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Tyler Johnson Thesis Final.pdf (1.57 MB)

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Distribution and population characteristics of the Popeye Shiner (Notropis ariommus) and community composition of co-occurring fishes in Scioto Brush Creek

Johnson, Tyler David
http://orcid.org/0009-0006-7830-1745
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1732581520773665

Abstract Details

2024, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Environmental Science.
Rapid human development over the last several centuries has resulted in harm to many ecosystems, and aquatic ecosystems are especially at risk. Human activities near and in streams and rivers has greatly affected aquatic organisms, including in the state of Ohio. One such organism is the Popeye Shiner (Notropis ariommus), a North American minnow that has experienced widespread declines as well as extirpations from many streams; in Ohio, the species is present only in Scioto Brush Creek. The two overarching goals of this study were to 1) examine the status of the state endangered Popeye Shiner (Notropis ariommus) in Scioto Brush Creek by determining its present abundance and distribution, as well as compare these results to past surveys conducted in 1985 and 2006, and to 2) characterize the broader fish community in Scioto Brush Creek, again comparing past and present results. To achieve these goals, study sites in Scioto Brush Creek were selected based on previous sampling locations, where the method used in the past (1985 – seine, 2006 – boat electrofishing) was replicated. The most significant driver of N. ariommus distribution was river mile; catch per unit effort (CPUE) was negatively correlated with river mile, although only for seine sites. Body size was also related to river mile, with mean body size increasing significantly as distance upstream increased. Riparian land use (agriculture, canopy cover), in-stream habitat (Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Score), and fish community metrics (percent insectivores, percent tolerant) were also examined, but were not significantly correlated with N. ariommus CPUE. Comparisons between past and present surveys revealed that N. ariommus relative abundance had not changed significantly between years, indicating that the population has been relatively stable. Altogether, results suggest that lower reaches of Scioto Brush Creek are important habitat for juveniles, while upper reaches may be where spawning occurs. Such information will be important when developing conservation strategies for N. ariommus and may also be relevant for ecologically similar species. In addition to driving the distribution of N. ariommus, river mile was also an important variable for other species – the composition of the full fish community at sites varied with longitudinal distance along Scioto Brush Creek, while riparian land use did not predict community variation. Comparisons to past samples revealed that a number of species changed in distribution or abundance between years, and some species were newly detected in present samples suggesting recent recovery and increases in abundance. Communities also experienced shifts between years in the proportion of functional traits (diet, pollution tolerance), although these shifts varied by sampling method. These comparisons identified several major changes in Scioto Brush Creek since previous surveys, possibly reflecting improved water and habitat quality. Taken together, the results of both goals of this study indicate that the fish community, including the state endangered N. ariommus, of Scioto Brush Creek has not experienced major biodiversity declines, but that action should be taken to conserve the creek’s high-quality habitat and to ensure that longitudinal connectivity along the creek, which appears to be important for many species, is maintained.
Lauren Pintor (Advisor)
Audrey Sawyer (Committee Member)
Stephen Matthews (Committee Member)
80 p.
Aquatic Sciences; Biology; Ecology; Environmental Science; Wildlife Conservation
fish; freshwater; stream; river; minnow; Notropis; ecology; conservation; endangered species; water; ecological community; community; biology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Johnson, T. D. (2024). Distribution and population characteristics of the Popeye Shiner (Notropis ariommus) and community composition of co-occurring fishes in Scioto Brush Creek [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1732581520773665

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Johnson, Tyler. Distribution and population characteristics of the Popeye Shiner (Notropis ariommus) and community composition of co-occurring fishes in Scioto Brush Creek. 2024. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1732581520773665.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Johnson, Tyler. "Distribution and population characteristics of the Popeye Shiner (Notropis ariommus) and community composition of co-occurring fishes in Scioto Brush Creek." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1732581520773665

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1732581520773665
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© 2024, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.