Application of GIS modelling to quantify fish habitats in lakes |
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| Authors: | John Douglas Taylor Hunt Nigel Abery Micheal Allen |
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| Institution: | Fisheries Research Branch, Fisheries Victoria, Alexandra;, Fisheries Resource Planning, Fisheries Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia;, and Program for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, The University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA |
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| Abstract: | Quantitative measures of fish habitat in lakes and impoundments have seldom been proposed. The availability of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), however, now provides a means for researchers to assess fish habitat on a whole-lake scale. GIS modelling was used in this study to quantify the impacts of stratification on the amount and distribution of brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) habitat in a large reservoir in Victoria, Australia. Species-specific temperature and dissolved oxygen tolerance ranges for brown trout were applied to the hydrological profile and lake bathymetry. The model predicted that brown trout habitat was reduced by 82% in the summer, and the model was validated with position data from acoustically tagged adult brown trout. This study demonstrated that a quantifiable assessment of fish habitat on a whole-lake spatial scale can be made. It also could be applied to a range of fish species, with applications in ecosystem monitoring and fisheries management. |
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| Keywords: | bathymetry habitat squeeze reservoir Salmo trutta stratification trout |
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