The Need for Relevant Hydrologic and Environmental Data for Studies of Freshwater Species Distributions and Diversity

The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to study the distribution and diversity of species has expanded dramatically over the past two decades.  However, while the application of GIS to the study of terrestrial systems has flourished during this time, the study of aquatic systems has lagged far behind.  Streamflow, water temperature, sediment, and nutrient concentrations are primary factors influencing the survival, growth, and reproduction of aquatic species.  Although accurate and continuous estimates of spatial variation in these variables are not available for many regions, these types of data are primary to characterizing the environmental tolerances of species as well as predicting the response of species to human-induced changes in aquatic habitat.  Consequently, generation of these environmental data through the use of appropriate physical models is critical to our understanding of species distributions and the potential responses of watershed hydrology and aquatic biodiversity to projected changes in climate and land use.  The purpose of this presentation is to discuss potential opportunities for developing these landscape-scale (and larger) data sets and to provide examples of how these data can be used to better understand the distribution and diversity of freshwater species.