SCOTT CHAPPELL, Oklahoma
Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, 404 Life Sciences West, Oklahoma State
University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
GIS technology can be an effective tool in the
inventory of aquatic habitats and associated biota. Matching the scale of habitat
resolution with certain fish assemblage attributes so that precise relationships are
developed has been problematic. This study will examine the degree to which mesohabitats
in lakes influence fish assemblages over time and space. It will also explore how to link
fisheries inventory information with regional GIS databases and current habitat
classification systems. The research is being conducted on the Tishomingo National
Wildlife Refuge in southcentral Oklahoma in a 5,443-hectare floodplain lake. Stratified
random sampling will be performed over the two year study period using multiple sampling
gears. Relationships between aquatic habitat types and fish assemblage attributes will be
tested using different representations of the fish assemblage (morphological,
reproductive, trophic guilds, etc.) with the objective of maximizing statistical
precision. Early stages of the project have revealed some consistent differences in some
species abundances between strata. The sampling design I have used could be used in
similar systems, given standardized criteria for delineating mesohabitats (between macro-
and microhabitat) in lakes, to identify critical habitat for certain species, size groups,
or guilds. |
