Influence of Stream Discharge on Eight Populations of Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout in Northern New Mexico

The impacts of climate change on cold water species will likely manifest in populations at the trailing edge of their distribution. Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis, RGCT) occupy arid southwestern U.S.A. streams at the southern-most edge of all cutthroat trout distributions; thus making RGCT particularly vulnerable to the anticipated warming and drying in this region. However, RGCT may possess a portfolio of life-history traits that aide in their persistence, attributes commonly observed in trailing edge populations. We used stream discharge (flow) data collected along a temperature and stream drying gradient to determine how these environmental constraints influence life-history trait expression (length- and age-at-maturity), demography, and extirpation risk in RGCT populations from northern New Mexico, U.S.A. Discharge (cubic meter/second) was collected throughout the eight populations across the three seasons (summer, fall, spring) for two years.

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  "010:00"
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  "geospatial"
]