caa a22 4500 606226672 CHVBK 20210128101154.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20150101xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10641-014-0276-1 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10641-014-0276-1 Floodplains within reservoirs promote earlier spawning of white crappies Pomoxis annularis [Elektronische Daten] [L. Miranda, J. Dagel, L. Kaczka, E. Mower, S. Wigen] Reservoirs impounded over floodplain rivers are unique because they may include within their upper reaches extensive shallow water stored over preexistent floodplains. Because of their relatively flat topography and riverine origin, floodplains in the upper reaches of reservoirs provide broad expanses of vegetation within a narrow range of reservoir water levels. Elsewhere in the reservoir, topography creates a band of shallow water along the contour of the reservoir where vegetation often does not grow. Thus, as water levels rise, floodplains may be the first vegetated habitats inundated within the reservoir. We hypothesized that shallow water in reservoir floodplains would attract spawning white crappies Pomoxis annularis earlier than reservoir embayments. Crappie relative abundance over five years in floodplains and embayments of four reservoirs increased as spawning season approached, peaked, and decreased as fish exited shallow water. Relative abundance peaked earlier in floodplains than embayments, and the difference was magnified with higher water levels. Early access to suitable spawning habitat promotes earlier spawning and may increase population fitness. Recognition of the importance of reservoir floodplains, an understanding of how reservoir water levels can be managed to provide timely connectivity to floodplains, and conservation of reservoir floodplains may be focal points of environmental management in reservoirs. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht (outside the USA), 2014 Floodplain nationallicence Reservoir nationallicence Water level nationallicence White Crappie nationallicence Spawning nationallicence River-reservoir interface nationallicence Miranda L. U.S. Geological Survey, Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Box 9691, 39762, Mississippi State, MS, USA aut Dagel J. U.S. Geological Survey, Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Box 9691, 39762, Mississippi State, MS, USA aut Kaczka L. U.S. Geological Survey, Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Box 9691, 39762, Mississippi State, MS, USA aut Mower E. U.S. Geological Survey, Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Box 9691, 39762, Mississippi State, MS, USA aut Wigen S. U.S. Geological Survey, Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Box 9691, 39762, Mississippi State, MS, USA aut Environmental Biology of Fishes Springer Netherlands 98/1(2015-01-01), 469-476 0378-1909 98:1<469 2015 98 10641 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-014-0276-1 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-014-0276-1 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Miranda L. U.S. Geological Survey, Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Box 9691, 39762, Mississippi State, MS, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Dagel J. U.S. Geological Survey, Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Box 9691, 39762, Mississippi State, MS, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Kaczka L. U.S. Geological Survey, Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Box 9691, 39762, Mississippi State, MS, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Mower E. U.S. Geological Survey, Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Box 9691, 39762, Mississippi State, MS, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Wigen S. U.S. Geological Survey, Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Box 9691, 39762, Mississippi State, MS, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Environmental Biology of Fishes Springer Netherlands 98/1(2015-01-01), 469-476 0378-1909 98:1<469 2015 98 10641