Variation in the growth and bioenergetics of Ontario's walleye (Sander vitreus) populations
Subtitle: studying the influence of prey abundance and size.
Published: 2004
Language: eng
Number of pages: 97
Description: Walleye exhibit moderate among-population variation in life history across Ontario. Recent studies have explained this variation using easily measured abiotic environmental variables. I broadly examined the effects of prey abundance and size on walleye growth potential and energy budgets using a new biphasic growth model and a linked mercury mass balance and fish bioenergetics model respectively. Among lake variation in prey abundance, though statistically significant in a subset of lakes (remaining lakes when a group of outliers with unusually low growth were removed), was not a strong predictor of variation in walleye growth potential. I detected no systematic variations in walleye growth efficiency as a function of available prey sizes. Consequently, these measures of prey size and abundance do not represent practical easily measured environmental correlates of walleye growth. A potential reason is large inter-annual variability in the prey abundance and size variables.
Notes: Adviser:  Nick Collins.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Toronto, 2004.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-03, page: 0751.

MICR copy on microfiche (2 microfiches).