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Native salamanders and introduced fish: Changing the nature of mountain lakes and ponds

Fact Sheet 025-03
By:  and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/fs02503

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Abstract

During the last century, many fishless mountain lakes and ponds in the Pacific Northwest were stocked with non-native fish, such as brook trout, for recreational purposes. These introduced fish replaced long-toed and northwestern salamander larvae as the top aquatic vertebrate predator by preying on salamander larvae. This predatory interaction has been shown to reduce the abundances of larval salamander populations. We conducted studies in two national parks to assess the abundances of salamander larvae in lakes with and without introduced fish. These studies suggest that the two salamander species were affected quite differently by the presence of introduced fish because of different life-history traits and different distributions of salamanders and fish within each park.

Suggested Citation

Larson, G.L., Hoffman, R.L., 2003, Native salamanders and introduced fish: Changing the nature of mountain lakes and ponds: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 025-03, 2 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/fs02503.

ISSN: 2327-6932 (online)

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Native salamanders and introduced fish: Changing the nature of mountain lakes and ponds
Series title Fact Sheet
Series number 025-03
DOI 10.3133/fs02503
Year Published 2003
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Description 2 p.
First page 1
Last page 2
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional publication details