IV. Aquatics

Abstract

The problem of invasive aquatic species has long been recognized by scientists at the Rocky Mountain Research Station. Fausch and others (2006, 2009) recently overviewed this issue. A point that often distinguishes nonnative aquatic species from nonnatives in other environments is that the presence of some species is frequently prized by managers and the public. For example, many sport fisheries in the Rocky Mountains are based on angling for nonnative brook trout, brown trout, or rainbow trout, which have been implicated in the loss of native cutthroat trout and bull trout (Dunham and others 2002; Rieman and others 2006). In some cases, "native" cutthroat trout are regularly introduced into previously fishless waters where they may displace other aquatic species, such as some native amphibians (Dunham and others 2004). The sometimes conflicting societal desires for protecting native species and providing recreational opportunities presents managers with many challenges, which are intensified by the increasing urbanization of the Rocky Mountains, growing demands for water, and altered precipitation and streamflow patterns driven by climate change. Thus, prioritizing where to conduct native species conservation—based on species habitat requirements, the ecological, evolutionary, and social value of particular populations, and habitat distribution and dynamics - represents a knowledge gap that needs to be addressed, for example with the group of decision models applied to systematic conservation planning (Peterson and others 2008).

Parent Publication

• Rocky Mountain Research Station invasive species visionary white paper

Citation

Young, Michael K.. 2011. IV. Aquatics. In: Pearson, D. E.; Kim, M.; Butler, J., eds. 2011. Rocky Mountain Research Station invasive species visionary white paper. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-265. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 30-32.