KANSAS COOPERATIVE FISH AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH UNIT
Unit News
March 2008
The annual Coordinating Committee Meeting was held. The Annual Report for
the Kansas Coop Unit was distributed at the meeting.
Josh Schloesser, Wes Bouska, Kristen Pitts and Andrea Severson attended
the Annual Midwest Student Fisheries Colloquium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The
following papers were presented:
• Pitts, K.L., C. Paukert, and J. Whittier. 2008. Utility of an
ecological risk index to assess threats to native fishes: insights from
the Verde River Basin, Arizona. First Annual Midwest Student Fisheries
Colloquium, Lincoln, NE.
• Bouska, W. W. and C. Paukert. 2008. Effects of road crossing
design on movement and species composition of Great Plains stream fishes.
First Annual Midwest Student Fisheries Colloquium, Lincoln, NE.
• Severson, A., J. Schloesser, K. Pitts, J. Eitzmann, and C.
Paukert. 2008. Abundance and Growth of Fishes in Main and Secondary
Channels of the Kansas River. (Poster) Kansas Natural Resources
Conference, Wichita, KS.
February 2008
Jeff Eitzmann defended his M.S. Thesis, "Effects of anthropogenic
disturbances on the fish assemblage and food web structure in a Great
Plains river."
Craig Paukert, Joanna Whittier, Josh Schloesser, Wes Bouska, Andrea
Severson, Kristen Pitts, Joe Gerken and Jeff Eitzmann attended the Kansas
Natural Resources Conference in Wichita, Kansas. The following papers
were presented:
• Bouska, W. W. and C. P. Paukert. 2008. Effects of road
crossing
design on movement and species composition of Great Plains stream fishes.
Kansas Natural Resources Conference, Wichita, KS.
• Davis, N. and C. Paukert. 2008. An assessment of Neosho madtom
related to gravel harvest from the Neosho River, Kansas. Kansas Natural
Resources Conference, Wichita, KS.
• Gipson, P.S., C. D. Lee, and S. Wilson. 2008. Feral hogs in
Kansas and Nebraska: an exotic species undergoing rapid change. Kansas
Natural Resources Conference, Wichita, KS.
• Pitts, K.L., C. Paukert, and J. Whittier. 2008. Utility of an
ecological risk index to assess threats to native fishes: insights from
the Verde River Basin, Arizona. Kansas Natural Resources Conference,
Wichita, KS.
• Schloesser, J. T., C. Paukert, W. Doyle, T. Hill, G. Mestl, and V.
Travnichek. 2008. Comparison of sampling gear detection probabilities
and variability for Missouri River fishes. Kansas Natural Resources
Conference, Wichita, KS.
• Severson, A., J. Schloesser, K. Pitts, J. Eitzmann, and C.
Paukert. 2008. Abundance and Growth of Fishes in Main and Secondary
Channels of the Kansas River. (Poster) Kansas Natural Resources
Conference, Wichita, KS.
Craig Paukert and Josh Schloesser attended the Missouri River Natural
Resources Conference in Nebraska City, Nebraska. The following papers
were presented:
• Schloesser, J. T., and C. P. Paukert. 2008. The use of
occupancy
modeling to aid the Missouri River pallid sturgeon monitoring program.
Missouri River Natural Resources Conference, Nebraska City, NE.
• Schloesser, J., J. Finley, C. Paukert, W. Doyle, and T. Hill.
2007. Comparison between push trawl and mini fyke nets to sample shallow
water fish communities. Missouri River Natural Resource Conference,
Nebraska City, NE.
Craig Paukert, Joanna Whittier and Kristen Pitts attended the Joint Annual
Meeting of the Arizona and New Mexico Chapters of the American Fisheries
Society in Prescott, Arizona. The following papers were presented:
• Paukert, C. P., and J. Eitzmann. 2008. Food web dynamics of a
Great Plains river: effects of habitat alteration. Arizona/New Mexico
Joint Annual Meeting, Prescott, AZ.
• Whittier, J. B., C. P. Paukert, K. L. Pitts, and J. D. Olden.
2007. The Lower Colorado River aquatic GAP project-an update.
Arizona-New Mexico American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Albuquerque,
NM.
• Pitts, K.L., C. Paukert, and J. Whittier. 2008. Alteration of
flow regime and its influence on fish assemblages within the Lower
Colorado River Basin. Arizona/New Mexico Joint Annual Meeting, Prescott,
AZ.
• Pitts, K.L., C. Paukert, and J. Whittier. 2008. Evaluation of an
ecological risk index in quantifying threats to fishes. Arizona/New Mexico
Joint Annual Meeting, Prescott, AZ.
January 2008
Four new graduate students joined the Kansas Unit in January: Joe
Gerken, Derek Moon, Andrea Severson and Mackenzie Shardlow.
Donald Althoff presented a poster, "Althoff, D.P. and P.S. Gipson. 2008.
Breeding chronology and reproductive success of grasshopper sparrows and
eastern meadowlarks on a military
training landscape: implications for management." Presented at the
Society for Range Management Annual Conference, Louisville, Kentucky.
December 2007
Craig Paukert, Wes Bouska, Kristen Pitts, Josh Schloesser and Jonathan
Conard attended the 68th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Research Conference in
Madison, Wisconsin. The following papers and poster were presented.
• Josh Schloesser presented a paper, "Probability of detection
and
catch
rate variability by gear type for Missouri River fishes." Schloesser also
received the Joan Duffy Travel Award.
• Jonathan Conard presented a paper, "Genetic structure of a
reintroduced
elk population."
• Kristen Pitts presented a poster, "Development and assessment of
an ecological risk index for fishes in the Verde River Basin, Arizona."
• Wes Bouska presented a poster, "Impacts of Road Crossings on
prairie stream fishes."
November 2007
Craig Paukert attended the Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research
Unit Annual Coordinating Committee Meeting in Corvallis, Oregon.
Don Althoff hosted three student researchers from the University of Rio
Grand of Ohio. They conducted research on Fort Riley through the Range and
Training Lands Assessment (RTLA) project.
October 2007
September 2007
Craig Paukert, Jodi Whittier, Jeff Eitzmann, Josh Schloesser and Kristen
Pitts attended the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting in San
Francisco, CA. Whittier taught two workshops on "Introduction to GIS" and
"Advanced GIS."
Kristen Pitts presented a paper titled "Hydrologic Variability in the in
the Lower Colorado River Basin: Implications for fish conservation" at the
American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Co-authors
were Craig Paukert and Jodi Whittier.
Josh Schloesser presented a poster titled "Comparison between push trawls
and mini fyke nets to sample shallow water fish communities" at the
American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Co-authors
were Jeff Finley, Craig Paukert, Wyatt Doyle, and Tracy Hill.
Jeff Eitzmann was a winner of the Skinner Award from the American
Fisheries Society.
Phil Gipson and Kevin Blecha attended the Midwest Furbearers Workshop
sponsored by the Nebraska Chapter of The Wildlife Society in Omaha, NE.
Kevin Blecha gave an oral presentation at a workshop titled "Occupancy of
River Otter in Eastern Kansas." Co-authors were Phil Gipson and Matt
Peek.
Joanna Whittier gave a presentation at the National Gap Analysis Program
Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. The topic was: "Lower Colorado
River aquatic gap: meeting the needs of stakeholders."
August 2007
Craig Paukert attended the Montana Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit
Annual Coordinating Committee Meeting in Bozeman, MT.
Don Althoff attended the Introduction to GPS Mapping and Navigation
Workshop in St. Joseph, MO.
July 2007
June 2007
Ron VanNimwegen presented a poster titled, "Ecosystem engineering by a
colonial mammal: how black-tailed prairie dogs structure small mammal
communities." American Society of Mammalogists Annual Meeting in
Albuquerque, NM. Co-authors were Justin Kretzer, and Jack F. Cully, Jr.
May 2007
Craig Paukert participated in a USGS Research Grade Evaluation Panel in
Atlanta, Georgia.
Kevin Blecha and Josh Schloesser attended the Modeling Patterns and
Dynamics of Species Occurrence Workshop in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Andrea Severson joined the Unit as a Research Experience for Undergraduate
student and will be working on recruitment of fishes in the Kansas River.
Andrea will be finishing up her BS at Utah State University and will be
starting her PhD under Craig Paukert in January 2008.
Josh Schloesser, Kristen Pitts and Andrea Severson attended the motorboat
operators certification course in Brookings, South Dakota.
Craig Paukert attended a Topeka shiner 5-year review workshop at DeSoto
National Wildlife Refuge. The workshop was sponsored by the US Fish and
Wildlife Service at the Cooperative Research Units in South Dakota,
Nebraska, and Kansas participated.
Don Althoff attended the U.S. Army Sustainable Range Program Workshop in
Hampton, VA.
April 2007
Jesse Fischer defended his M.S. Thesis, "Structural organization of Great
Plains stream fish assemblages: Implications for sampling and
conservation." Fischer has accepted a position with the Nebraska Game
and Parks Commission working on Missouri River issues.
March 2007
Craig Paukert attended the Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research
Unit annual Coordinating Committee Meeting in Tucson, AZ. He also
attended the Cooperative Research Units professional development program
in Tucson.
Craig Paukert and Josh Schloesser attended the Missouri River Natural
Resources Conference in Nebraska City, Nebraska. They received the Fourth
Best Poster Award for a poster titled, "Schloesser, J., J. Finley, C.
Paukert, W. Doyle, and T. Hill. 2007. Comparison between push trawl and
mini fyke nets to sample shallow water fish communities."
Jesse Fischer, Unit student under the direction of Craig Paukert, was
awarded the outstanding Graduate Student Award from the Kansas Cooperative
Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.
February 2007
The annual Coordinating Committee Meeting for the Kansas Unit was held on
February 28.
Phil Gipson and Jonathan Conard presented a poster, "Elk in Kansas: a
review of historical distribution and current status" at the Kansas
Chapter of The Wildlife Society meeting in Pittsburg, Kansas.
Craig Paukert, Joanna Whittier and Kristen Pitts attended the 40th Joint
Annual Meeting of the Arizona and New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife
Society and the Arizona/New Mexico Chapter of the American Fisheries
Society in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The following poster was presented:
• Whittier, J. B., C. P. Paukert, K. L. Pitts, and J. D. Olden.
2007. The Lower Colorado River aquatic GAP project-an update.
Arizona-New Mexico American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Albuquerque,
NM 7 February 2007.
Publications in February:
Paukert, C. P., M. McInerny, and R. Schultz. 2007. Current and
historical black bass regulations in North America. Fisheries (Bethesda):
32(2):63-72.
January 2007
Craig Paukert, Jesse Fischer, Jeff Eitzmann, Josh Schloesser and Wes
Bouska attended the American Fisheries Society Tri-State (Iowa, Kansas and
Nebraska) Joint Meeting in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The following papers
were presented:
• Schloesser, J. T., D. E. Haines, and C. P. Paukert. 2007.
Walleye harvest restrictions to reduce gizzard shad impingement. Kansas,
Nebraska, Iowa Tri-State American Fisheries Society Meeting, Council
Bluffs, IA. 20 January 2007.
• Paukert, C. P., J. Eitzmann, J. Fischer, K. Pitts, J. Schloesser,
and D. Thornbrugh. 2007. Fish community and habitat differences in
dredges and
undredged sites on the Lower Kansas River. Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa
Tri-State American Fisheries Society Meeting, Council Bluffs, IA. 19
January 2007. (best professional presentation)
• Paukert, C. P., and A. S. Makinster. 2007. Flathead catfish
population
dynamics in the Kansas River: implications for management. Kansas,
Nebraska, Iowa Tri-State American Fisheries Society Meeting, Council
Bluffs, IA. 19 January 2007.
• Fischer, J., and C. Paukert. 2007. Sampling effort required to
estimate species richness in wadable Great Plains streams with a towed
electrofishing. Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa Tri-State American Fisheries
Society Meeting, Council Bluffs, IA. 19 January 2007. (Best Student
Presentation)
• Eitzmann, J., and C. Paukert. 2007. Electrofishing and
hoopnetting gear
comparisons for fish communities in the Kansas River, Kansas. Kansas,
Nebraska, Iowa Tri-State American Fisheries Society Meeting, Council
Bluffs, IA. 19 January 2007.
• Fischer, J., and C. Paukert. 2007. Historical and current
environmental
influences on an endemic great plains fish. Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa
Tri-State American Fisheries Society Meeting, Council Bluffs, IA. 19
January 2007. (poster) (Best Student Poster)
Awards:
Jesse Fischer won best student oral presentation at the Kansas, Nebraska,
Iowa Tri-State American Fisheries Society Meeting, Jan. 2007.
Jesse Fischer won best student poster presentation at the Kansas,
Nebraska, Iowa Tri-State American Fisheries Society Meeting, Jan. 2007.
Craig Paukert won best professional oral presentation at the Kansas,
Nebraska, Iowa Tri-State American Fisheries Society Meeting, Jan. 2007.
Jesse Fischer won the Kansas Chapter AFS Tiemeier-Cross Award for
outstanding fisheries graduate student in Kansas, Jan. 2007.
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