An integral projection model for gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) utilizing density-dependent age-0 survival

Gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) is a common freshwater fish species found throughout the central and eastern portions of North America. Within these regions, gizzard shad play several critical roles in the freshwater community such as serving as prey for other fish species and translocating nutrients from substrates into the water column. Because of this, it is important to understand gizzard shad population dynamics. Here, we introduce an integral projection model (IPM) for gizzard shad that incorporates empirical information from sources including Long Term Resource Monitoring (LTRM) upper Mississippi River restoration data. IPMs are a generalization of stage-based, matrix population models that have been used to describe a wide range of organisms, and as such are a natural choice for gizzard shad because many aspects of their life cycle have been studied. We tested model outputs against empirical patterns reported for gizzard shad from a different location along the Illinois River (La Grange Reach). Results of our work indicate that our model could serve as an important tool for predicting patterns within gizzard shad populations.