Welcome to the interactive web schedule for the 2019 Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference! Please note, this event has passed. To return to the main Conference website, go to: www.midwestfw.org.
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CONFERENCE SCHEDULE UPDATES & CHANGES: As a result of the prolonged government shutdown, we experienced a number of cancellations and changes to the schedule. Cancellations and changes are listed here (as of January 26, 2019).
AUTHORS: Eric Miltz-Miller, Dr. Jill B.K. Leonard – Northern Michigan University
ABSTRACT: Several species of larval stream salmonids dwell in winter stream conditions from spawning through their early larval stages, yet relatively little is known about the effect of winter habitat variability on these fish. Three Northern Michigan streams were selected based on winter conditions: No ice (stable/unfrozen), dynamic/intermittent ice formation, or constant ice throughout the winter (stable/frozen). Streams had two study sites, each with two artificial redds, two incubation boxes, and two natural redds. Wild brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) were field spawned and the resulting embryos stocked into artificial redds/boxes in the stream from which the parent fish originated. Larvae were collected at swim up and evaluated for stage/morphology. Our results show that embryos transplanted to non-natal stream sites, with lower average winter temperatures than their natal streams, resulted in longer intra-gravel periods, and larvae swam up at a less developed stage than in their natal sites. These results are important since all the streams in the study are currently managed as a single population, yet considerable variability in larval characteristics was generated by small-scale winter habitat variability. Further, these results allow us to consider effects on brook trout of predicted climate changes in small streams based on winter conditions.
