Aquatic Ecosystems & Water
Aquatic Ecosystems & Water
Native fish and amphibian populations have declined drastically throughout North America over the past century as a consequence of habitat degradation and nonnative species introductions. Although management actions have improved the probability of persistence of the these taxa in some areas, recent invasions of nonnative species (e.g., lake trout, rainbow trout, New Zealand mud snails, American bullfrogs, and Northern pike) present challenges to the persistence of native species. NOROCK works closely with managers to understand the most pressing management issues and to develop research that supports their efforts.
Filter Total Items: 36
Predicting Effects of Climate Change on Native Fishes in Northern Great Plains Streams
The Northern Great Plains of North America are a region of profound global importance because organisms that live in these semi-arid prairie environments have developed a unique ability to live through conditions of extreme heat, cold, floods, and drought. Prairie streams are essential components of these ecosystems because they provide critical “green lines” of habitat for both aquatic and...
Bob Gresswell's Past Projects
Bob Gresswell's Past Projects
Estimating Future Streamflow in Eastern Montana Using the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System and the RegCM3 Regional Climate Model
Streams in the Northern Great Plains provide critical “green lines” of habitat for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. However, changes in water quantity associated with global climate change may transform some prairie streams from essential refuges to habitats no longer capable of supporting fishes. Although studies have examined climate change effects on larger river basins across the United...
Drivers of Drought in the Upper Colorado River Basin
The purpose of this project is to investigate Colorado River basin droughts, and the role of temperature in influencing runoff efficiency. The project uses paleoclimatic data to extend instrumental climate and flow records, along with projected warming to assess the range of possible conditions that may be expected to occur and to determine how warming temperatures may influence river flow and...
Developing stream temperature networks for the Greater Yellowstone to aid in managing aquatic resources under a changing climate
The topographic diversity and extensive area of protected public land within the Greater Yellowstone demonstrate the importance of this region as a natural resource reserve. Understanding the effects of anticipated changes in climate on aquatic resources and means for managing these resources will ultimately require accurate linkages between empirical data and regional climatic patterns. This...
Evaluating the linkages between regional climate patterns, local climate data, and native Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri) and non-native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) growth, survival, and life-history expressions.
Beyond large-scale climate models, it is becoming increasingly important to quantify how regional climate patterns link with in situ stream temperatures and hydrologic regimes and concomitantly, fish behavior, growth, and survival. Here, we are using comprehensive mark-recapture techniques to evaluate how changing climatic conditions are likely to influence native westslope cutthroat trout and non...
Improving our understanding of forest-road effects on substrate in headwater streams of the Southwest Crown of the Continent
In 2010, Congress established ten decade-long Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program projects to carry out fuel reduction and ecological restoration treatments on public lands across the country. The Southwest Crown of the Continent was selected as one of the locations under this initiative, given the importance of this region to the economic vitality of local communities and the...
Food web and Pyramid Lake fishery evaluation
Lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi) is an important cultural and economic resource to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and a Threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Here we are integrating the food web information with field estimates of Lahontan cutthroat vital rate and growth information to guide future management and recovery efforts within Pyramid Lake and the...
Forecasting the effects of climate change on the interactions of native and non-native salmonids
Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns under global climate change are expected to expand the range of suitable habitat for non-natives within stream networks, resulting in significant increases in the distribution and abundance of non-natives. However, our understanding of how landscape attributes can affect local thermal and hydrologic patterns suggests that changes in global climate...
Evaluating the reintroduction potential and limiting factors associated with anadromous fish reintroductions in the Upper Lewis River, WA
Hydropower facilities on the Lewis River, WA eliminated historic runs of anadromous species to the headwaters of the Lewis River. As anadromous reintroductions are considered and implemented, there remains considerable uncertainty in the viability of reintroductions in reservoir and tributary systems where large populations of non-native species persist and where spawning and rearing habitat may...
Restoring Montana Pothole Wetlands - Demonstration Sites and Adaptive Management
Geologic processes from the last ice age have generated extensive areas of pothole wetlands in several Montana landscapes. The Laurentide ice sheet, originating in the Northwest Territories, provided the dominant force in eastern Montana. Similar landscapes developed in the broad valleys of western Montana through the actions of the Cordilleran ice sheet, originating in the mountains of British...
Developing a mechanistic understanding between recent climate patterns and Aquatic Vital Signs in the Greater Yellowstone Network
The National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring program was established to provide park managers with a broad understanding of the status of park resources using the best available science. This program acknowledges that NPS managers are confronted with complex challenges associated with the management of dynamic landscapes responding to multiple, interacting drivers of change. To provide tools...