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Whole-lake addition of coarse woody habitat: response of fish populations

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Abstract

Lakeshore residential development (LRD) reduces coarse woody habitat (CWH) in lakes resulting in negative effects on fishes. We tested whether the addition of CWH could reverse those effects. We added CWH to Camp Lake, a lake with CWH abundances similar to developed lakes, following 2 years of study of the fish populations in the reference and treatment basins. Both basins were monitored for 4 years following the manipulation. Specifically, we tested for changes in the population dynamics (densities, size-structure, growth), diet, and behavior (habitat use) of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). CWH addition had no discernible effect on fish population dynamics. Diet and behavioral responses were more pronounced in the treatment basin. Prey diversity and availability increased. Piscivory increased, with decreased reliance upon terrestrial prey, for largemouth bass. Habitat use was positively correlated with CWH branching complexity and abundance. Our study suggests that negative effects observed in fish populations through CWH reductions cannot be reversed in the short-term by adding CWH. We recommend that regulations governing the LRD process be protective of CWH.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Jeff Bierman, Justin Fox, Matt Guarascio, Jon Hansen, James Jenders, Adam Kautza, Zach Lawson, Michelle Nault, Steve Reinhardt, Matt Rounds, and J.J. Weis for field assistance. We are particularly indebted to those that helped with the CWH addition; Darren Bade, Chad Harvey, Matt Helmus, Susan Knight, Tim Kratz, Norman Mercado-Silva, Brian Roth, Chris Solomon, Scott Van Egeren, and Michelle Woodford. Jeff Bode, Steve Gilbert, and Jayne Wade of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources were instrumental for acquiring the permitting to conduct this research on Camp Lake. This research was funded by a National Science Foundation Integrated Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) awarded to G.G. Sass, the North Temperate Lakes LTER, a Graduate Engineering Research Scholars (GERS) Fellowship awarded to J.W. Gaeta, and an NSF biocomplexity grant (DEB-0083545) awarded to S.R. Carpenter. Equipment was provided by the Anna Grant Birge Memorial fund to G.G. Sass. The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Center for Limnology, Trout Lake Station provided housing and support for this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Illinois River Biological Station, Illinois Natural History Survey, Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 704 North Schrader Avenue, Havana, IL, 62644, USA

    Greg G. Sass

  2. Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 680 North Park Street, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Stephen R. Carpenter, Jereme W. Gaeta & James F. Kitchell

  3. Department of Biology, University of Minnesota-Duluth, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA

    Tyler D. Ahrenstorff

Authors
  1. Greg G. Sass
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  2. Stephen R. Carpenter
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  3. Jereme W. Gaeta
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  4. James F. Kitchell
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  5. Tyler D. Ahrenstorff
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Correspondence to Greg G. Sass.

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Sass, G.G., Carpenter, S.R., Gaeta, J.W. et al. Whole-lake addition of coarse woody habitat: response of fish populations. Aquat Sci 74, 255–266 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-011-0219-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-011-0219-2

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