Social Ecological Outcomes of Connectivity Conservation

In the Teton River, fish passage barriers and seasonal dewatering practices block migratory pathways for Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, but also prevent negative interactions between native trout and non-native fish species. Management decisions that could alter connectivity or non-native species demographics have uncertain ecological and social outcomes, which affect not only fish and stream ecosystems but also a variety of stakeholder interests. This project aims to integrate mental modeling and agent-based modeling to explore the social-ecological outcomes to changing stream connectivity.