Predicting distribution, production, recreational fishing demand, and conservation concern of Indigenous rainbow trout populations based on landscape characteristics

Abstract

Landscape ecology has mainly been integrated in aquatic science to describe patterns and processes in stream networks, but many lakes are connected through their tributaries and are also impacted by their position and connectivity within the watershed. This information on lake characteristics can be used by inland fisheries managers that oversee large landscapes comprising many waterbodies to predict (i) species composition; (ii) population dynamics and productivity; (iii) recreational fishing pressure; and (iv) overall conservation concern. We developed a methodology to assess these four items for the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fishery of British Columbia by presenting a case study focused on the Clearwater and North Thompson watersheds using the following: the connectivity of lakes within the stream network to predict rainbow trout presence, stream order and lake area to estimate habitat availability and predict population dynamics and productivity (supply), and travel time from population centres to predict recreational fishing pressure (demand). By incorporating connectivity and environmental proxies of habitat, we explore patterns in population dynamics that can be used by fisheries managers to identify populations sensitive to overfishing or disturbance.