Integrating spatial data for predicting the influence of altered hydrologic and thermal conditions on fish and macroinvertebrate assemblage traits and taxa across stream

Stream hydrology and temperature are among the most influential regulators of life-history traits and community structure of aquatic organisms. Hydrologic and thermal gradients strongly affect individual fitness and ultimately species success by imposing fundamental constraints on behavior, metabolic rates, reproduction, growth and ecological interactions. Stream hydrology and water temperature are also among the most frequently altered components of lotic systems due to human activities and other environmental disturbance. Despite their critical role in sustaining native aquatic biodiversity, few studies have examined the cross-scale influence of hydrology and water temperature on freshwater biota using a multi-species...

Categories: Project; Tags: Evaluation of aquatic resources, FWSR4, SSPQR

Snail Kite and Apple Snail Habitat Suitability Modeling to Support Multi-Species Management for Threatened and Endangered Species in the Florida Everglades

This project directly addresses a recovery action in FWS’s recovery plan for the snail kite (Multi-species Recovery Plan for South Florida - Everglade Snail Kite, 1999), which recommends the development of modeling that can predict the response of snail kites to changes in hydropattern anticipated for specific water management proposals (recovery action H3.1). The proposed real-time models would be a significant first step in completing this recovery action, which specifies modeling that would include “...linkage to apple snail distribution and abundance, vegetation characteristics in the landscape influencing the snail kite’s successful foraging, and linkage of all these factors to hydrology.” In addition, this...

Categories: Project; Tags: Conservation planning/decision tools, FWSR4, SSPQR