Title
A portfolio framework for prioritizing conservation efforts for Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations
Author(s)
Al-Chokhachy, R.;Shepard, B. B.;Burckhardt, J. C.;Garren, D.;Opitz, S.;Koel, T. M.;Nelson, L.;Gresswell, R. E.
Published
2018
Publisher
Fisheries
Abstract
Managing and conserving native taxa are becoming increasingly challenging because of mounting threats and limited resources, predicating the need for frameworks to prioritize conservation actions. We integrated attributes of population persistence, genetic status, threats from nonnative species, and threats from climatic shifts to prioritize conservation actions for Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri. We used the individual attributes to rank populations and provide a framework for identifying the benefits of individual conservation actions. The majority of extant populations (57%) had a high probability (>0.75) of persistence, but nearly 70% of populations were either slightly hybridized or sympatric with nonnative species, and 44% of extant populations occupied habitat with low climatic resilience. Overall, we found that 36% of populations ranked as high (>0.75) conservation priority, and these populations primarily occupied large, relatively high-elevation habitats. The prioritization framework provides a platform for identifying and ranking actions with the greatest conservation effectiveness.
Keywords
fresh-water biodiversity;western united-states;climate-change;brook;trout;rainbow-trout;national-park;lake trout;invasive hybridization;native trout;habitat fragmentation
Access Full Text
A full-text copy of this article may be available. Please email the WCS Library to request.
![]()
Back
PUB23873