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Spatial Dynamics of Arctic Grayling in the Gibbon River System Of POPULATION VIABILITY OF ARCTIC GRAYLING (THYMALLUS ARCTICUS) IN THE GIBBON RIVER, YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK by Amber Christine Steed A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Fish and Wildlife Management MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY Bozeman, Montana August 2007 © COPYRIGHT by Amber Christine Steed 2007 All Rights Reserved ii APPROVAL of a thesis submitted by Amber Christine Steed This thesis has been read by each member of the thesis committee and has been found to be satisfactory regarding content, English usage, format, citations, bibliographic style, and consistency, and is ready for submission to the Division of Graduate Education. Dr. Alexander V. Zale Approved for the Department of Ecology Dr. David W. Roberts Approved for the Division of Graduate Education Dr. Carl A. Fox iii STATEMENT OF PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master’s degree at Montana State University, I agree that the Library shall make it available to borrowers under rules of the Library. If I have indicated my intention to copyright this thesis by including a copyright notice page, copying is allowable only for scholarly purposes, consistent with “fair use” as prescribed in the U.S. Copyright Law. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this thesis in whole or in parts may be granted only by the copyright holder. Amber Christine Steed August 2007 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many individuals deserve thanks for contributing to the success of this project from its incipience to its completion. Al Zale provided invaluable guidance and support throughout its duration. Thank you to my committee members Todd Koel and Steven Kalinowski for their direction and assistance. I am indebted to Ninh Vu, John Borkowski, Steve Cherry, and Michael Meeuwig for their guidance. Thanks to Yellowstone National Park (YNP) for funding support. Deepest thanks to Colleen Blaine and Bonnie Griffis for contributing with selfless and patient dedication for little more than the experience. I am grateful for Dan Mahony’s continual support, advice, and loyal commitment throughout the years I have known him. Chris Romankiewicz, Nicole Legere, Michelle Hall, the YNP Fisheries volunteers and Student Conservation Association interns, Tim Bywater, William Voigt, and the Yellowstone Park Foundation’s Fly-Fishing Volunteer Program made invaluable contributions to the project. Additional thanks to Christie Hendrix, Wes Miles, and Dennis Young. I especially thank my fellow graduate students for their empathy, support, advice, and assistance in countless ways large and small. I have gained immeasurable benefit by them both personally and professionally. And of course, I thank my parents and family for their unwavering and unquestioning support and love. v TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1 Research Need ................................................................................................. 3 2. STUDY AREA................................................................................................... 6 3. METHODS........................................................................................................ 8 Arctic Grayling Abundances in the Gibbon River, YNP..................................... 8 The Source of Arctic Grayling Detected in the Gibbon River, YNP................. 28 Spawning Success of Arctic grayling in the Gibbon River, YNP ..................... 34 4. RESULTS....................................................................................................... 40 Arctic Grayling Abundances in the Gibbon River, YNP................................... 40 The Source of Arctic Grayling Detected in the Gibbon River, YNP ................. 47 Spawning Success of Arctic grayling in the Gibbon River, YNP ..................... 51 5. DISCUSSION ................................................................................................. 54 Arctic Grayling Abundances in the Gibbon River, YNP................................... 54 The Source of Arctic Grayling Detected in the Gibbon River, YNP ................. 61 Spawning Success of Arctic grayling in the Gibbon River, YNP ..................... 66 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 66 LITERATURE CITED ......................................................................................... 68 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Proportional allocation of sample reaches within strata along the Gibbon River, YNP, 2005.............................................................................. 11 2. Standard errors (s) associated with electrofishing and snorkeling counts of Arctic grayling, by habitat type, within each stratum along the Gibbon River, YNP, 2005. Substrata correspond to habitat-type reaches within strata.................................................................. 12 3. Calculated number of reaches (nh) to sample per substratum (h) out of all possible reaches (Nh) by electrofishing and snorkeling in the Gibbon River, YNP, 2006. Estimates are based on standard errors (sh) derived from data collected during 2005 and a 20-reach minimum sampling effort. Averaged number of reaches ( n ) to sample using both techniques are also shown ..................... 14 4. Mean electrofishing efficiency estimates ( qˆ ) calculated by habitat type using pooled salmonid mark and recapture data from the Gibbon River, YNP, 2005 and 2006................................................ 17 5. Mean electrofishing efficiency estimates ( qˆ ) incorporating the Chapman modification and calculated by habitat type using pooled salmonid mark and recapture data from the Gibbon River, YNP, 2005 and 2006........................................................................... 18 6. Snorkeling efficiency estimates ( Rˆ ), calculated by substratum, using snorkeling and electrofishing data collected from 7/24/06 through 8/5/06 on salmonids detected in the Gibbon River, YNP ................. 24 7. Number of Arctic grayling scale samples obtained from the Gibbon River system, YNP, during 2005 and 2006 with associated average, minimum, and maximum coefficient of variation (CV) values and standard errors (s) associated with age determinations........................................................................................ 33 vii LIST OF TABLES – CONTINUED Table Page 8. Estimated abundances (τˆ ) with associated standard errors (s) of Arctic grayling in the Gibbon River, YNP, in each stratum in each sample period, 2005. Estimates incorporating the Chapman modification are shown in italics. Estimates were not made for stratum 3 because only one reach there was adequately sampled in 2005 ......................................................................... 41 9. Estimated abundances (τˆ ) with associated standard errors (s) of Arctic grayling in the Gibbon River, YNP, in each stratum in each sample period, 2006. Estimates incorporating the Chapman modification are shown in italics. .................................................. 42 10. Genetic variability at 12 microsatellite loci in Arctic grayling caught in the Gibbon River system, YNP ...................................................... 48 11. Sample sizes (n) and p-values from Welch’s two-sample t-tests (α = 0.05) comparing mean lengths-at-age (mm) of Arctic grayling sampled in the Gibbon River system, YNP. Age-5 and age-6 fish from Grebe and Wolf lakes were not included in analyses because none were sampled from the Gibbon River ..................... 50 12. Estimated number of salmonid fry present (based on the AUC method) in the Gibbon River, YNP, 2005 and 2006 ...................................... 52 13. Fry caught per 24 hours during each trapping period at site 12 in the Gibbon River, YNP, 2005. Arctic grayling caught were adfluvial fish originating in Grebe or Wolf lakes............................................. 52 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Randomly-selected sample reaches and strata along the Gibbon River, YNP, 2005.............................................................................. 10 2. Randomly-selected sample reaches and strata along the Gibbon River, YNP, 2005.............................................................................. 15 3. Electrofishing abundance estimates and snorkeling counts for all salmonids caught in habitat-type-1 (H1) and habitat-type-2 (H2) reaches sampled in the Gibbon River, YNP, respectively, in 2005 and 2006 .............................................................................................. 22 4. Weir location on the Gibbon River, YNP, 2006 ............................................. 27 5. Fry trap at site 8 in stratum 2 in the Gibbon River, YNP, where it was periodically deployed during 2005 and 2006.......................................... 35 6. Stationary fry trap distribution along the Gibbon River system, YNP, during 2005 and 2006. Sites 1-12 (excluding 3B and 5B) were deployed during 2005 whereas sites 2, 3B, 4, 5B, 6, 8, and 9 were deployed during 2006........................................................................ 37 7. Estimated mean numbers of Arctic grayling per km (without and with the Chapman modification, respectively) in the Gibbon River, YNP, 2005. Estimates were not made for stratum 3 because only one reach there was adequately sampled in 2005. Estimated mean
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