What comes down must go up: assessing the validity of stream connectivity techniques with the use of in situ fish movement and stream community metrics

• Main Author: Mahlum, Shad
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 2014
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/6345/; https://research.library.mun.ca/6345/1/Mahlum_Shad_Kenneth_112013_MSc.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/6345/3/Mahlum_Shad_Kenneth_112013_MSc.pdf

Stream fragmentation is considered an important factor in the persistence of many aquatic species. My research is focused on validating local and riverscape metrics of connectivity to help assist in evaluating their efficacy. I used in situ brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) movements in Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland, to determine the accuracy of local scale fish passability metrics and I used community assemblages in southern Ontario to evaluate a structural index used to measure the connectedness of a system. I found that local scales of passability were conservative in predicting brook trout passage and failed to consistently predict fish movement. Furthermore, I found that riverscape scale structural indices have power in explaining both community structure, species presence/absence and abundance. The results from my research will provide researchers future areas of study along with confidence in structural indices for the evaluation of watershed level connectivity metrics.