Abstract
Current relationships between fish distributions and temperature can be accurate predictors of future distributions resulting from climate change. This study quantified the current temperatures of Swannanoa River tributaries and used this data to evaluate the effects of temperature on fish distribution. The distribution of seven species of fish was compared across six tributaries in the Swannanoa with a representative range of water temperatures. Tributaries were then categorized as being either cool or warm water habitats. Mottled sculpin was found to be more prevalent in cooler water, while northern hogsuckers, river chubs, warpaint shiners, blacknose dace, and central stonerollers, were found to be more prevalent in warmer streams. The results of the study suggest that temperature plays a significant role in fish habitat selection. These results could be used to estimate future fish distributions, and to identify species at risk of extinction if global increases in average temperature continue.
How to Cite
Johnson, I., (2021) “Effects of Water Temperature on Fish Distribution in the Swannanoa River Watershed”, Capstone, The UNC Asheville Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship 34(1).
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