Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G14AS00039) was issued by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), specifically through the Western Ecological Research Center, under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) framework. It is a discretionary research and development award in the form of a cooperative agreement, meaning the USGS expects to be actively involved with the recipient during the project rather than simply providing funds with minimal interaction. The opportunity was posted on March 4, 2014, and closed on March 14, 2014, with an archive date of June 4, 2014. USGS anticipated making one award, with an estimated total funding amount of $32,390. There was no stated award ceiling or floor, and there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.

Eligibility was limited to partners in the Californian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CCESU). CESUs are formal partnerships designed to connect federal land and resource management agencies with universities, nonprofits, and other research partners in order to deliver applied science, technical assistance, and education that directly supports management needs. In this case, only a participating member of the Californian CESU was eligible to apply, reflecting the program’s intent to route this work through an established collaborative network.

The project itself is titled "Determining rotenone effects on benthic invertebrates: a Before-After Control-Impact experimental approach." The focus is on understanding ecological effects of rotenone, a piscicide commonly used to remove non-native fish, by using a structured experimental design that compares conditions before and after treatment at impacted sites while also tracking comparable untreated control sites. The work is framed around high-elevation aquatic ecosystems in SEKI (Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks), where fish removal projects are often tied to native species conservation goals.

A central objective is to determine whether rotenone application leads to acceptable long-term outcomes for native aquatic communities in high-elevation streams and lakes. The opportunity explicitly states null hypotheses to be tested, emphasizing a rigorous monitoring and analysis approach. Those null hypotheses are that there is no immediate change in the structure and abundance of native fauna right after rotenone application, and no detectable temporal change in assemblage structure and abundance in the period one to three years following application. In practice, this points to repeated sampling over multiple seasons and years to evaluate both short-term disturbance and longer-term recovery trajectories.

Another major objective is to evaluate management treatments that include rotenone for fish eradication under challenging, real-world conditions. The announcement describes two management scenarios of interest. The first involves treating a long, large, or complex stream reach located downstream of a fish barrier, and doing so immediately after upstream fish have already been removed using physical methods. The second involves treating a large lake or a connected group of larger lakes, along with any tributary stream sections containing fish that lie downstream of a fish barrier. These scenarios signal that the USGS is interested in evidence that can guide fish eradication strategies in systems where logistics, connectivity, and reinvasion risk complicate management decisions.

The ecological response variables emphasized in the announcement are aquatic invertebrates and, in lakes, plankton communities. Specifically, the project seeks to quantify both immediate impacts and long-term recovery (defined as greater than one year after treatment) for benthic macroinvertebrates in streams, and benthic macroinvertebrates plus zooplankton in lakes. This highlights concern not only about the target outcome (fish removal) but also about potential non-target effects on foundational food web components and overall ecosystem functioning. By focusing on recovery as well as initial impact, the study is positioned to inform whether rotenone-based actions produce transient disruptions that rebound, or whether they result in longer-lasting shifts that managers should weigh more carefully.

The opportunity also notes that it is desirable, though not required, to evaluate amphibian responses. The amphibians named are the mountain yellow-legged frog, Sierran treefrog, and Yosemite toad. Including these species would broaden the work from community-level invertebrate and plankton responses to vertebrate conservation outcomes, which is often a key driver of fish removal projects in Sierra Nevada high-elevation waters. The fact that amphibian monitoring is optional suggests the core deliverable is the invertebrate and zooplankton assessment, with amphibian work considered an added value if feasible within scope and budget.

For reference and applicant support, the public listing pointed to Grants.gov for additional details, and provided a USGS contact for access issues: Faith Graves (703-648-7356, fgraves@usgs.gov).

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