IPM of Common Carp in Minnesota Lakes: Ecological Scenarios Where Micropredator Control of Common Carp Recruitment Works and Fails

Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies use combinations of control strategies to reduce a nuisance pest species below a desired threshold by targeting vulnerable life history traits. In this talk we present examples of sustainable IPMs for populations of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) inhabiting interconnected lake systems in Minnesota. These IPMs are guided by population dynamics models and target three attributes of common carp life history: vulnerability of carp eggs and larvae to predation by bluegills (Lepomis microchirus), winter aggregations of adult carp that can be targeted for removal, and delayed out-migration of juvenile carp from marshes into lakes. We first present an IMP in lakes in which carp recruitment does not occur unless populations of bluegills decline as a result of winterkills. We also present an IPM in a system in which recruitment occurs consistently in outlying marshes due to extremely unstable conditions that prevent bluegills form becoming abundant. Our results show that sustainable carp IPMs are possible in each case but specific combinations of management tools differ between the two scenarios reflecting site-specific nuances of carp population dynamics. These lessons may be useful for Bigheaded carps (Funded by Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District, Minnesota AIS Research Center).