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<br />the overall importance of these areas might differ as a consequence of the composition of <br />the fish community, we suggest that manipulated sites be used as a fishless control for <br />comparison with natural and application (levee-removal) terraces and depressions. By <br />excluding juvenile and larger fishes, we can determine how native larval fishes colonize <br />and utilize these habitats in the absence of nonnative fish predation as well as determining <br />the food production capacity of these sites without constant foraging pressure from <br />myriad fishes. <br /> <br />2. Specific Questions <br /> <br />The timing and duration of floodplain inundation is likely to be important in mediating the <br />dynamics offish colonization (large vs small; native vs nonnative), the dynamics offood <br />production important to native fish growth and survival, the survivorship of native fishes <br />from the floodplains into the riverine system, and riparian vegetation and macrophyte <br />development (which may affect predator/prey interactions and food production). By <br />changing the time and duration of inundation, we can develop an optimization strategy <br />that favors highly productive, complex envirOlunents that facilitate native fish growth and <br />survivorship (and possibly the development and maintenance of native riparian conidors) <br />based on comparisons with natural and application (levee removal) sites. By placing these <br />sites throughout the upper basin (Block 4), we can also determine how localized nonnative <br />fish densities affect the above mentioned relationships. <br /> <br />H <br />