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Summer stream temperature metrics for predicting brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) distribution in streams

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Abstract

We developed a methodology to predict brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) distribution using summer temperature metrics as predictor variables. Our analysis used long-term fish and hourly water temperature data from the Dog River, Vermont (USA). Commonly used metrics (e.g., mean, maximum, maximum 7-day maximum) tend to smooth the data so information on temperature variation is lost. Therefore, we developed a new set of metrics (called event metrics) to capture temperature variation by describing the frequency, area, duration, and magnitude of events that exceeded a user-defined temperature threshold. We used 16, 18, 20, and 22°C. We built linear discriminant models and tested and compared the event metrics against the commonly used metrics. Correct classification of the observations was 66% with event metrics and 87% with commonly used metrics. However, combined event and commonly used metrics correctly classified 92%. Of the four individual temperature thresholds, it was difficult to assess which threshold had the “best” accuracy. The 16°C threshold had slightly fewer misclassifications; however, the 20°C threshold had the fewest extreme misclassifications. Our method leveraged the volumes of existing long-term data and provided a simple, systematic, and adaptable framework for monitoring changes in fish distribution, specifically in the case of irregular, extreme temperature events.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Rod Wentworth for his work on developing and supporting this project and all the VTFW biologists who contributed fish and temperature data, especially Rich Kirn. Ted Ortiz y Pino, Karen Sentoff, Jo Krupa, and Richard Balouskus provided valuable assistance in the field and with data preparation. Al Zale and Martha Mather provided reviews of an earlier version and we appreciate the anonymous reviews that greatly improved this manuscript. Use of brand names does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. federal government. This study was funded by Vermont Fish and Wildlife from the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) program. The Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is jointly supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, University of Vermont, and the Wildlife Management Institute.

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  1. Ryan S. Butryn

    Present address: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Gainesville, FL, 32601, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA

    Ryan S. Butryn

  2. U. S. Geological Survey, Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA

    Donna L. Parrish

  3. College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA

    Donna M. Rizzo

Authors
  1. Ryan S. Butryn
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  2. Donna L. Parrish
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  3. Donna M. Rizzo
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Correspondence to Donna L. Parrish.

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Handling editor: M. Power

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Butryn, R.S., Parrish, D.L. & Rizzo, D.M. Summer stream temperature metrics for predicting brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) distribution in streams. Hydrobiologia 703, 47–57 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-012-1336-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-012-1336-1

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