Status of the Topeka shiner in Iowa

American Midland Naturalist
By: , and 

Links

Abstract

The Topeka shiner Notropis topeka is native to Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota and has been federally listed as endangered since 1998. Our goals were to determine the present distribution and qualitative status of Topeka shiners throughout its current range in Iowa and characterize the extent of decline in relation to its historic distribution. We compared the current (2016–2017) distribution to distributions portrayed in three earlier time periods. In 2016–2017 Topeka shiners were found in 12 of 20 HUC10 watersheds where they occurred historically. Their status was classified as stable in 21% of the HUC10 watersheds, possibly stable in 25%, possibly recovering in 8%, at risk in 33%, and possibly extirpated in 13% of the watersheds. The increasing trend in percent decline evident in earlier time periods reversed, going from 68% in 2010–11 to 40% in the most recent surveys. Following decades of decline, the status of Topeka shiners in Iowa appears to be improving. One potential reason for the reversal in the distributional decline of Topeka shiners in Iowa is the increasing number of oxbow restorations. Until a standardized monitoring program is established for Iowa, periodic status assessments such as this will be necessary to chronicle progress toward conserving this endangered fish species.

Study Area

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Status of the Topeka shiner in Iowa
Series title American Midland Naturalist
DOI 10.1674/0003-0031-182.1.109
Volume 182
Issue 1
Year Published 2019
Language English
Publisher University of Notre Dame
Contributing office(s) Coop Res Unit Leetown
Description 9 p.
First page 109
Last page 117
Country United States
State Iowa
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details