![Sample our Environment & Agriculture journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5934/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Environment-Agriculture.jpg"})
Abstract
Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu is an invasive fish for which few control methods have been developed or tested. Adult removal is most common, but this strategy is labor-intensive and can result in an increase in population abundance (i.e., overcompensation). Using a stage-structured matrix model, we tested removal of young of the year as a control method, both alone and in combination with three supplemental removal strategies. Our results suggest that young of the year removal alone does not lead to overcompensation and can be expected to control some populations of Smallmouth Bass in a reasonable timeframe (e.g., 75% reduction in abundance after 10 years at 68% removal). Lower rates of removal of young of the year are required if this method is combined with supplemental removal strategies (especially those that also target immature bass). Where feasible, we recommend that managers include young of the year removal as part of their control plans. Future research should focus on incorporating more biological realism into simulation models and testing this method in the field.
Received January 15, 2014; accepted April 24, 2014
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Funding for this project was provided by the National Science Foundation's Integrated Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (NSF-IGERT) program, the Conservation Biology program at the University of Minnesota, and the John Dobie Memorial Fund. We thank Elise Zipkin for insight into her model, and the Fall 2013 FW 8452 class at the University of Minnesota and two anonymous reviewers for comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.