Progress and Future Direction of
Aquatic GAP in Kansas
Keith Gido, Walter Dodds, Chris Guy,
Jessica Kemp, and Bob Oakes
Outline
Aquatic conservation in Kansas
Progress to date
– Meeting with local cooperators
– NHD reconstruction
– Compilation and evaluation of data sources
Graduate student research projects
Future Direction
Aquatic Conservation in Kansas
Republican
Blue
Smoky Hill
Arkansas
Marais Des
Cygnes
Cimarron
Neosho/
Verdigris
Abiotic Gradients (Climate)
Precipitation
(inches)
15 - 17.5
17.5 - 27.5
27.5 - 35
35 - 42.5
Abiotic Gradients (Topography)
Western Streams
Eastern Streams
Kansas Aquatic Diversity
116 Fishes (19 Introduced) (Cross and
Collins 1995)
37 in need of conservation
46 Mussels (M. Eberle, web site)
5 extirpated
24 in need of conservation
11 Crayfishes (Williams and Lenoard 1952)
Patterns of Fish Species Diversity
In Kansas
36 spp.
46 spp.
36 spp.
43 spp.
49 spp.
23 spp.
75 spp.
63 spp.
Based on 800+ collections by Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks
Correspondence Analysis of Kansas Fishes
Based on Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Data
Axis 2 (11%)
2.0
1.5
Kansas
1.0
Marais des
Cygnes.
Arkansas
Cimarron
0.5
0.0
-0.5
Neosho/
Verdigris
-1.0
-1.5
-2.0
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
Axis 1 (19%)
0.5
1.0
1.5
Conservation Concerns for Kansas
Aquatic Systems
Impoundments
From Cross and Collins 1995
Water Withdraws
Total Withdraws
Mgal/d
0.02 - 1.99
1.99 - 5.32
5.32 - 11.57
11.57 - 20.21
20.21 - 33.29
33.29 - 51.6
51.6 - 69.46
69.46 - 132.03
132.03 - 254.13
254.13 - 787.96
Introduced Species
Species
Number of sites occupied
Native Range
Common carp
473
Eurasia
Inland silverside
54
Southern U.S.
Bluegill
53
Central U.S.
Largemouth bass
44
Central U.S.
White bass
34
Central U.S.
Western Mosquitofish
33
Southern U.S.
Red River shiner
30
Red River
Striped bass
28
Atlantic Coast
Goldfish
28
Eurasia
Walleye
24
Northern U.S.
Threadfin shad
19
Southern U.S.
Bullhead minnow
19
Central U.S.
Black crappie
18
Central U.S.
Redear sunfish
15
Central U.S.
+13 Others
< 15 sites each
General Patterns of Fish Invasions
Bullhead
minnow
Western
mosquitofish
Red River Pupfish
Red River
Shiner
Inland
silverside
Kansas Aquatic GAP
1. Define ranges all fish and mussel species within
ecologically-distinct drainage basins using data
compiled from known records.
2. Determine species richness by valley segments
within these drainage basins.
3. Define habitat affinities for each species by valley
segment characteristics.
4. Predict occurrence of each species to areas where
collections have not occurred by extrapolation
from habitat affinity database.
Local Cooperators
State Universities
State Agencies
Private Agencies
Federal Agencies
Potential Uses of Aquatic Gap in
Kansas
• Identify priority watersheds
– Reintroduction of T&E species
– Define Critical Habitat for T&E species
• Assessment of impact for permitting
– E.g, Gravel mining in Neosho madtom habitat
• Stream lease program
– Sport fish opportunities
• Site selection
• Land owner incentives (e.g., Conservation
Reserve Program)
National Hydrology Database
MoRAP stream classification
 Temperature

Stream size
-Stream order
-Size of downstream
valley segment
- Link magnitude

Floodplain reach

Permanence of flow

Gradient

Geology
Stream Order
1
2
3
4
5-6
National Hydrology Database
Develop amls to facilitate the reconstruction
of NHD layers
These programs are available on our web
site
http://www.ksu.edu/ksaquaticgap/
Showdis:
Selects areas
disconnected from
stream network
(in yellow).
Showdis:
Fixloop aml- identifies large loops in stream
Fixloop:
network
Codeloop:
Data sources: Mussels
Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment
Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks
Data Sources: Fishes
Kansas Dept. of Wildlife & Parks
Tulane Natural History Museum
Data Evaluation
Number of Valley Segments
Number of valley segments by stream
order for the Smoky Hill River basin
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
Stream Order
6
7
8
Data Evaluation
Number of KDWP mussel sample sites by
stream order Lower Smokey Hill basin
Number of sites
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
Stream Order
6
7
Graduate Research Topics
Spatial Effects of Riparian Buffers on
Stream Water Chemistry and Benthic
Macroinvertebrates (Bob Oakes)
Zone of Influence of Reservoirs (Jessica
Kemp)
Effects of Riparian Buffers on Stream
Water Chemistry and Macroinvertebrate
Diversity
Where to restore buffers?
How does riparian cover affect water
quality and insect diversity Kansas?
Methodology
Calculate riparian
cover and land use
from digitized layers
Use riparian buffers
within a watershed to
assess critical areas
affecting water quality
and insect diversity
Forested land
Crop land
Pasture land
Riparian Cropland vs. Nitrate levels
10.0
Nitrate (g/l)
r2 = 0.28
1.0
0.1
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
Proportion cropland
0.4
Riparian Native Pasture vs. Nitrate levels
10.0
Nitrate (g/l)
r2r2== 0.22
0.22
1.0
0.1
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
Proportion native pasture
0.8
Zone of Influence of Reservoirs on
Stream Fish Assemblages
What effects do reservoirs have on up and
down stream fish assemblages?
How do these effects influence our ability
to accurately predict species distributions?
Distance to Reservoirs
Distance to a Reservoir vs. Introduced Species
Number of Introduced Species
10
Shape SS > random
P = 0.021
8
6
4
2
0
0
100
200
300
400
Distance to a Reservoir (km)
500
600
Distance to a Reservoir vs. White Crappie
P. annularis abundance (n+1)
1000
100
10
1
0
200
400
600
Distance to Reservoir (km)
800
Distance to a Reservoir vs. Emerald Shiner
N. atherinoides abundance (n+1)
10000
1000
100
10
1
0
200
400
600
Distance to Reservoir (km)
800
Distance to a Reservoir vs. Green Sunfish
L. cyanellus abundance (n+1)
10000
1000
100
10
1
0
200
400
600
Distance to Reservoir (km)
800
Distance to a Reservoir vs. Red Shiner
C. lutrensis abundance (n+1)
1e+5
1e+4
1e+3
1e+2
1e+1
1e+0
0
200
400
600
Distance to Reservoir (km)
800
Future Direction
Complete habitat affinity database
Complete and refine predictive models
Work with local cooperators to establish
classification schemes to suit particular
conservation strategies
Spatial Linkages
Vannote et al. 1980