Assessing the effects of Myxobolus cerebralis and other environmental factors on the dynamics, abundance, and distribution of trout populations in the Logan River, Utah

This study provides insights of the abiotic (temperature, discharge, substrate size, nutrient concentration) and biotic (chlorophyll, invertebrate abundance) factors that affect the distribution, abundance, and condition of salmonid populations along the Logan River. Further, I present baseline information of the potential linkages between environmental factors and M. cerebralis distribution and prevalence. Results indicated an allopatric distribution of the fish fauna; cutthroat trout dominated the headwaters and high elevation reaches while reaches at lower elevations of the mainstem and tributaries were dominated by brown trout. The transition between these species was consistent with changes in environmental characteristics (i.e., temperature, substrate). Results also indicated that differences in mean temperature and discharge across sites explained most of the variability in prevalence of M. cerebralis observed across sites.