Brook Trout And Climate Change

By Turner Sasina

Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

StenothermDark base coloration , scattered small red

spots, with red pectoral, pelvis and anal fins, vermications

Brook Trout Native Range

HabitatPrefer clear cold water bodies that are often

associated with mountain streams

Physiological Effects of Warmer TemperatureExotherms, meaning temperature effects

many aspects of a fish’s functions.Functions including growth, respiration,

reproduction etc…

Temperature Tolerances

Physiological

Habitat LossRange from roughly 20 to 40% from climate

change alone.

Habitat Loss

Invasive SpeciesStenotherms vs. Eurytherms Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout and other

piscivorous fish speciesInvasive species are stocked for sport fishing

activitiesBrook Trout are considered invasive

Invasive Species

Current Management Some management to reclaim habitat lost

from land changes in the water shedsMeans include replanting riparian zones,

introducing Brook Trout back to viable habitats that were lost

Decrease habitat fragmentation

Management for Climate ChangeA more active approachFacilitating migration

Management

Future for Brook TroutWill more than likely require more active

approaches to preserve the species in the uncertain future of climate change

Reduce the stocking of non native speciesMore research into methods of management

in regard to climate change and surveys of watersheds.

Sources http://www.nativetroutflyfishing.com/brooktrout.htm Http://www.wildtrout.org/content/trout-facts EBTJV Roadmap to Restoration — EBTJV. Available from:

http://easternbrooktrout.org/reports/ebtjv-roadmap-to-restoration/view Ficke AD, Myrick CA, Hansen LJ. 2007. Potential impacts of global climate change on freshwater

fisheries. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 17:581–613. Rahel FJ, Bierwagen B, Taniguchi Y. 2008. Managing aquatic species of conservation concern in

the face of climate change and invasive species. Conservation Biology 22:551–561. O’Neal K. 2002. Effects of global warming on trout and salmon in US streams. Defenders of

Wildlife. Poplar-Jeffers IO, Petty JT, Anderson JT, Kite SJ, Strager MP, Fortney RH. 2009. Culvert

replacement and stream habitat restoration: implications from brook trout management in an Appalachian watershed, USA. Restoration Ecology 17:404–413.

Anon. Brook Trout - Shenandoah National Park (U.S. National Park Service). Available from: http://www.nps.gov/shen/naturescience/brook-trout.htm

Wenger SJ, Isaak DJ, Luce CH, Neville HM, Fausch KD, Dunham JB, Dauwalter DC, Young MK, Elsner MM, Rieman BE. 2011. Flow regime, temperature, and biotic interactions drive differential declines of trout species under climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108:14175–14180.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7739.html https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/hydraulics/pubs/07033/1.cfm