Devils Hole Pupfish Panel Review- March 14-15, 2007
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. 2007. Devils Hole Pupfish Panel Review- March 14-15, 2007. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. Furnace Creek Inn, Death Valley National Park
The chair assembled a panel of experts from a variety of disciplines to evaluate long-term monitoring of the pupfish population. Dr. Dean Blinn presented a long-term monitoring program for Devils Hole. The plan contains three alternatives that vary in complexity and annual cost. Although the panel made several recommendations for long-term monitoring that included many elements of Dr. Blinn’s plan, the panel unanimously recommended that a very limited monitoring effort be considered at this time owing to the extremely low abundance of the Devils Hole pupfish. In brief, the population should be disturbed as little as possible. The current supplemental feeding project was endorsed by most members of the panel because there was evidence that the productivity of Devils Hole has diminished. The basic monitoring project should include the measurement of on-site weather variables, water level and depth, water quality, bi-annual fish population estimates (maximum and minimum) and size classes of the fish, and limited sampling of the “shelf” for relative abundances of periphyton and prey taxa. Further, frequent high quality photographs of the shelf from fixed points should be taken to document changes in the amount of allochthonous input and the size and color of algal mats on the shelf. Some panel members suggested using a web-cam system to better understand the frequency and intensity of disturbances to the system. With the exception of the water level recorder, on-going monitoring should avoid placing permanent equipment in Devils Hole. Sampling equipment should not be stored in the drainage area of Devils Hole. The panel also expressed concern about public access to Devils Hole. One panel member recommended moving the existing fence back by at least 25 m.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
- Date of Issue
- 2007-03-15
- Publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
- Units
- DEVA
- Keywords
- Algae, Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge NV, biotic parameters, Conservation, Cyprinodon diabolis (Devil's Hole pupfish), Data Analysis, environmental parameters, Genetic Diversity, Hybrids, hydrologic system, Monitoring, Observations, Presence (Biodiversity), Productivity, refugia populations, Resources Management, Taxa Links To References, Water Quality