Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU

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The Western Ecological Research Center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to one Member of the Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU) Program. The project is titled Determining rotenone effects on benthic invertebrates: a Before-After-Control-Impact experimental approach. Objectives 1. Determine if rotenone application result in acceptable long-term effects on assemblages of native fauna in high elevation streams and lakes in SEKI. Null hypotheses: - No change in assemblage structure and abundance of native fauna immediately after rotenone application. - No temporal change in assemblage structure and abundance of native fauna 1-3 years following application. 2. Evaluate management treatments including: use of rotenone for fish eradication in 1) a long, large, or complex stream downstream to a fish barrier (immediately after prior removal of fish from upstream habitat using physical methods; or 2) a large lake or cluster of connected larger lakes and all fish-containing tributary stream sections downstream to a fish barrier. 3. Ecosystem responses of interest include both immediate impact and long- term (greater than one year) recovery from rotenone treatment by benthic macroinvertebrates in streams or benthic macroinvertebrates and zooplankton in lakes. 4. It is desirable but not mandatory that amphibian species responses be evaluated as well (mountain yellow-legged frog, Sierran treefrog, and/or Yosemite toad).

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