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Hot male celebs blog review

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Trout in the St. Joseph River Valley of Michigan: Relative Importance

In previous posts, I examined (a) 20th century distribution of trout and (b) species diversity and annual variation in streams within the Michigan portion of the St. Joseph River. Here, I continue my assessment of trout populations by looking at species diversity and annual variation. The information presented here is derived from the creel-census data provided by Wesley and Duffy (1999).

Throughout the entire Michigan portion of the St. Joseph River system, trout accounted for about one-quarter of the fish caught during the period 1928-1965. They were most abundant in the Lower and Mouth segments of the system, where they accounted for 94.9 and 88.6 percent of the catch, respectively. Details follow:

Trout As a Percentage of Total Catch (All Streams):

Headwaters: Mean = 4.8 (11 of 229 fish in 2 streams). Median = 2.8 (range 0.0 – 5.5)

Upper: Mean = 0.7 (20 of 2,953 fish in 7 streams). Median = 4.9 (range 0.0 – 9.8)

Middle: Mean = 8.9 (1,118 of 12,515 fish in 14 streams). Median = 96.5 (range 0.0 – 100.0)

Lower: Mean = 94.9 (3,047 of 3,210 fish in 16 streams). Median = 100.0 (range 3.6 – 100.0)

Mouth: Mean = 88.6 (1,176 of 1,328 fish in 15 streams). Median = 100.0 (range 0.0 – 100.0)

TOTAL: Mean = 26.5 (5,372 of 20,235 fish in 54 streams). Median = 100.0 (range 0.0 – 100.0)

Trout represented a somewhat lower percentage of the total catch in McCoy Creek (90.9 percent) than in the remaining 15 streams in the Lower valley segment (95.1 percent).

In the 41 trout streams (i.e., streams or stream segments where trout were available and caught as a result of intentional or unintentional stocking), trout usually accounted for a majority of the fish caught. For example, trout represented more than 50 percent of the reported catch in 36 streams (88 percent), more than 90 percent of the catch in 34 streams (83 percent), and 100 percent of the catch in 28 streams (68 percent).

Except for the poorly-sampled Headwaters and Upper valley segments, trout of one or more of the three species were predominant in the overall catch in trout streams throughout the system, accounting for 86 to 95 percent of the reported catch. Details follow:

Trout as Percentage of Total Catch in Trout Streams:

Headwaters: Mean = 5.5 (11 of 201 fish in 1 stream)

Upper: Mean = 9.8 (20 of 204 fish in 1 stream)

Middle: Mean = 86.1 (1,118 of 1,299 fish in 9 streams). Median = 100.0 (range 44.2 – 100.0)

Lower: Mean = 94.9 (3,047 of 3,210 fish in 16 streams). Median = 100.0 (range 3.7 – 100.0)

Mouth: Mean = 91.5 (1,176 of 1,285 fish in 14 streams). Median = 100.0 (range 26.5 – 100.0)

TOTAL: Mean = 86.7 (5,372 of 6,199 fish in 41 streams). Median = 100.0 (range 3.7 – 100.0)

Among the eight high-diversity trout streams (i.e., streams with all three species represented in the catch) in the Lower valley segment, trout represented a slightly smaller percentage of the total catch in McCoy Creek (90.9 percent) than in the remaining seven streams (97.5 percent).

Reference:

Wesley, J. K., and Joan E. Duffy. 1999b. St. Joseph River assessment. Appendix 2 (.pdf). Miscellaneous historical creel data. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division Fisheries Report 24: 117-227. URL: http://www.michigandnr.com/PUBLICATIONS/PDFS/ifr/ifrlibra/special/reports/sr24/sr24App2.pdf

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Trout in the St. Joseph River Valley of Michigan: Species Diversity and Annual Variation

In a previous post, I examined 20th century distribution of trout in streams within the Michigan portion of the St. Joseph River. Here, I continue my assessment of trout populations by looking at species diversity and annual variation. The information presented here is derived from the creel-census data provided by Wesley and Duffy (1999).

In streams (including McCoy Creek) where trout were known to be present during the period 1928-1965, anglers could universally expect to encounter (at least on occasion) up to three different species of trout, not always in the same year but over a period of years. Of the 41 streams with trout, 58 percent (24) yielded three species, 17 percent (7) two species, and 42 percent (10) one species. Details follow:

Number of Trout Species by Stream (1 – 2 – 3)

Headwaters: 1 – 0 – 0 (n=1)

Upper: 0 – 0 – 1 (n=1)

Middle: 2 – 2 – 5 (n=9)

Lower: 6 – 2 – 8 (n=16)

Mouth: 1 – 3 – 10 (n=14)

TOTAL: 10 – 7 – 24 (n=41)

There was a strong correlation between the number of trout species caught in a stream and the number of creel censuses conducted. For example, in streams with one species detected the median number of creel censuses conducted was 1 (range 1 – 4), in streams with two species it was 2.5 (range 1 – 5), and in streams with three species it was 7 (range 2 – 19).

I next examined yearly variability in species diversity by taking a closer look at the 24 streams in which three species of trout were detected. Trout were detected in 78 percent (149) of 190 yearly creel censuses. In the 149 census-years in which trout were reported as being caught, there was a 30 percent probability of encountering one species, a 42 percent probability of two species, and a 28 percent probability of three species. Details follow:

Yearly Variation in Number of Trout Species Caught (1 – 2 – 3)

Upper: 1 – 1 – 1 (n=11)

Middle: 8 – 14 – 7 (n=37)

Lower: 24 – 30 – 15 (n=80)

Mouth: 12 – 17 – 9 (n=62)

TOTAL: 45 – 62 – 42 (n=149)

PERCENT: 30 – 42 – 28

There was variability in both the number of species and the specific species caught each year, perhaps because of variability in stocking patterns of different species in each of the 24 streams.

The creel-census data show that trout were encountered less frequently by anglers in McCoy Creek (57 percent) than at other trout streams in the St. Joseph River drainage (78 percent), and average species diversity was lover in years when present (1.5 versus 2.0).

Reference:

Wesley, J. K., and Joan E. Duffy. 1999b. St. Joseph River assessment. Appendix 2 (.pdf). Miscellaneous historical creel data. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division Fisheries Report 24: 117-227. URL: http://www.michigandnr.com/PUBLICATIONS/PDFS/ifr/ifrlibra/special/reports/sr24/sr24App2.pdf

Trout in the St. Joseph River Valley of Michigan: 20th Century Distribution

The St. Joseph River valley has been described thusly by Wesley and Duffy (1999):

The St. Joseph River basin, located in southwest Michigan and northwest Indiana, is the third largest river basin in Michigan. The river begins in Michigan’s Hillsdale County at Baw Beese Lake, and flows in a northerly arc before turning south and entering Indiana. The river flows west across Indiana before making an abrupt turn to the north at South Bend. It re-enters Michigan in southeastern Berrien County and flows northwest until it reaches Lake Michigan between the cities of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. The St. Joseph River mainstem is 210 miles long and its tributary streams total an additional 1,641 miles (Brown 1944). The river drains a watershed of 4,685 square miles: 3,000 square miles in Michigan and 1,685 square miles in Indiana.

Trout (Family Salmonidae) are not native to any of the streams in the St. Joseph River system. Three species—Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), Brown Trout (Salmo trutta), Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)—were introduced to various streams within the drainage by the Michigan Department of Conservation (forerunner of the Department of Natural Resources) in the latter decades of the 19th century or the early decades of the 20th century.

Wesley and Duffy (1999a) divided the St. Joseph River watershed into five valley segments (Headwaters, Upper, Middle, Lower, and Mouth) based on physiographic characteristics. These river valley segments are illustrated here.

A picture of the historic (1928-1964) distribution of non-native trout throughout the Michigan portion St. Joseph River watershed comes to light by reviewing the presence of trout in creel-census data gathered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (Wesley and Duffy 1999b).

Trout of 1-3 species were recorded in 41 (76 percent) of 54 streams in the Michigan portion of the St. Joseph River drainage at which creel censuses were conducted between 1928 and 1964. The percentage of streams in which trout were present and caught by sport anglers ranged from a low of 14 percent in the Upper segment to 100 percent in the Lower (including McCoy Creek) and Mouth segments. Details follow:

Headwaters: 50 percent (1 of 2 streams)

Upper: 14 percent (1 of 7)

Middle: 64 percent (9 of 14)

Lower: 100 percent (16 of 16)

Mouth: 100 percent (14 of 15)

TOTAL: 76 percent (41 of 54)

These figures illustrate that, within the St. Joseph River watershed (and especially among streams within the Lower segment of that watershed), McCoy Creek was not unusual in providing trout-fishing opportunities to sport anglers in the period from 1928-1964.

References:

Brown, C. J. D. 1944. Michigan streams: their lengths, distribution and drainage areas. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division Miscellaneous Publication 1.

Wesley, Jay K., and Joan E. Duffy. 1999a. St. Joseph River assessment (.pdf). Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division Fisheries Species Report 24, 116 pp.
URL: http://www.michigandnr.com/PUBLICATIONS/PDFS/ifr/ifrlibra/special/reports/sr24/sr24Text.pdf

Wesley, J. K., and Joan E. Duffy. 1999b. St. Joseph River assessment. Appendix 2 (.pdf). Miscellaneous historical creel data. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division Fisheries Report 24: 117-227. URL: http://www.michigandnr.com/PUBLICATIONS/PDFS/ifr/ifrlibra/special/reports/sr24/sr24App2.pdf

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Prairie Plants Associated With McCoy Creek, Berrien County, Michigan

Thompson (1983) assessed the floral composition of 26 prairie stands in southern Michigan from 1972-1981. His study sites included the Dayton Prairie (located on Curran Road at McCoy Creek 2 miles southeast of Dayton) and the McCoy Fen (along the railroad tracks southwest of Buchanan at McCoy Creek).

Thompson’s Dayton Prairie site corresponds with the Dayton Wet Prairie Preserve owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy since 1978. His McCoy Fen site is situated near where Bakertown Road crosses McCoy Creek and the Amtrak railroad tracks. It probably corresponds closely with Kohring’s (1981) Bakertown Fen, which she described thusly:

Bakertown Fen, in Berrien County, Buchanan Township, T7S, R18W, Section 34, SE1/4, is located on both sides of the [Amtrak] tracks from mile post 119.5 to 200. The fen and wet prairie soils are Houghton Muck with a pH of 7.2. This fen encompasses both wet and mesic prairies. The area has White Lady’s-Slipper (Cypripedium candidum), Spotted Phlox (Phlox maculata), Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans), Sullivant’s Coneflower (Rudbeckia sullivantii), and Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium) which are all on the Michigan list of threatened plants. Valerian (Valeriana ciliata), which is listed as rare, is also present.

Thompson (1983) tabulated 204 species of "prairie plants" on the 26 study sites, including a combined total of 123 species at Dayton Prairie and McCoy Fen. Of these 123 species, 92 were documented at Dayton Prairie, 111 at McCoy Fen, and 79 at both sites, yielding an index of similarity of 0.78 for the two prairie floras. These sites are located less than two miles apart along the upper reaches of McCoy Creek. Both of these prairies are described (Thompson 1983) as being occupied to some extent by prairie fen communities, a unique and increasingly rare wetland habitat in Michigan (Spiels et al. 1991).

In an earlier paper, Thompson (1981) provided a comprehensive list of 176 plant species found on the Dayton Prairie based on visits from 1974 to 1977. Kohring (1983) found a total of 273 species at Bakertown Fen during surveys in spring and fall 1978 , and reported the following dominants in decreasing order: Eleocharis spp., Carex spp., Thelypteris palustris, Solidato spp., Andropogon gerardi, Aster spp., and Cacalia tuberosa. Thompson's (1983) composite list of "prairie plants" from Dayton Prairie and McCoy Fen was dominated by composites (46 species), grasses (12), and legumes (7).

Most of the 123 species documented by Thompson (1983) at the Dayton Prairie and/or McCoy Fen are broadly distributed, but 25 are notable for being (a) of relative rare occurrence (i.e., recorded at 7 or fewer of the 26 sites studied), or (b) for being "special plants" in Michigan (i.e., Endangered, Threatened, or of Special Concern). Twelve of these "rare" species occurred at Dayton Prairie, 23 at McCoy Fen, and 10 at both sites. These species are not necessarily rare in the context of the broader landscape, just relatively rare in the prairie/fen sites studied by Thompson:

Arnoglossum plantagineum (=Cacalia tuberosa), Groovestem Indian Plantain: 2 sites, including McCoy Fen.

Bidens connata, Purplestem Beggarticks: 6 sites, including Dayton Prairie and McCoy Fen.

Bromus ciliatus, Fringed Brome: 2 sites, including McCoy Fen.

Campanula aparinoides, Marsh Bellflower: 7 sites, including McCoy Fen.

Cypripedium candidum, White Lady’s Slipper: 5 sites, including Dayton Prairie and McCoy Fen. State Threatened. Abstract (.pdf).

Dasiphora (=Potentilla) fruticosa, Shrubby Cinquefoil: 6 sites, including Dayton Prairie and McCoy Fen.

Dichanthelium (=Panicum) oligosanthes, Heller’s Rosette Grass: 5 sites, including McCoy Fen.

Dodecatheon meadia, Pride of Ohio, or Shooting Star: 4 sites, including Dayton Prairie and McCoy Fen. State Endangered.

Eryngium yuccifolium, Button Eryngo, or Rattlesnake Master: 5 sites, including McCoy Fen. State Threatened.

Gentiana crinita, Greater Fringed Gentian: 7 sites, including McCoy Fen.

Heliopsis helianthoides, Smooth Oxeye: 5 sites, including McCoy Fen.

Hierochloe hirta (=odorata), Northern Sweetgrass: 7 sites, including Dayton Prairie and McCoy Fen.

Lobelia kalmii, Ontario Lobelia: 7 sites, including Dayton Prairie and McCoy Fen.

Mentha arvensis, Wild Mint: 7 sites, including Dayton Prairie.

Phlox maculata, Wild Sweet William: 2 sites (Dayton Prairie and McCoy Fen). State Threatened.

Polemonium reptans, Greek Valerian, or Jacob’s Ladder: 3 sites, including McCoy Fen. State Threatened.

Rudbeckia fulgita (=sullivantii), Orange Coneflower: 3 sites, including McCoy Fen.

Rudbeckia lascinata, Cutleaf Coneflower: 3 sites, including McCoy Fen.

Silphium integrifolium, Wholeleaf Rosinweed: 10 sites, including Dayton Prairie and McCoy Fen. State Threatened

Solidago patula, Roundleaf Goldenrod: 6 sites, including McCoy Fen.

Solidago uliginosa, Bog Goldenrod: 5 sites, including Dayton Prairie and McCoy Fen.

Symphyotrichum (=Aster) praealtus, Willowleaf Aster: 6 sites, including Dayton Prairie. State Special Concern.

Triantha (=Tofieldia) glutinosa, Sticky Tofieldia: 5 sites, including McCoy Fen.

Valeriana edulis var. ciliata, Tobacco Root, or Edible Valerian: 8 sites, including Dayton Prairie and McCoy Fen. State Threatened.

Zigadenus elegans (=glaucus), Mountain Deathcamas: 6 sites, including McCoy Fen.

References:

Kohring, Margaret A. 1981. Saving Michigan’s railroad strip prairies (.pdf). Pp. 150-151 in Proceedings of the 6th North American Prairie Conference (Ronald L. Stuckey and Karen J. Reese, eds.). Ohio Biological Survey Notes 15.
http://images.library.wisc.edu/EcoNatRes/EFacs/NAPC/NAPC06/reference/econatres.napc06.mkohring.pdf

Kohring, Margaret A. 1983. Effect of a fall burn on Bakertown Fen (Berrien Co., Michigan) (.pdf). P. 265 in Proceedings of the 7th North American Prairie Conference (Clare L. Kucera, ed.). Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri.
http://images.library.wisc.edu/

Spieles, J. B., P. J. Comer, D. A. Albert, and M. A. Kost. 1999. Natural community abstract for prairie fen (.pdf). Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Lansing, Michigan. 4 pp.
http://web4.msue.msu.edu/mnfi/abstracts/ecology/Prairie_fen.pdf

Thompson, Paul W. 1981. Flora of Dayton Prairie: a remnant of Terre Coupee Prairie, in Michigan. Pp. 148-150 in Proceedings of the 6th North American Prairie Conference (Ronald L. Stuckey and Karen J. Reese, eds.). Ohio Biological Survey Notes 15.
http://images.library.wisc.edu/EcoNatRes/EFacs/NAPC/NAPC06/reference/econatres.napc06.pthompson.pdf

Thompson, Paul W. 1983. Composition of prairie stands in southern Michigan and adjoining areas (.pdf). Pp. 105-111 in Proceedings of the 8th North American Prairie Conference (Richard Brewer, ed.). Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan.
http://images.library.wisc.edu/EcoNatRes/EFacs/NAPC/NAPC08/reference/econatres.napc08.pthompson.pdf

Antonio Bandera's pictures

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