Leveraging Existing Data to Assess the Vulnerability of Native Salmonid Populations in the Greater Yellowstone Area

Project Overview:

Native Yellowstone cutthroat trout and mountain whitefish in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYA) are ecologically and socio-economically important species, but are threatened by drought, rising water temperatures, habitat loss, and non-native species. Researchers supported by this North Central CASC project will use climate data and extensive population records to assess the various threats to the species and to create a data visualization tool to help managers prioritize conservation actions for these vulnerable and valuable fish populations.



Project Summary:

In the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA), drought, rising water temperatures, habitat loss, and non-native species are threatening the persistence of native fishes, including trout and whitefish. These fishes have enormous ecological and socioeconomic value. Recreationally, for example, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent by tourists each year to fish for these species. Understanding the vulnerability of these populations to interacting climate-related threats is critical for informing management decisions.



Researchers supported by this project will use extensive records (from over 10,000 sites) collected by multiple management agencies and project partners, and climate data across the GYA to: (1) determine the effect of multiple threats on populations of native Yellowstone cutthroat trout and mountain whitefish; (2) identify the vulnerability of populations to climate change; and (3) use this information to help resource managers identify and prioritize actions that will benefit native fishes, and to identify locations where taking action would be most beneficial.



Results from this project will be incorporated into the RAD (Resist-Accept-Direct) decision framework and distributed to managers through a series of workshops. The workshops will also allow the managers to help the project team build a public data visualization tool that best suits their needs. The tool will compile data and modeling results from the project and display current and future vulnerabilities of fish populations to threats at local and regional spatial scales. These products will help managers make informed decisions about how to best allocate limited time and money towards conservation of Yellowstone cutthroat trout and mountain whitefish.