Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

The Relationship Between Ohio River Bass Tournament Success Rates, Forage Fish Abundance And Environmental Conditions, Jeffrey V. Ginger

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Due to increasing pressure from Ohio River bass anglers with regard to decreasing catch rates in 1981,1990, and 1997, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) initiated a study of black bass populations. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), in conjunction with state and Federal agencies, has collected population data on Ohio River fishes at lock chambers and has measured various water quality parameters since 1957. That data coupled with Ohio River bass tournament data collected by the DNR since 1975 and other fishery data sets provided a historic look into the variability of angler success. These …

Factors Influencing The Spatial Distribution And Natural History Of Desmognathus Ochrophaeus In West Virginia, Linda D. Ordiway

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Desmognathus ochrophaeus, the mountain dusky salamander, is a medium-sized Desmognathine, which inhabits moist woodlands. It is a slender species with a well rounded, slim and tapering tail (Bishop 1967), and 14 costal grooves (Green and Pauley 1987). The average total length is between 70 mm and 100 mm with the tail accounting for approximately half this length (Conant and Collins, 1991). The visual appearance of this salamander is highly variable (figure 1). Most individuals have a distinct light middorsal band with straight edges and darker sides. The colors of the band may vary from yellow, orange, or red to dark …

Meteorological Factors Controlling The Emergence Of The Eastern Spadefoot Toad, Scaphiopus Holbrooki Holbrookii Harlan, Larry Judy

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Scaphiopus holbrooki holbrookii, the Eastern Spadefoot, can exist in an area for many years before it is detected. Its apparent scarcity can be explained by its secretive, fossorial habitat, protective coloration, and nocturnal behavior. Spadefoots are present at the surface locally in small numbers on any one night. They emerge only when conditions are optimum. One authority has suggested that temperature, moisture, and barometric pressure exert control over emergence.

It was the purpose of this research to discover the most important meterorological parameters and investigate how they control the behavior of Scaphiopus.

Initially the response, emergence to breed was distinguished …