Friday, September 12, 2008
Landscape Features Influence Diversity in Oregon Cutthroat Trout
Researchers have long recognized the importance of disturbances for creating and maintaining the complex stream habitat necessary for conservation of species, but such disturbances can also cause mortality of native trout. Little is known about how the shape and size of stream networks and the ability of fish to move within them influence recolonization and redistribution following disturbance. USGS fish biologist Robert Gresswell and co-authors from Oregon State University examined genetic variability of isolated populations of coastal cutthroat trout in western Oregon to determine how they were affected by large-scale disturbances. Genetic diversity was greater in Coast Range populations than those in the Cascade Range, and the differences coincided with watershed complexity and the ability of trout to move among habitats. Overall, the findings suggest that interaction between the physical landscape and disturbance plays a major role in structuring genetic patterns in these isolated coastal cutthroat trout populations.
Guy, T., Gresswell, R.E., Banks, M.A., 2008, Landscape-scale evaluation of genetic structure among barrier-isolated populations of coastal cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, v. 65, p. 1749-1762. [FullText] Catalog No: 1702
Contact:
Martin
Fitzpatrick,
FRESC,
541-750-1032,
Martin_Fitzpatrick@usgs.gov
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