Fish Populations, Following a Drought, in the Neosho and Marais des Cygnes Rivers of KansasDeacon, James E.
Science
Fish Populations, Following a Drought, in the Neosho and Marais des Cygnes Rivers of Kansas
Deacon, James E.
Fish populations; Freshwater fishes -- Kansas -- Population dynamics -- Stocks
A comparison of the order of abundance between the estimated total
population and the percentage composition in the first collection from
each area shows significant correlations. The percentage-composition of
the fish fauna at Area 1 was calculated as follows: stoneroller (27.7%),
red shiner (18.2%), green sunfish (11.2%), stonecat (10.3%), channel
catfish (young-of-the-year) (9.5%), channel catfish (yearlings and
older) (5.8%), long-eared sunfish (5.4%), golden redhorse (0.8%). It can
be seen that the stoneroller, green sunfish, long-eared sunfish and
golden redhorse follow each other in the same order in both
calculations. The stonecat is shown to be more common than channel
catfish (young-of-the-year) in both calculations, but both species
appear to be more abundant than green sunfish and red shiner in
calculations of the total population and less abundant in the
percentage-composition in the first collection. I think that the order
of abundance as shown by percentage-composition is the more accurate
figure for Area 1. The abundance of the red shiner is known to have been
affected by mortality in collecting. Furthermore, as will be shown
later, the species is so mobile that its abundance often changes
markedly in a short time. Therefore, it is not surprising to find the
red shiner in widely varying positions of relative and absolute
abundance. However, the green sunfish maintains stable populations and
should remain in about the same position of abundance in relation to
other species (such as the stonecat and channel catfish
young-of-the-year) that also maintain stable populations. The
differences in order of abundance obtained by the two methods for green
sunfish and channel catfish young-of-the-year are not great. However, in
the estimation of total population the abundance of the stonecat seems
significantly greater, in relation to other species, than in the
calculation of percentage-composition. I believe that this difference
can be attributed to the relatively low number of marked fish
recaptured, which is probably due to a slow rate of dispersal from the
point of release. Stonecats were released in relatively quiet water, and
if they remained there they might be missed in subsequent collections,
because they lack air-bladders and tend to remain on the bottom when
shocked. Therefore, the calculated total population of the stonecat in
Area 1 may be too high.
TABLE 15. DATA USED IN ESTIMATING TOTAL POPULATIONS, BY DIRECT
PROPORTIONS, IN AREAS 1, 3, AND 6 AT THE UPPER NEOSHO STATIONS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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