Stream fish assemblage stability in a southern Appalachian stream at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory from 1984 to 1995

Stream fish abundance data was collected seasonally in three 30m sections of stream from 1984 to 1995. Population estimates were obtained using electrofishing (3 pass removal). Habitat availability measurements were recorded biannually along with the electrofishing data starting in fall 1988. Data was collected each fall and spring from 1988-1995, in order to examine changes in fish assemblage structure along the habitat gradient. We used strong inference with Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) to assess the processes capable of explaining long-term (1984–1995) variation in the per capita rate of change of mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi) populations in the Coweeta Creek drainage (USA). We sampled two fourth- and one fifth-order sites (BCA [uppermost], BCB, and CC [lowermost]) along a downstream gradient, and the study encompassed extensive flow variation.