The zonation of Carp Lake River and the fish species that occupy each region.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand how abiotic factors change along Carp Lake River and how these factors influence species abundance and distribution. Temperature, velocity, pH, conductivity, depth, nutrient levels, dissolved oxygen concentration, slope, and substrate were measured at four sites along the stream. The species of fish sound at each site were also recorded. We found that groundwater inputs at the third site had a significant impact on the abiotic factors observed. We explored the relationships between the observed trends in abiotic factors and the variation in species diversity over the course of the stream. This study concludes that differences in velocity, substrate, and depth influence the distribution of fish species along Carp Lake River. The presence of a lake at both ends of the stream also influenced species distribution.