Review of the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan Report 1 (2015) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
5 Applied Research Program
5 Applied Research Program
Pages 142-160
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 142... ...
It is for this reason that the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) has an Applied Research Program, the intent of which is to "better understand the ecological dynamics of the Comal (and San Marcos)
|
From page 143... ...
Such restructuring would help to ensure that the limited funds available for the Applied Research Program target priority research needs to support the EAA's ecological modeling efforts and the success of the HCP more generally. With that larger restructuring need in mind, the following sections separately consider all of the projects that have been funded to date, organized by organism; new studies that might be part of the Applied Research Program; and the committee's conclusions about the current Applied Research Program including how it is structured and its recommendations for restructuring.
|
From page 144... ...
is the need to determine what fountain darters eat by life stage and in different habitats, and how changes in prey availability affect their growth and reproduction. Study 2 examined movement patterns of fountain darters, with some observations under low flow and poor water quality conditions.
|
From page 145... ...
. of using fluorescent tags to infer spatial movement patterns is excellent and useful for general understanding of fountain darter habitat for the ecological model.
|
From page 146... ...
The chain of events provided as the rationale for the study is quite complicated (low flow → algal growth → bryophytes die → macrophytes decay → less darter habitat → negative effects on darter growth or mortality)
|
From page 147... ...
Submersed Aquatic Vegetation and Texas Wild Rice The focus on submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the HCP is a result of its importance as fountain darter habitat.
|
From page 148... ...
4. Converting SAV Biomass 2014 To develop an empirical relationship to Percent Areal Cover between vegetation percent cover and biomass.
|
From page 149... ...
Only one Applied Research project in 2014 is related to SAV or Texas wild rice, and it was not officially part of the program. This is the project conducted at Baylor University to develop an empirical relationship for converting SAV biomass data to areal coverage data.
|
From page 150... ...
Comal Springs Riffle Beetle The CSRB has been suggested as an indicator species for several other Endangered Species Act (ESA) –listed species, and so additional information on this beetle may prove critical to understanding how it and other populations can be modeled in response to flow rates and sedimentation.
|
From page 151... ...
4. Comal Springs 2015 Evaluate the importance of the surface, Riffle Beetle Habitat riparian and submerged food sources to the Connectivity ecology of the CSRB at the springs.
|
From page 152... ...
This is a critical study for providing relevant and needed information about CSRB for the future ecological modeling efforts. Although it does not include sampling to provide life history information, the project will test the sampling methodologies and detectability of the CSRB, in addition to identifying potential new habitats where there are populations of this threatened species.
|
From page 153... ...
The use of habitat area, darter densities, and flow criteria to assess the health of the fountain darter population relies on mostly correlative evidence, and thus has a certain level of uncertainty when used to predict responses to changing flow conditions. While there is great value in this approach, it could be strengthened substantially over time with the addition of active research to determine more mechanistically how individual darters and habitat types interact to affect the former's growth, mortality, reproduction, and movement.
|
From page 154... ...
Comal Springs Riffle Beetle As discussed in Chapters 3 and 4, life history, life cycle, and spatial distribution information for CSRB is necessary for better modeling of this species. The main information gap is the lack of life history information on the CSRB, including information on true densities of both immature and adult life stages throughout the year, growth rates of the life stages, how many generations occur each year and are they synchronous, how fast the life cycle proceeds, or how the life cycle and other life history attributes like fecundity might be affected by changing flow or sediment conditions.
|
From page 155... ...
is to quantitative densities of both adult and immature stages of the CSRB. One of the Applied Research studies for 2014 begins to address some of this information, namely Study #3, Estimate Comal Springs Riffle Beetle Population in Comal Springs/Landa Lake.
|
From page 156... ...
Indeed, only one of the indicator species, fountain darter, is designated for modeling, while there are no apparent plans for developing models for Texas wild rice and CSRB. It is expected that the relationships between spring flow and population sizes of fountain darter, CSRB, and Texas wild rice, as well as other covered species, will be highly nonlinear and complex, with multiple indirect forcing factors.
|
From page 157... ...
The use of this advisory committee early in the process to identify research needs and help write the project solicitations would encourage stakeholder input and ensure that all knowledge gaps limiting achievement of HCP goals could be identified and addressed. Use of currently funded investigators to define critical research areas is good practice, but their suggestions should go to the advisory committee for evaluation of the quality and merit of the research based on their own expertise as well as on reviews from outside researchers/scientists who are not associated with the HCP.
|
From page 158... ...
As discussed in Chapter 3, these models should include all covered species, their potential interactions and drivers, and all available management actions, and will serve as important road maps for all future developments within the HCP. The Applied Research Program would benefit from a more transparent process for prioritizing and funding projects that includes stakeholder involvement, for example through the Science Committee, and peer review.
|
From page 159... ...
2013. Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan 2013 Applied Research.
|
From page 160... ...
2014. Suspended Sediment Impacts on Texas Wild Rice and Other Aquatic Plant Growth Characteristics and Aquatic Macroinvertebrates.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.