To return to the Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference website, go to http://www.midwestfw.org/ The following schedule and room names are subject to change (as of February 1, 2017). Please check back for updates.
Presenters: Presenters for technical presentations are either the primary author (the first name listed in the abstract), or are indicated with an asterisk next to their name. Please note: the conference schedule is hosted by Sched.org which allows you to search within the schedule, and filter the schedule to show sessions only occurring on a certain date or within a track. You can also build your own schedule by creating a free account with Sched.org by selecting "SIGN UP" in the top right corner.
AUTHOR: Kevin Carpenter, University of Nebraska - Lincoln ABSTRACT: Reservoirs are subjected to routine fluctuations in water level as a result of natural (e.g., precipitation) or human (e.g., hydropower) related events. Consequences of these water level fluctuations are largely unknown within a social-ecological context, especially within recreational fisheries. Previous ecological research has demonstrated considerable impact throughout the aquatic food web and across multiple trophic levels. Therefore, it is hypothesized that this should also influence angler behavior. Angler behavior may be modified by restricting access (e.g., boat ramps), a change in catch rates, or some combination of social and ecological mechanisms. I will use standardized creel survey and fishery independent information to explore the effects of water level fluctuation on angler behavior across Nebraska reservoirs. The results will leverage our understanding of complex systems and provide insight for effective management and conservation efforts.
