Importance of Floodplain Connectivity to Fish Populations in the Apalachicola River, Florida

Permanent Link:

https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UFE0022732/00001

Material Information

Title:

Importance of Floodplain Connectivity to Fish Populations in the Apalachicola River, Florida

Creator:

Burgess, Oliver

Place of Publication:

[Gainesville, Fla.]

Publisher:

University of Florida

Publication Date:

2008

Language:

english

Physical Description:

1 online resource (82 p.)

Thesis/Dissertation Information

Degree:

Master's ( M.S.)

Degree Grantor:

University of Florida

Degree Disciplines:

Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

Committee Chair:

Pine, William

Committee Members:

Walsh, Stephen J.
Frazer, Tom K.
Mossa, Joann

Graduation Date:

8/9/2008

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:

Aquatic habitats ( jstor )
Catfish ( jstor )
Fish ( jstor )
Floodplains ( jstor )
Freshwater bass ( jstor )
Human geography ( jstor )
Natural channels ( jstor )
Rivers ( jstor )
Species ( jstor )
Sunfish ( jstor )
Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic -- UF
apalachicola, connectivity, floodplain, flow, habitat, lotic, movement, regime, restoration, river, spawning, telemetry

Genre:

Electronic Thesis or Dissertation
born-digital ( sobekcm )
Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences thesis, M.S.

Notes

Abstract:

Lotic fishes are widely believed to use floodplain systems as spawning and rearing habitats. The perception that floodplain habitats are important for fish recruitment has led to river restoration projects which focus on restoring altered rivers to the natural flow patterns including the seasonal inundation of floodplain systems. Few studies have documented the home ranges of lotic fishes to assess the value of floodplains and fewer studies have linked the spatial and temporal uses of floodplain habitat with spawning events. Additionally, no studies have determined if fish populations in floodplains and floodplain tributaries are independent of populations in the mainstem river. The purpose of this study was to investigate the importance of floodplain channel-mainstem river connectivity to lotic fishes in the Apalachicola River, Florida and the associated implications to fish population management and habitat restoration plans in this system. Results of this study show that some individuals of each studied species used both mainstem and floodplain channel habitats. Additionally, the timing of movement and habitat use of each species corresponded with the collection of larvae of each respective species. Micropterus spp., Lepomis spp., and to a lesser degree Minytrema melanops were found to use historical floodplain channel habitat that was reconnected to the mainstem as a spawning site within a few weeks of completing the restoration. This result is of interest to managers working in this system because it implies that at least some species will utilize reconnected backwater habitat as a spawning ground, which was a key motivation for restoration activities. ( en )

General Note:

In the series University of Florida Digital Collections.

General Note:

Includes vita.

Bibliography:

Includes bibliographical references.

Source of Description:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page.

Source of Description:

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The University of Florida Libraries, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

Thesis:

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Florida, 2008.

Local:

Adviser: Pine, William.

Statement of Responsibility:

by Oliver Burgess.

Record Information

Source Institution:

University of Florida

Holding Location:

University of Florida

Rights Management:

Copyright Burgess, Oliver. Permission granted to the University of Florida to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.

Resource Identifier:

664553961 ( OCLC )

Classification:

LD1780 2008 ( lcc )

UFDC Membership

Aggregations:

Institutional Repository at the University of Florida (IR@UF)
University of Florida Theses & Dissertations
University of Florida
INTERNAL UF RETRO ETDS