDGIF)