Integrated Monitoring Strategies for Independence Valley Speckled Dace, Rhinichthys osculus lethoporus, Conservation: An Applied Approach for Optimizing Long-term Species Status Assessment

Authors: Lindsey Roberts, James Peterson

Year: 2024

Abstract

As desert aquatic organisms face numerous threats to survival, such as habitat degradation, ground water pumping, and climate change, stress incurred from frequent handling during data collection can further affect the persistence of vulnerable species. To mitigate these effects, it is important to reduce handling time and use trapping techniques that minimize stress, especially for at risk species. Researchers should also evaluate potential monitoring methods and develop robust, statistically validated procedures for effective long-term population assessment. Environmental deoxyribonucleic acid (eDNA) has been shown to be a reliable tool for evaluating species presence/absence that does not require the capture and handling of focal species. Recently, eDNA has also been used to estimate species-specific population abundances, species distributions, and community assemblages. Here, we assess the feasibility of eDNA for long-term monitoring of the endemic Independence Valley Speckled Dace, Rhinichthys osculus lethoporus, which inhabits the Ralphs Warm Spring wetland complex in Independence Valley, Nevada. We sampled dace using minnow traps paired with eDNA samples at multiple locations within the wetland complex. Dace abundance at each location was estimated using the Huggins closed capture model and compared using qPCR standard curve copy numbers, which indicate the quantity of DNA present. Data collection is ongoing however, but preliminary results suggest that eDNA may be useful for assessing the status of Independence Valley Speckled Dace.