| Ecohydraulics is an emerging field that is maturing within the domain of sustainable ecosystem management. It is focused at the interface between hydraulics and the ecology of flowing waters. The continued development of computational resources has allowed for the use of hi-fidelity three dimensional descriptions of natural flow fields. However, the direct linkage of CFD with ecological models is still not feasible, and coupling large data sets on flow fields from CFD presents a challenge in ecohydraulics. The imperiled status of native freshwater mussels in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) creates a need for conservation of mussels. Unionid mussels have a parasitic larval stage that requires a host fish. At maturation to the juvenile stage, mussels drop off the host fish and settle with the flow. Flow hydraulics are of vital importance to the distribution of native mussel beds, which is little understood at present. The primary objective of this dissertation is to develop a statistical framework and probabilistic methodology with which to summarize data from CFD for integration into ecological models. Using this methodology, likelihood and probability maps of juvenile settling in areas of pools 13 and 16 of the UMR are developed that can be used to set initial population distributions and to distribute juveniles after a reproductive event as simulated in the population dynamics model. A sensitivity analysis shows the importance of release depth and velocity gradients at initial release areas on final settling distributions of mussels. Bed shear stress is the most significant hydraulic parameter affecting settling distributions and can override the importance of initial release location. River morphology is a major determinant of flow hydraulics, in addition to flow rate, and analyses reveal that river form and flow regime has a significant effect on dispersal distances. This dissertation presents an integrative methodology that is at the cutting-edge of ecohydraulics. The methodology is robust and general, with broader application in ecohydraulics research and modeling and sustainable ecosystem management, developed within a conceptual framework that provides a common point of reference from which to advance knowledge and facilitate communication between scientists and engineers. |
