Determine how environmental factors drive productivity of resident and anadromous O. mykiss ecotypes
Test this understanding:
Can the functional relationships of O. mykiss productivity to environmental factors predict the observed distribution of the two ecotypes in the Yakima Basin?
Channel size, flow and temperature are key factors that determine carrying capacity for resident fish over 250 mm, and may determine which of the two ecotypes will dominate
Data are available in the Yakima Basin to predict how carrying capacity for O. mykiss will be affected by flow, temperature, and channel morphology
We can test how well we understand the factors driving life history of O. mykiss by:
Using what we understand to build a life cycle model for O. mykiss
Plug in actual values for habitat and environmental factors,
Compare how the predicted and observed distributions of the two ecotypes match
Size at age determines winter survival in freshwater
Size at smolting determines ocean survival
Hypothesis Variation in flow conditions influence the distribution of the two ecotypes across subbasins
Hypothesis Substantial declines in summer discharge will reduce carrying capacity for adult resident fish and promote a migratory life-history strategy