SFS Annual Meeting

5/24/2018  |   09:00 - 09:15   |  330 A

LANDSCAPE GENETICS REVEALS DIFFERING EFFECTS OF URBANIZATION FOR TWO SYMPATRIC POOL-BREEDING AMPHIBIAN SPECIES Landscape changes associated with urbanization can have detrimental effects on wetland species. For instance, vernal pool amphibians, who undergo seasonal migrations and occasional dispersal among ephemeral wetlands are expected to experience harmful effects of urbanization when individual movements are inhibited. We paired information on landscape characteristics with microsatellite genetic data from two vernal pool amphibian species to investigate how various natural and anthropogenic landscape features affect connectivity among populations. Egg or larval wood frogs (n = 2439 from 87 sites) and spotted salamanders (n = 2413 from 90 sites) were collected from vernal pools throughout central and southern Maine. We identified differences in broadscale patterns of genetic diversity and structure between the two species. For both species, a population’s degree of isolation was positively correlated with amounts of nearby urbanization and genetic diversity was found to be lower for sites experiencing high degrees of isolation. Resistance surface modeling indicated both natural and anthropogenic landscape features were found to reduce inter-population connectivity although the effects varied between the species. These results will help to inform vernal pool amphibian conservation as human populations continue to grow and concentrate in urban areas.

Cynthia Loftin (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S. Geological Survey, Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, cynthia.loftin@maine.edu;


Michael Kinnison (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Maine, mkinnison@maine.edu;


Jared Homola (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Maine, jared.homola@maine.edu;


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5/24/2018  |   09:15 - 09:30   |  330 A

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION OF RIVERINE DRAGONFLY (ODONATA) EMERGENCE FROM WISCONSIN RIVERS Testing linkages between the occurrence of dragonflies to terrestrial and aquatic variables at multiple scales can improve the efficacy of their use as bioindicators and protect threatened species. Dragonflies have long periods of larval development to integrate environmental conditions, conspicuous synchronous emergence events, and sensitivity to environmental perturbation. Furthermore, several dragonfly species are considered rare or protected in parts of their range necessitating an analysis of habitat suitability. Therefore, we examine patterns in emergence in response to environmental variables at multiple spatial and temporal scales to provide critical information about river ecosystem integrity. Using non-lethal exuviae sampling, dragonfly assemblages were assessed during peak emergence in May-June from two rivers in 2015 and an additional seven rivers in 2016-2017.We obtained over 2,000 exuviae each season including specimens from WI state endangered species. We assessed riparian and hydrologic environmental variables at the scale of individuals, sites, and watersheds. We observed significant differences among sites at the watershed scale (x2=102.33, p <0.05). This study will help to identify the environmental features that need to be maintained to protect endangered species of dragonflies and their habitat as well as improve riverine biotic integrity assessments.

Danielle Tesar (Primary Presenter/Author), University of South Dakota, tesar.danielle@gmail.com;


Jessica Orlofske (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Wisconsin - Parkside, orlofske@uwp.edu;


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5/24/2018  |   09:30 - 09:45   |  330 A

ISOLATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURAL LANDUSE AT CATCHMENT AND RIPARIAN CORRIDOR SCALES REVEALS THRESHOLDS TO SUPPORT WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ACTIONS Riparian forests play a key role in mitigating effects of human land use, such as agriculture, on stream communities. However, watershed managers lack information regarding the extent of riparian forest cover required to conserve and restore ecological communities in populated landscapes. Our study used a unique design to isolate the independent effects of agricultural land use at the catchment and riparian corridor scales and identify land cover thresholds for stream benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) communities. BMIs collected from 68 streams were assigned to one or more of three treatments where communities were exposed to a gradient of agricultural cover at one scale and a controlled amount of agricultural cover at the second. Analyses showed BMI community response was dependent upon treatment. Likewise, threshold analysis of 13 BMI metrics describing community richness, composition and function revealed that: 1) an intact riparian corridor can protect stream communities when agricultural cover in the catchment is upwards of 85%; and 2) moderate amounts of riparian forest (60% cover) can protect BMI communities. We concluded that ecological benefits of riparian corridor and protection and restoration are likely to exceed those from conservation activities in upland areas.

Adam G. Yates (Primary Presenter/Author), Western University & Canadian Rivers Institute, adam.yates@uwo.ca;


Jeremy P. Grimstead (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Western University and Canadian Rivers Institute, jgrimste@uwo.ca;


Edward M. Krynak (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Western University and Canadian Rivers Institute, ekrynak@uwo.ca;


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5/24/2018  |   09:45 - 10:00   |  330 A

COMPARING AGRICULTURAL AND URBAN LAND USE IMPACTS ON THE COMPONENTS OF ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS Both agricultural and urban land use have long been linked to nutrient enrichment, habitat degradation, hydrologic alteration, and loss of biotic integrity in U.S. streams. Less understood, but critical to on-the-ground land planning efforts, are questions about the relative impact of differing human land uses and the role of their spatial proximity to channel systems. In this study we explored USGS datasets from across the U.S. using structural equation modeling to investigate the relative effects of urban and agricultural land use on different aspects of stream ecological integrity. In a national scale model agriculture had twice the negative effect on physical habitat as did urban land use while both had similar magnitude effects on water quality. However, urban land use had a significantly stronger direct effect on the biological community. The relative and absolute effects of both types of land use varied by ecoregion; e.g. urban land use had stronger effects on water quality in the Eastern Temperate Forest and Western Mountain regions than in Great Plains. Across these models, riparian land use effects were almost always stronger and more statistically significant the basin-wide land use effects.

Catherine Riseng (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Michigan, criseng@umich.edu;


Mike Wiley (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Michigan, mjwiley@umich.edu;


Ian Waite (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S. Geological Survey, Portland, OR, iwaite@usgs.gov;


Mark Munn (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S. Geological Survey, Tacoma, WA, mdmunn@usgs.gov;


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5/24/2018  |   10:00 - 10:15   |  330 A

IMPROVING CONSERVATION OF FRESHWATER ORGANISMS: USING MULTIPLE SPECIES DISTRIBUTION MODELS TO ENHANCE DECISION-MAKING THROUGH LARGE REGIONS Approaches to conserve freshwater organisms from current and future threats increasingly rely on information from across large regions to inform decisions on where to implement actions and which strategies may be most effective. Our project develops species distribution models for approximately 100 fluvial fishes from across the conterminous US including Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Models were developed from fish presence/absence records from more than 40,000 locations along with 23 natural and anthropogenic landscape variables summarized in stream catchments and buffers for all US stream reaches. Modeling was conducted using boosted regression trees, and performance was judged using AUC from both training and 5-fold cross validation sets. Models were developed throughout species’ native ranges in the US to most effectively characterize suitable habitats. Results show differential sensitivities of fishes to current anthropogenic stressors and strong associations between some fishes and climatic factors, suggesting their sensitivity to potential climate changes. Further, we map predicted distributions of multiple species with information on conservation status of landscapes, prominent disturbances within regions, and projected climate data to show the utility of multiple model results for conservation decision-making.

Arthur Cooper (Primary Presenter/Author), Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, coopera6@msu.edu;


Dana Infante (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, infanted@msu.edu;


Pam Fuller (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), United States Geological Survey, pfuller@usgs.gov;


Matthew Neilson (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Cherokee Nation Technology Solutions, mneilson@usgs.gov;


Wesley Daniel (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Cherokee Nation Technology Solutions, wdaniel@usgs.gov;


Alexa McKerrow (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), United States Geolgoical Survey, amckerrow@usgs.gov;


Daniel Wieferich (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), United States Geological Survey, dwieferich@usgs.gov;


Yin-Phan Tsang (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawaii, Manoa, tsangy@hawaii.edu;


Kyle Herreman (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, herrema5@msu.edu;


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5/24/2018  |   10:15 - 10:30   |  330 A

Dark matters: Consequences of color on riverine metabolism Light availability is a fundamental driver of gross primary production (GPP) in streams and rivers. The amount of light that reaches the benthos is often uncorrelated to open sky irradiance due to attenuation by the surrounding canopy and discharge-related changes in water clarity. Hence, benthic light availability can vary substantially in space and time; yet few lotic metabolism studies have collected light data. We focus here on how well changes in water color can predict variation in GPP. We developed a rating curve to relate light extinction through the water column to fDOM measurements. By instrumenting rivers with both DO and fDOM sensors, we were able to estimate both GPP and benthic light at a high frequency. We found that the inclusion of benthic light greatly improved predictions of GPP as opposed to incoming or even stream surface light. The metric of benthic light allowed us to plot our blackwater systems on the same 4% photosynthetic efficiency line as our clear, spring-fed systems. Most notably, high color in blackwater streams and rivers drives GPP to zero, consequently allowing other processes to manifest in the DO signal.

Matthew Cohen (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Florida, mjc@ufl.edu;


Robert Hensley (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) operated by Battelle, hensley@battelleecology.org;


Philip Savoy (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Duke University, prs15@duke.edu;


Lily Kirk (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Florida, lily33@ufl.edu;


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