9393

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9393
• Author: Crist, L. and R. Williams.
• Title: Five Year Flaming Gorge Research Program FY 1995.
• USFW Year: 1994.
• USFW - Doc Type: 32-41, Fg-I,
• Copyright Material: NO

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NULL HYPOTHESES (ORGANIZED BY SPECIES/LIFE EVENT/SEASONAL PERIOD). A
series of null hypotheses were formulated by the Flaming Gorge Research Team to focus
research within the Five Year Flaming Gorge Research Program for testing responses of the
Green River ecosystem to flow conditions. Null hypotheses were stated in the context of
species, life event, and seasonal flows. These hypotheses are summarized in Table 1.
AREAS OF EFFORT.-An overall approach was outlined by the research team to address the
null hypotheses (a conceptualization of the approach is shown is Figure 2). The overall
research program consists of three interrelated areas of effort:
1. Core-Research Studies
2. Hypothesis-Testing Studies
3. _ Habitat-Management/Evaluation Studies
The monitoring/research effort is embodied primarily in the Core-Research Studies.
Core-Research is based on a fife history approach to monitoring the biological response of
target species to recommended flows. They are primarily long-term studies designed to gather
consistent trend data on relative fish abundance and population structure over the 5-year
program period. Although primarily composed of long-term research studies, some shorter-term
studies which provide needed background information are also included. It was the opinion of
the Flaming Gorge Research Team that collection of long-term trend data was critical to reveal
basic biological responses of the Green River ecosystem to recommended- flow regimes.
The Core-Research Studies component of the Five Year Flaming Gorge Research
Program is a package of closely related research and monitoring activities that will be
conducted annually throughout the 5 years of investigation. Studies included in this program
component are presented in section 4 of this document. The core-research effort is composed
of four elements for tracking life-history stages of selected fishes throughout the year: 1)
Reproduction, 2) Age-0 Recruitment, 3) Age-1 Recruitment, and 4) Adult Recruitment. The
purpose of the Core-Research Studies is to examine spawning and recruitment; directly
assessing effects of the yearly and seasonal operation of FGD on annual reproduction and
recruitment of fishes in the Green River system.
Core Research data will supplement information collected by the ISMP. ISMP provides
for collection of adult and YOY fish, but concurrent, long-term information on annual migrations
and spawning success is also needed to provide information on relationships between
populations of native and nonnative fishes and hydrologic events. Core studies were designed
to supply additional information not available from ISMP. Studies within the core-research effort
include collection of long-term data on spring movements and migrations to spawning locations,
spawning, larval drift, and age-0 and age-1 recruitment. Data collected are important in that
they provide a consistent year-to-year index offish abundance and population structure against
which environmental changes, such as altered flows, can be measured. The core-research
effort provides. a tool by which overall biological responses of native and nonnative fishes to
recommended flows can be measured.
The Hypothesis-Testing Studies area of effort is the second component of the
integrated research program. Questions conceming how flows, particularly recommended
seasonal flows and especially those for winter and spring periods, affect selected aspects of
fish populations will be addressed by studies designed to test specific hypotheses.
Specific, a priori "experiments" are powerful tools for determining cause and effect
relationships. These types of short-term studies are necessary to establish links between flows
and status of native and nonnative fishes and to support, refute, or refine specific hypotheses
conceming seasonal flow recommendations.
Flaming Gorge Research Program 7