Mussel Assemblages in Streams of Different Sizes in the Neches River Basin of Texas

Ford, David F.; Walters, Ashley D.; Williams, Lance R.; Williams, Marsha G.; Ford, Neil B.

doi:10.1656/058.015.0103

Cited by 16 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Most of the threatened mussel species were associated with stream discharge in the range 304.8–609.6 m 3 s ‐1 and groundwater recharge rates of 40–60 mm yr ‐1 . In a study of the same streams by Ford et al () P. amphichaenus was one of the rarest mussel species encountered. This may be, in part, because it is often found in environments (streams with sandier substrates and higher flow rates) that are harder to survey.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…In a study of the same streams by Ford et al (2016) P. amphichaenus was one of the rarest mussel species encountered. This may be, in part, because it is often found in environments (streams with sandier substrates and higher flow rates) that are harder to survey.…”

Section: Habitat Associationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In east Texas, there are six species of unionid freshwater mussels that are state‐listed as threatened: Texas pigtoe ( Fusconaia askewi ), triangle pigtoe ( Fusconaia lananensis ), sandbank pocketbook ( Lampsilis satura ), southern hickorynut ( Obovaria jacksoniana ), Texas heelsplitter ( Potamilus amphichaenus ), and Louisiana pigtoe ( Pleuroblema riddellii ). These species were found to have different habitat associations within three different river segments of the Neches River in east Texas, presumably related to their adaptations to deep, slow‐moving water versus shallower, faster, and more variable, water conditions (Ford, Walters, Williams, Williams, & Ford, ), but the distributions of these species range‐wide has not been forecast before.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…versus shallower, faster, and more variable, water conditions (Ford, Walters, Williams, Williams, & Ford, 2016), but the distributions of these species range-wide has not been forecast before.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

High‐resolution ecological niche modelling of threatened freshwater mussels in east Texas, USA

Walters

Ford

Chong

et al. 2017

Aquatic Conservation

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Unionid freshwater mussels are one of the most imperilled groups in North America. They play an important role in freshwater ecosystems, both as a food source and as filter feeders. Their priority conservation status has generated interest in unionid research. Here, data from the US Geological Survey was used to produce predictive models of mussel habitat affinities at a resolution of 100 m2 across an area of thousands of square kilometres. This approach correctly identifies areas that are more suitable for threatened mussel species beds as compared with less suitable areas (>97% of the time) Stream segments were identified that are forecast to have high suitability for threatened mussels. Potamilus amphichaenus differed from other threatened mussel species by being associated with a wider range of volumetric flow rates and by not being restricted by the clay content of the soils. Of the species examined, it was the most large‐river oriented in habitat use and distribution. These methods can help conservation planners and land‐use managers make rational decisions about where to focus their efforts in lotic habitats without the need for intensive environmental measurements while still providing high‐resolution information.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Habitat Associationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

High‐resolution ecological niche modelling of threatened freshwater mussels in east Texas, USA

Walters

Ford

Chong

et al. 2017

Aquatic Conservation

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To estimate relative abundance and distributional trends of P. amphichaenus and P. streckersoni throughout their known ranges, we compiled available or generated data from freshwater mussel surveys that detected live specimens in the Brazos, Neches, Sabine, and Trinity River drainages (Ford et al, ,2009(Ford et al, , , 2014(Ford et al, , , 2016Randklev et al, 2011Randklev et al, , 2017Randklev et al, , 2020Smith et al, 2019). For select sites where survey effort was reported (e.g., survey time, number of surveyors), we estimated abundance using catch per unit effort (CPUE), which is calculated by dividing the total number of live individuals by the total person-hours.…”

Section: Distribution and Abundance Estimatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Establishing conservation units to promote recovery of two threatened freshwater mussel species (Bivalvia: Unionida: Potamilus)

Smith

Johnson

Robertson

et al. 2021

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Two for the price of one: eDNA metabarcoding reveals temporal and spatial variability of mussel and fish co‐distributions in Michigan riverine systems

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Freshwater mussels (family Unionidae) are among the world's most endangered taxa, with almost 75% of North American taxa classified as a species of concern, threatened, or endangered. Despite the critical importance of comprehensive distributional data for the conservation of unionids and fishes, these data are often lacking because of the labor and resources associated with traditional survey methods. During their larval stage, unionid mussels use various fish species as obligate hosts, making native fish species vital to unionid persistence and an understanding of host distribution similarly important. Here, we utilized an eDNA metabarcoding approach to evaluate patterns of co‐distribution of unionid mussels and fishes along ~362 km of the densely sampled Grand River network as well as the outlets of 19 tributaries along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, USA. We detected a total of 21 mussel and 40 fish taxa, with distinctive composition of both mussel and fish assemblages across tributaries and differences in fish taxa between sampling periods. Notably, we detected more mussel taxa within the Grand River watershed than at the outlets of all 20 rivers combined. Within the Grand River network, two fish taxa (Pylodictus olivaris and Cyprinella) were found more frequently in areas of high mussel diversity, and three fish taxa more frequently in areas of low mussel diversity (Umbra, Leuciscidae, and Etheostoma). There was little difference between eDNA detections of mussels from samples collected in June versus August, but we detected significantly more fish taxa in August compared to June. Taken together, our findings demonstrate the value of eDNA metabarcoding for evaluating co‐distribution of ecologically connected taxa. The use of eDNA as a tool for determining distributions of mussels and their obligate hosts may facilitate conservation efforts for these imperiled taxa.

show abstract

Mussel Assemblages in Streams of Different Sizes in the Neches River Basin of Texas

Cited by 16 publications

References 18 publications

High‐resolution ecological niche modelling of threatened freshwater mussels in east Texas, USA

High‐resolution ecological niche modelling of threatened freshwater mussels in east Texas, USA

Establishing conservation units to promote recovery of two threatened freshwater mussel species (Bivalvia: Unionida: Potamilus)

Two for the price of one: eDNA metabarcoding reveals temporal and spatial variability of mussel and fish co‐distributions in Michigan riverine systems

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About