Effects of Natural‐Channel‐Design Restoration on Habitat Quality in Catskill Mountain Streams, New York

Ernst, Anne G.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Mulvihill, Christiane I.; Vian, Mark

doi:10.1577/t08-153.1

Cited by 15 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Similarly, Ernst et al (2010), in an assessment of restoration success in headwater streams in south eastern New York, U.S.A., showed that modelled habitat suitability indices increased in most, but not all cases. Similarly, Ernst et al (2010), in an assessment of restoration success in headwater streams in south eastern New York, U.S.A., showed that modelled habitat suitability indices increased in most, but not all cases.…”

Section: Re-building Brown Trout Populations 1971mentioning

confidence: 91%

Re‐building brown trout populations in dredged boreal forest streams: in‐stream restoration combined with stocking of young trout

Luhta

Huusko²,

Louhi

2012

Freshwater Biology

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Summary 1. Rivers in boreal forested areas were often dredged to facilitate the transport of timber resulting in channels with simplified bed structure and flow fields and reduced habitat suitability for stream organisms, especially lotic fishes. Currently, many streams are being restored to improve their physical habitat, by replacing boulders and gravel and removing constraining embankments. The most compelling justification behind stream restoration of former floatways has been the enhancement of native fish populations, specifically salmonids. 2. We examined the success of a stream management programme aimed at re‐building diminished brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations by monitoring densities of young‐of‐year and older trout in 18 managed and three reference streams during 2000–2005. Rehabilitation included in‐stream restoration combined with a 5‐year post‐restoration period of stocking young brown trout. Our space‐for‐time substitution design comprised four pre‐management, four under‐management, 10 post‐management and three reference streams. 3. Densities of young‐of‐year brown trout, indicating population establishment, were significantly higher in post‐ compared with pre‐management streams. However, density of young‐of‐year brown trout in post‐management streams was significantly lower compared with near‐pristine reference streams. Furthermore, success of managed brown trout population re‐building varied, indicating stream‐specific responses to management measures. Density of burbot (Lota lota), a native generalist predator, was associated with low recruitment of brown trout. 4. Stream‐specific responses imply that rehabilitation of brown trout populations cannot be precisely predicted thereby limiting application. Our findings support the importance of adaptive stream restoration and management, with focus on identifying factor(s) limiting the establishment of target fish populations.

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Section: Re-building Brown Trout Populations 1971mentioning

confidence: 91%

Re‐building brown trout populations in dredged boreal forest streams: in‐stream restoration combined with stocking of young trout

Luhta

Huusko²,

Louhi

2012

Freshwater Biology

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“…Extensive filamentous algae blooms were observed in this system in the new channel and downstream areas (to a lesser degree) following restoration [39] and may have influenced fish community composition and structure. In other systems, even when channel modification shows improvement of habitat variables, substantial changes in biodiversity generally do not occur [3,5,40].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short-Term Impacts of Remeandering Restoration Efforts on Fish Community Structure in a Fourth-Order Stream

Clark

Montemarano

2017

Water

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Channel reconfiguration is a common but debated method used to restore streams, often causing disturbance and producing subsequent negative impacts on biota. Here, we report results from short-term assessment (i.e., one and three years' post-restoration) of habitat variables (e.g., reach depth, substrate, and canopy cover) and fish community composition and structure (using electrofishing surveys; e.g., proportion of juveniles and tolerant fishes) from a 675 m section of Eagle Creek (Portage County, OH, USA) restored using channel remeandering in August 2013. Mesohabitat analysis was not conducted as part of this study. Sites upstream and downstream of restoration efforts were also monitored. Surveys were completed in 10 separate 50 m stretches: one upstream control site, three new channel sites, two old channel sites, and three downstream sites. Following restoration, fish communities in downstream sites became more similar to new channel sites and diverged from the upstream control site over time, as reflected in increased proportions of juvenile and tolerant fishes. Shifts in fish communities were not explained by habitat variables. Diversity was significantly lower in new channel sites post-restoration than in the upstream control, while downstream sites remained similarly high in diversity compared to the upstream control site over time. Overall, in the short-term, new channel colonizing communities were unable to recover to reflect upstream community composition and structure, and fish communities downstream of restoration were negatively impacted.

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“…NCD methods and principles have been used in streams across the United States, yet only a few studies have quantified associated changes in aquatic communities (Nagle 2007). Baldigo et al (2010) and Ernst et al (2010) documented significant increases in the abundance and biomass of trout and improvement in many fish community and habitat metrics across several Catskill Region streams following NCD restorations. However, no studies have assessed the response of benthic macroinvertebrate communities explicitly to large‐scale NCD stream restoration techniques.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The physical process of restoration using NCD often has a large impact on the stream, including temporarily de‐watering the streambed and moving large quantities of earth. Restored channels often have higher pool‐riffle ratios (NRCS 2007), and are deeper and narrower (Ernst et al 2010) than before treatment. Habitat heterogeneity and in‐stream refuges can increase considerably after restoration (Klein et al 2007; Ernst et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Restored channels often have higher pool‐riffle ratios (NRCS 2007), and are deeper and narrower (Ernst et al 2010) than before treatment. Habitat heterogeneity and in‐stream refuges can increase considerably after restoration (Klein et al 2007; Ernst et al 2010). Improvements can be short‐lived, however (Rosgen 2006; NRCS 2007), and failures due to poor designs are not uncommon (Nagle 2007; Lave 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Natural‐Channel‐Design Restorations That Changed Geomorphology Have Little Effect on Macroinvertebrate Communities in Headwater Streams

Ernst

Warren

Baldigo

2011

Restoration Ecology

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Stream restorations that increase geomorphic stability can improve habitat quality, which should benefit selected species and local aquatic ecosystems. This assumption is often used to define primary restoration goals; yet, biological responses to restoration are rarely monitored or evaluated methodically. Macroinvertebrate communities were inventoried at 6 study reaches within 5 Catskill Mountain streams between 2002 and 2006 to characterize their responses to natural-channel-design (NCD) restoration. Although bank stability increased significantly at most restored reaches, analyses of variation showed that NCD restorations had no significant effect on 15 of 16 macroinvertebrate community metrics. Multidimensional scaling ordination indicated that communities from all reach types within a stream were much more similar to each other within any given year than they were in the same reaches across years or within any type of reach across streams. These findings indicate that source populations and watershed-scale factors were more important to macroinvertebrate community characteristics than were changes in channel geomorphology associated with NCD restoration. Furthermore, the response of macroinvertebrates to restoration cannot always be used to infer the response of other stream biota to restoration. Thus, a broad perspective is needed to characterize and evaluate the full range of effects that restoration can have on stream ecosystems.

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Effects of Natural‐Channel‐Design Restoration on Habitat Quality in Catskill Mountain Streams, New York

Cited by 15 publications

References 36 publications

Re‐building brown trout populations in dredged boreal forest streams: in‐stream restoration combined with stocking of young trout

Re‐building brown trout populations in dredged boreal forest streams: in‐stream restoration combined with stocking of young trout

Short-Term Impacts of Remeandering Restoration Efforts on Fish Community Structure in a Fourth-Order Stream

Natural‐Channel‐Design Restorations That Changed Geomorphology Have Little Effect on Macroinvertebrate Communities in Headwater Streams

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