Me a n Ba ck-ca lcu la te d L e n g th a t Ag e (mm)
Figure 4. Historical back-calculated length-at-age data for common carp compared to data collected in this study in Clear Lake, Iowa. Error bars for this study represent 95%
confidence intervals around means calculated from growth data collected in this study.
Age (years)
1952 1999
This Study
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
Me a n Ba ck-ca lcu la te d L e n g th a t Ag e (mm)
Figure 5. Historical back-calculated length-at-age data for walleye compared to data collected in this study in Clear Lake, Iowa. Error bars for historical data represent 95%
confidence intervals around means of mean back-calculated lengths-at-age from several years of data during the period specified. Error bars for this study represent 95% confidence intervals around means calculated from growth data collected in this study.
100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Age (years)
1940's 1948-1974 This Study
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Me a n Ba ck-ca lcu la te d L e n g th a t Ag e (mm)
Figure 6. Historical back-calculated length-at-age data for yellow bass compared to data collected in this study in Clear Lake, Iowa. Error bars for historical data represent 95%
confidence intervals around means of mean back-calculated lengths-at-age from several years of data during the period specified. Error bars for this study represent 95% confidence intervals around means calculated from growth data collected in this study.
1 2 3 4 5 6
50 100 150 200 250
Age (years)
1940's 1960's This Study
Me a n Ba ck-ca lcu la te d L e n g th a t Ag e (mm)
APPENDIX 1
Appendix 1. Size-specific growth curves for black bullhead in Clear Lake, Iowa. Curves were fit to individual estimates of annual growth and length at the beginning of the growing season by year using LOWESS regression. Individual annual growth was estimated by back-calculating growth increments on pectoral spine cross sections. Arrows represent the two points within a fish’s life where growth estimates were made (AG-0 and AG-m).
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Length at the Beginning of Growing Season (mm)
APPENDIX 2
Appendix 2. Size-specific growth curves for common carp in Clear Lake, Iowa. Curves were fit to individual estimates of annual growth and length at the beginning of the growing season by year using LOWESS regression. Individual annual growth was estimated by back-calculating growth increments on dorsal spine cross sections. Arrows represent the two points within a fish’s life where growth estimates were made (AG-0 and AG-m).
0 200 400 600 800
Length at the Beginning of Growing Season (mm)
APPENDIX 3
Appendix 3. Size-specific growth curves for walleye in Clear Lake, Iowa. Curves were fit to individual estimates of annual growth and length at the beginning of the growing season by year using LOWESS regression. Individual annual growth was estimated by
back-calculating growth increments on dorsal spine cross sections. Arrows represent the two points within a fish’s life where growth estimates were made (AG-0 and AG-m).
0 200 400 600
Length at the Beginning of Growing Season (mm)
APPENDIX 4
Appendix 4. Size-specific growth curves for yellow bass in Clear Lake, Iowa. Curves were fit to individual estimates of annual growth and length at the beginning of the growing season by year using LOWESS regression. Individual annual growth was estimated by
back-calculating growth increments on otolith cross sections. Arrows represent the two points within a fish’s life where growth estimates were made (AG-0 and AG-m).
0 50 150 250
Length at the Beginning of Growing Season (mm)
APPENDIX 5
Appendix 5. Fish collection data for fish collected in Clear Lake, Iowa. Dashes (-) in the
“Weight” column indicate weight was not recorded.
Species Date of Capture Length (mm) Weight (g) Age (years)
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Appendix 5. Continued.
Species Date of Capture Length (mm) Weight (g) Age (years)
Yellow Bass Sep-08 216 157 2
Yellow Bass Sep-08 212 136 3
Yellow Bass Sep-08 213 148 3
Yellow Bass Sep-08 219 149 3
Yellow Bass Sep-08 221 156 3
Yellow Bass Sep-08 226 172 3
Yellow Bass Sep-08 233 180 3
Yellow Bass Sep-08 241 235 4
Yellow Bass Sep-08 243 224 4
Yellow Bass Sep-08 260 274 7
Yellow Bass Sep-08 283 - 7
Yellow Bass Sep-08 259 293 8
Yellow Bass Sep-08 263 291 8
Yellow Bass Sep-08 266 - 8
Yellow Bass Sep-08 274 296 8
Yellow Bass Sep-08 276 - 8
Yellow Bass Sep-08 278 - 8
APPENDIX 6
Appendix 6. Age-length frequency matrix for black bullhead sampled from Clear Lake, Iowa.
Age
Length (mm) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
75-99 1 - - - -
100-124 16 - - - -
125-149 - - - -
150-174 - - - -
175-199 - - - -
200-224 - - - -
225-249 - - - -
250-274 - - - - 2 - -
275-299 - - - 6 9 2 1
300-324 - - 2 7 14 7 1
325-349 - - - - 3 1 2
350-374 - - - -
375-399 - - - -
400-424 - - - 1 2 - -
APPENDIX 7
Appendix 7. Age-length frequency matrix for common carp sampled from Clear Lake, Iowa.
Age
Length (mm) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 550-574 - - - 2 - - - - 575-599 - - 1 - - - 3 - - - - 600-624 - - 3 - 1 1 6 2 1 - - - - 625-649 - - - 1 - 3 15 5 1 1 - - 1 - - - - 650-674 - - - 1 20 9 3 3 4 - - - - 675-699 - - - 3 16 14 18 8 2 1 - - - - - 700-724 - - - 2 16 16 18 10 4 2 1 1 1 - - 725-749 - - - 1 9 11 18 4 3 3 - 2 - - - 750-774 - - - 2 10 16 8 8 3 1 1 1 - - 775-799 - - - 2 3 11 6 3 6 1 3 - - - 800-824 - - - 1 2 5 2 3 5 1 - 1 - 825-849 - - - 2 - 1 - 3 4 - 2 1 1 850-874 - - - 1 1 1 - 1 4 - 2 - - 875-899 - - - 1 1 1 1 2 - - - - 900-924 - - - 1 - - - - -
APPENDIX 8
Appendix 8. Age-length frequency matrix for walleye sampled from Clear Lake, Iowa.
Age
Length (mm) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
100-124 1 - - - -
125-149 10 - - - -
150-174 6 - - - -
175-199 29 - 1 - - - -
200-224 21 2 1 - - - -
225-249 4 5 1 - - - -
250-274 1 11 1 - - - -
275-299 3 22 - - - -
300-324 - 49 12 1 - - - -
325-349 - 5 7 - - - -
350-374 - - 23 1 - - - -
375-399 - 1 27 2 - - - -
400-424 - - 16 1 - - - -
425-449 - - - 3 - - - -
450-474 - - - 2 4 1 - - - - -
475-499 - - - 1 1 - 1 - - - - -
500-524 - - - - 2 2 1 - - - - -
525-549 - - - 2 1 - 1 - - - - -
550-574 - - - 1 1 - - - -
575-599 - - - 1 1 - - - - -
600-624 - - - 1 -
625-649 - - - 2 - -
650-674 - - - -
675-699 - - - 1 - - - -
700-724 - - - 1
725-749 - - - 1 -
APPENDIX 9
Appendix 9. Age-length frequency matrix for yellow bass sampled from Clear Lake, Iowa.
Age
Length (mm) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
50-74 3 - - - -
75-99 27 - - - -
100-124 1 - - - -
125-149 2 1 - - - -
150-174 - 35 - - - -
175-199 - 5 13 - - - -
200-224 - - 30 4 - - - -
225-249 - - - 2 3 - - - - -
250-274 - - - 2 4 1
275-299 - - - 1 2 -
APPENDIX 10
Appendix 10. Diet proportions by number for black bullhead, common carp, walleye and yellow bass collected from Clear Lake, Iowa in 2007 and 2008.
Black Bullhead Common Carp
Juvenile Adult Juvenile Adult
Prey Taxa N= 4 3 3 2
Cladocera 0.837 0.028 0.809 0
Copepoda 0.078 0.034 0.004 0
Chironomidae 0.016 0.014 0.022 1.000
Sphaeriidae (fingernail clam) 0.012 0 0 0
Crustacea (nauplii) 0.055 0.917 0 0
Trichoptera 0.002 0 0 0
Hirudinea 0 0 0 0
Zebra Mussel 0 0 0.165 0
Decapoda (crayfish) 0 0 0 0
Logperch 0 0 0 0
Yellow Perch 0 0 0 0
Yellow Bass 0 0 0 0
Bluegill 0 0.007 0 0
Black Bullhead 0 0 0 0
Walleye 0 0 0 0
Unidentified Fish 0 0 0 0
Appendix 10. Continued.
Walleye Yellow Bass
Juvenile Adult Juvenile Adult Prey Taxa N= 2 70 8 17
Cladocera 0 0 0.508 0.344
Copepoda 0 0 0.482 0.092
Chironomidae 0 0 0 0.041
Sphaeriidae (fingernail clam) 0 0 0 0
Crustacea (nauplii) 0 0 0.010 0.522945
Trichoptera 0 0 0 0
Hirudinea 0 0.008 0 0
Zebra Mussel 0 0 0 0
Decapoda (crayfish) 0 0.008 0 0
Logperch 0 0.058 0 0
Yellow Perch 0 0.025 0 0
Yellow Bass 0 0.430 0 0
Bluegill 0.333 0.132 0 0
Black Bullhead 0 0.017 0 0
Walleye 0 0.025 0 0
Unidentified Fish 0.667 0.298 0 0
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would first like to thank my major professor, Dr. Clay Pierce for giving me an opportunity to study at Iowa State University. He has been very helpful along the way, offering valuable advice, not only relating to research but all aspects of life. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Timothy Stewart and Dr. Sarah Nusser for their help in development and completion of my research project. I would also like to thank Minsun Kim for her help with data analysis. The NREM department has become an enjoyable place to do research, thanks to the friendly faculty and staff that I interacted with every day. I would like to thank the secretaries Janice Berhow, Carol Elsbury, Lyn Vandepol, Jan Meyer, Brenda Van Beek and Anni Magyary for always being available and for all their help taking care of paperwork and financial issues. They truly make life easier for everyone in the department.
I would like to thank all of my fellow graduate students for their advice and support
throughout my time here. Without the support of friends who experience the same trials and tribulations each day, grad school would be impossible. I would especially like to thank Mike Colvin for aiding me with my research project and assistance with R code.
I would like to thank the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for funding my research and especially the crews at the Clear Lake and Spirit Lake Offices. Thanks to Jim Wahl and Scott Grummer for providing me with assistance in collecting data and information about Clear Lake.
Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends who have supported me throughout my college career and my life. Without the love and support of my mother, Janelle, and my two brothers, Adam and Joseph, I wouldn’t be where I am today. My late
father, Bradly and my grandfather, Ralph, first introduced me to the outdoors and ignited a passion that will be with me all my life. Finally, I would like to thank my fiancée, Kati, for supporting me through my time in grad school. Long distance relationships take their toll on everyone involved and her love and support keeps me going each day. She is the love of my life and my best friend and I am grateful to her for her patience and encouragement.