Relations of Physical Habitat to Abundance of Four Nongame Fishes in High-Plains Streams: A Test of Habitat Suitability Index Models

Abstract

Abstract We examined relations between habitat variables and biomasses of white sucker Catostomus commersoni, creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus, longnose dace Rhinichthys cataractae, and common shiner Notropis cornutus from data collected at 29 sites in the Horse Creek drainage of eastern Wyoming. Few of the habitat variables that have been used in habitat suitability index (HSI) models were correlated with the biomass of the four species. Also, composite HSI scores were not correlated with the biomass of the four species. However, abundances of these species were related to other habitat features that we measured and analyzed by correlation and multiple-regression analysis. White sucker biomass was correlated with main-channel run habitat, shade, turbidity, water temperature in August, and large woody debris. Creek chub biomass was related to the coefficient of variation (SD/mean) in current velocity and to submerged aquatic vegetation, average current velocity, and main-channel pool habitat. Longnose d...