California Water BlogAs we rapidly enter another drought, long-standing questions on ecological impacts of increased temperatures, reduced water levels and flows re-emerge.
California is home to some of the largest black bass captured on Earth, and there is some evidence that they compete with and prey on our rapidly declining native fishes.
Largemouth bass are a warmwater fish species. As such, their metabolism and vital rates increase directly as a function of temperature, up to some very high thresholds. So unfortunately, increased temperatures and droughts are likely boons for non-native warmwater non-native species like largemouth bass.
A statewide assessment of climate change effects on native and non-native fishes indicates that warmwater fishes such as largemouth bass will benefit from increased temperatures and lower reservoirs, while most native fishes will have their declines hastened.
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By Andrew L. Rypel | 02 May 2021
