A model to understand population decline of the Devil's Hole pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) and support habitat management decisions
After intensive efforts in the 1970s to stabilize the water level in Devil's Hole, the population of the Devil's Hole Pupfish showed slight but steady increase from the 1970s until the mid-1990s when the population began a steady deCline In this study I developed a system dynamics model to help the Devil's Hole Pupfish Recovery Team understand the recent decline and identify and test potential management strategies and policies to reverse or stop the deCline The model and modeling process was used to identify critical gaps in existing data. Tests simulating pore space manipulation, algae removal and addition of refugia fish resulted in long-term population growth but not quick, short-term changes.
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