MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESEARCH NEEDS 



Adult harlequins show strong .fidelity to breeding sites (Bengston 

 1972, Kuchel' 1977, Dzinbal 1982, Wallen 1987). The extent of 

 fidelity to natal areas by adults breeding for the first time is 

 unknown, but is likely to be strong. Colonization of currently 

 unoccupied streams is likely to be a rare event. Harlequins 

 appear sensitive to human disturbance (Clarkson 1992, Cassirer 

 and Groves 1991) . Repeated disturbances may discourage nesting 

 at traditional sites and reduce productivity (Rodrick and Milner 

 1991) . However, proximity to trails and roads does not always 

 correlate with reduced reproductive success. Sixty percent of 

 harlequin sites were within 50 m of trails on the Rocky Mountain 

 Front (Diamond and Finnegan 1992) . In this case, most harlequin 

 streams are located in roadless or wilderness areas and receive 

 limited human activity prior to or during the nesting period. 

 Mid-stream loafing sites are important in breeding areas 

 (Cassirer and Groves 1990) . Brood rearing areas in Idaho and 

 Montana west of the Continental Divide have a dense shrub or 

 timber/shrub mosaic on the banks (Cassirer and Groves 1989, 

 Gangemi 1991) . East of the Divide in Montana stream banks are 

 more open, and most observation sites had banks composed of 

 gravel, grass-forb, or bedrock habitat (Diamond and Finnegan 

 1992, Markum and Genter 1990). Low benthic macroinvertebrate 

 biomass may limit the number and productivity of harlequins « 

 (Bengston and Ulfstrand 1971, Kuchel 1977) . Given these factors, 

 we recommend the following management strategies on harlequin streams: 



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