Prey succession and fish aggregation response to supplemental habitat enhancements across spatiotemporal scales

Facer, Jeremy C

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127195 Copy

Description

Title

Prey succession and fish aggregation response to supplemental habitat enhancements across spatiotemporal scales

Author(s)

Facer, Jeremy C

Issue Date

2024-11-25

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Parkos, Joseph

Department of Study

Natural Res & Env Sci

Discipline

Natural Res & Env Sciences

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• habitat
• fisheries
• reservoir

Abstract

Supplemental habitats are used to mitigate the effects of habitat loss in aging reservoirs on fisheries quality by enhancing prey availability and concentrating fish; however, remaining uncertainties include prey succession on artificial habitat materials that decompose at different rates and the influence of deployment location within large reservoirs on fish aggregation. Using experimental ponds, I compared periphyton productivity and macroinvertebrate communities between coarse woody habitat (CWH) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) structures over a 3-year period. Periphyton productivity and total macroinvertebrate biomass were greater on CWH than PVC, and macroinvertebrate community structure differed between the habitat types. These differences were consistent throughout the 3-year period, with no influence of structure type on any patterns of temporal change. In my second study, I investigated the effect of longitudinal location and associated environmental conditions on fish use of two types of supplemental habitat, PVC cubes, and rock mounds, in Lake Shelbyville, Illinois. While longitudinal location within the reservoir did not affect total fish aggregated at added habitat patches, assemblage structure did vary by location, with more Lepomis sunfish at sites closer to the dam and more freshwater drum at sites in the upper reservoir, irrespective of habitat type. These findings can guide habitat management in aging reservoirs by delineating tradeoffs in functionality from habitat material and deployment location.

Graduation Semester

2024-12

Type of Resource

Thesis

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127195

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2024 Jeremy Facer

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