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Habitat use by fishes of the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Maes, Ronnie Andrew Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 23/09/2021 19:46:53 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/291514 INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. 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Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 HABITAT USE BY FISHES OF THE SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE by Ronnie Andrew Maes A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the SCHOOL OF RENEWABLE NATURAL RESOURCES In Partial fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE WITH A MAJOR IN WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES SCIENCE In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 19 9 5 UMI Number'. 1378304 UMI Microform 1378304 Copyright 1996, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 2 STATEMENT BY THE AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his or her judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED K- VA, APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: S O. Eugene Maughan, Thesis Dir&ctor Date Professor of Wildlife and Fisheries Science , ii.y William J. Matter Date Associate Professor of Wildlife and Fisheries Science C - Carole Mclvor Date Associate Professor of Wildlife and Fisheries Science 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was made possible by the help of many people. Funding was provided by the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge, USFWS, Douglas Arizona. I would like to thank Kevin Cobble, refuge manager, for his cooperation and information on the refuge. Special thanks go to Dr. O. Eugene Maughan for his guidance and support throughout this project and allowing me the opportunity to pursue this Master's degree. I would also like to thank Dr. William Matter and Dr. Carole Mclvor for their helpful comments and suggestions while serving on my committee. The time 1 spent at the University of Arizona was an enjoyable and memorable one. I owe the good memories to Cliff Schleusner, Rob Dudley, Cynthia Martinez, Leslie Ruiz, Trisha Roller, and Craig Springer. Many people assisted in the field: Cliff Schleusner, Armando Ortiz, Leslie Ruiz, David Kitcheyan, Trisha Roller, Rob Dudley, and my wife Janalyn. Without your help the work would have been impossible and unbearable. I want to thank Sarah Fritz, Mary Soltero, Marge O'Connell, and Carole Wakely for their help with the administrative hurdles and Hatsumi for the many cups of hot coffee. Lastly, I would like to thank my wife for her support, help in the field, patience, and especially her forbearance during stressful times, and my parents for their love and support during my lengthy college career. DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my loving sister, Michelle Annette Maes. I only wish that you had been here to see me through the completion of this endeavor. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES 7 LIST OF FIGURES 8 ABSTRACT 10 INTRODUCTION 11 Species Present 14 Objectives 19 Study Area 22 METHODS 24 Habitat Use 24 Habitat Availability 29 Operational Definitions 30 Data Analysis 31 RESULTS 34 Habitat Use .. ., 34 Topminnow 37 Beautiful Shiner 46 Yaqui Chub 51 DISCUSSION 64 Biotic Interactions 74 Applications 76 APPENDIX A 80 TABLE OF CONTEmS-Continued LIST OF REFERENCES 7 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Fishes of the San Bernardino Valley in southeastern Arizona 15 Table 2. Description of sites studied on the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge 24 Table 3. Modified Wentworth particle size scale 27 Table 4. Cover types used to define cover used by fish 28 Table 5. Size categories of schools 33 Table 6. Sample sizes of species by lifestage in three ponds on the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona 35 8 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Main portion of the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge, southeastern Arizona 12 Figure 2. Leslie Creek Canyon in the southern extension of the Swisshelm Mtns., San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge, southeastern Arizona 26 Figure 3. Distribution of available substrates for North Pond versus Oasis Pond, SBNWR, Arizona 36 Figure 4. Distribution of relative depths used by Yaqui topminnows in Tule Pond 41 Figure 5. Substrates used versus available to topminnows in Tule, North and Oasis Ponds 42 Figure 6. Cover types used by topminnows in Tule, North, and Oasis Ponds 43 Figure 7. Relative depths used by Yaqui topminnows in Oasis and North Ponds. ... 44 Figure 8. Depths used by topminnows in North and Oasis Ponds 45 Figure 9. Relative depths used by beautiful shiners in Oasis Pond 47 Figure 10. Depths used by beautiful shiners in Oasis Pond 48 Figure 11. Substrates used by beautiful shiners in Oasis Pond 49 Figure 12. Cover types used by beautiful shiners in Oasis Pond 50 Figure 13. Relative depths used by young-of-year chubs (YOY) at all sites 54 Figure 14. Relative depths used by Yaqui chubs (excluding YOY) at all sites 55 Figure 15. Depths used by Yaqui chubs at all sites 56 Figure 16. Substrates used by Yaqui chubs in North and Oasis Ponds 57 9 LIST OF FIGURES-Conrtwwerf Figure 17. Substrates used by Yaqui chubs in Leslie Creek 58 Figure 18. Cover types used by different life stages of Yaqui chubs in North Pond 59 Figure 19. Cover types used by Yaqui chubs in Oasis Pond 60 Figure 20. Cover types used by different life stages of Yaqui chubs in Leslie Creek 61 Figure 21. Mean water column velocity for Yaqui chub observations in Leslie Creek 62 Figure 22. Nose velocity for Yaqui chubs in Leslie Creek 63 Figure 23. Distribution of Yaqui topminnow, beautiful shiner, and Yaqui chub in a cross section of a pool 73 10 ABSTRACT I quantified microhabitat conditions used by Yaqui chub (Gila purpurea). Yaqui topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis sonoriensis). and beautiful shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) on the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona. Different species and different lifestages used different microhabitats. Smaller fish selected shallower water than adults. Yaqui topminnow and Yaqui chub showed seasonal variation in microhabitats used. Yaqui topminnows were found closer to cover when in the presence of beautiful shiners. Close proximity to cover may indicate a negative interaction. Yaqui chubs did not use microhabitats differently when in the presence of the other two species. Microhabitats used by Yaqui chubs in the ponds and Leslie Creek did not differ. Yaqui chub preferred pools with little or no flow. Management of aquatic environments on the refuge should focus on vegetative thinning. Stocking of beautiful shiner with Yaqui topminnow should be postponed until further research is conducted on the interactions between the two species. 11 INTRODUCTION San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge (SBNWR) is located in the San Bernardino Valley of southeastern Arizona. The San Bernardino Valley is a part of the Rio Yaqui Basin of Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico (Figure 1.) It contains a unique assemblage of desert aquatic habitats which, in the past, has been home to nearly one quarter of the native fish fauna of Arizona (Williams 1991). The refuge consists of two parts. The main portion is located along the Mexican border 25 km east of Douglas, Arizona. It contains the intermittent stream, Black Draw, artesian ponds, cienegas, and natural springs. A smaller, more recently acquired portion is in the southern extension of the Swisshelm Mountains, 25 km north of Douglas, and includes the perennial section of Leslie Creek.