Northern Research Station

Title: Habitat Selection of Nesting Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu in Two North Temperate Lakes

Author: Bozek, Michael A.; Edwards, Clayton J.; Jennings, Martin J.; Newman, Steven P.

Date: 2002

Source: American Fisheries Society Symposium 31:135-148

Station ID: JRNL-NC-31

Description: Anthropogenic disturbances in nearshore littoral zones of lakes may affect spawning habitat and recruitment of smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu, yet habitat models that quantify habitat selection by smallmouth bass in lakes are not well developed nor are their limitations understood. In this study we quantified smallmouth bass spawning habitat in two northern Wisconsin lakes and developed resource selection functions to describe habitat selection of spawning sites. In general, nest sites in both lakes were located near wood or rock cover, at water depths of 0.5-3.0 m, and contained nest substrates where at least 40 percent of the particles were 6.4-149.0 mm in diameter. However, specific habitat selection by smallmouth bass differed between lakes. The best resource selection function for Big Crooked Lake contained six significant habitat variables (i.e., sand, gravel, cobble, embeddedness, rock cover, and wood cover) and correctly classified eighty-four percent of the nest sites in Big Crooked Lake. The best resource selection function for Sanford Lake contained four significant habitat variables (i.e., sand, gravel, average embeddedness, and rock cover) and correctly classified ninety-two percent of the nest sites in Sanford Lake. Despite high success of within-lake classification of nest sites in both lakes, generality of models differed substantially when tested between lakes for validation. The best models developed in Big Crooked Lake in 1997 and 1998 correctly classified only 25 and 8 percent of the nests in Sanford Lake for respective years, whereas the best model developed in Sanford Lake in 1997 and 1998 correctly classified 67 and 100 percent of the nests in Big Crooked Lake. The less complex model developed in Sanford Lake was more transferable between lakes, correctly predicting nest sites over a wider range of habitat types. Understanding limitations of habitat selection is critical for development of habitat models to aid protection and restoration of littoral zone habitats.

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Citation

Bozek, Michael A.; Edwards, Clayton J.; Jennings, Martin J.; Newman, Steven P.  2002.  Habitat Selection of Nesting Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu in Two North Temperate Lakes.   American Fisheries Society Symposium 31:135-148.