Fundamental Concepts Biocomplexity Integrated Models

Physical models Social models Biological models Integrated Models

Instream Flows for Recreation 1. How much water is needed for different types of recreation ? 2. Impacts of swimmers on water quality? 3. Overlap of swimmers and aquatic organisms 4. River Road Connectivity

Shrimp Little overlap in habitats used by aquatic species and humans Aquatic species tend to migrate at night Humans recreate during the day

Are the sites where people recreate vulnerable to increases in turbidity?

number of people turbidity (NTU) Las Vegas El Verde Hypothesized relationship

Outcomes on Turbidity Visitors do not select sites with stream beds dominated by fine sediments (mud), and therefore increasing visitor use at these sites does not significantly increase turbidity. Adjacent land use activities can have a significant effect on deposition of fine sediments in streams.

Role of Harvest on Aquatic Populations of Shrimp, Crab, Lobsters & Fish While it appears that non-consumptive recreation use may not have a significant adverse impact on aquatic populations, harvesters may have The amount of extraction for personal and commercial purposes is not well known Extraction is legal outside of CNF but not within To better model aquatic species diversity we need to account for harvest.

Focus Group with 22 Fishermen Fish the Río Espíritu Santo most On average, fish 7 days/month year round Use hooks, traps, and nets Average catch of shrimp and fish is 4.6 lbs. per outing Average size Shrimp: 5.5 inches Fish: 8.7 inches Release gravid shrimp

Species Most Often Caught (times mentioned by 22 fishermen)

Fishermen Nacillas: 3.7 shrimp per hour on average Sizes: Minimum: 35 mm CL Maximum: 105 mm CL Average: 68 mm CL Based on accompanying 1 fisherman in El Verde on the Río Espíritu Santo

Current Observations Fishing continues within and outside the Caribbean National Forest sometimes independent of road access Rates of harvest remain largely unknown Future Research Oral history of shrimpers Interviews

River - Road Connectivity Multi-scale variables derived with GIS can predict important stream biology and physical habitat characteristics that are influenced by River-Road Connectivity

Role of road proximity, hillslope, and riparian vegetation on river – road connectivity