Stream Habitat Drivers of Freshwater Mussel Occupancy across a Connecticut Watershed

Presenter

Paul Russell Stanley

Campus

UMass Amherst

Sponsor

Allison Roy, Department of Environmental Conservation, UMass Amherst

Schedule

Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A19, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 1 (A1-A20) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

Freshwater mussels (Bivalve: Unionid) live in freshwater environments and provide important ecosystem functions such as water filtration. Mussel presence is largely dependent on habitat, but habitat requirements can vary across space and species. Occupancy modeling is a common tool used to understand habitat associated with mussel presence and absence, with advantages over other approaches in that it includes detection probability. Our study examined how habitat affects freshwater mussel occupancy and detection in the Willimantic watershed in Connecticut. We sampled mussels and habitat at 30 randomly selected sites upstream of road-stream crossings. Stream surveys followed a rapid assessment protocol, which includes visual snorkel survey of freshwater mussel presence by “lanes” (spatial replicates), and habitat collection at reach (e.g., mesohabitat, canopy, and stream temperature) and lane (e.g., depth, vegetation/algal cover, and bed texture) scales. We detected five mussel and one invasive clam species: Eastern Elliptio (Elliptio complanata), Eastern Floater (Pyganodon cataracta), Eastern Lampmussel (Lampsilis radiata), Eastern Pearlshell (Margaritifera margaritifera), Triangle Floater (Alasmidonta undulata), and the clam Corbicula spp. Mussels, clams, or both were present at 61 percent of the sites. Data were analyzed using a single season, single species occupancy model. We predict that mussel presence will be positively related to increased proportion of riffle habitat (increased water oxygen content), and mussel detection will be positively related to decreased vegetation (less stream bed viewing impediment). The results will guide future sampling based on habitat preferences and inform occupancy state-wide which may inform conservations and restoration plans.

Keywords

Freshwater Mussels, Conservation, Ecology, Habitat Assessment

Research Area

Environment Effects on Ecosystems

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