Survey protocol for assessment of endangered freshwater mussels in the Allegheny River, Pennsylvania

Smith, David R.; Villella, Rita F.; Lemarié, D.P.

doi:10.2307/1468193

Cited by 58 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Visual-tactile timed searches are less labor-intensive than quadrat sampling, and this allows sampling a wider variety of habitats, a larger number of sites, and a greater number of individuals, all of which can improve species detection. Our results support the importance of excavation for improving species detection as reported by previous studies [14,40,45]. Excavation during quadrat sampling greatly improved the detection of mussel species (including several mussel SAR species).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…For each species at each site, mussel density and variance were calculated using unbiased estimators developed for systematic sampling designs with multiple random starts [12,14,25]. The Mann-Whitney Test was used to test for differences between density estimates for SAR and other species.…”

Section: Multi-river Datasetmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given the long-term nature of monitoring objectives, it is important that biologists and resource managers are confident that investments in sampling will provide data that is useful for detecting trends in species distribution and abundance. The application of the protocol has been demonstrated at riverine sites in Pennsylvania and West Virginia (United States) [14,15]. However, the protocol's performance has not been evaluated for freshwater mussels in more northern, and less productive, rivers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this study, we used two datasets to assess the efficacy of the OFMRT protocol at a site level to: (1) detect mussel SAR; (2) characterize species composition; (3) provide accurate estimates of density; and (4) detect long-term changes in density. The effort required to implement monitoring can be reduced by collecting mussels with surface searches at all selected quadrats and only excavating the substrate at a random subset of selected quadrats (i.e., double-sampling, [14]). However, the approach can be limited by observation bias when only a low percentage (i.e., <40%) of mussels are detected at the surface [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The effort required to implement monitoring can be reduced by collecting mussels with surface searches at all selected quadrats and only excavating the substrate at a random subset of selected quadrats (i.e., double-sampling, [14]). However, the approach can be limited by observation bias when only a low percentage (i.e., <40%) of mussels are detected at the surface [14]. Therefore, we also compared the composition of mussel data (species presence and shell length) collected using surface searches and excavation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tracking the Recovery of Freshwater Mussel Diversity in Ontario Rivers: Evaluation of a Quadrat-Based Monitoring Protocol

Reid

Morris

2017

Diversity

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Abstract:Watershed inventories and population monitoring are essential components of efforts to conserve and recover freshwater mussel diversity in Canada. We used two datasets to assess the efficacy of a quadrat-based sampling protocol for: (1) detecting mussel species at risk; (2) characterizing species composition; (3) providing accurate estimates of abundance; and (4) detecting changes in density. The protocol is based on a systematic design (with random starts) that samples 20% of monitoring sites with visual-tactile surface searches and excavation of 1 m 2 quadrats. The first dataset included 40 sampling sites in five Ontario rivers, and the second dataset consisted of complete census sampling at two 375 m 2 sites that represented contrasting mussel assemblages. Our results show that the protocol can be expected to detect the majority of species present at a site and provide accurate and precise estimates of total mussel density. Excavation was essential for detection of small individuals and to accurately estimate abundance. However, the protocol was of limited usefulness for reliable detection of most species at risk. Furthermore, imprecise density estimates precluded detection of all but the most extreme changes in density of most individual species. Meeting monitoring objectives will require either substantially greater sampling effort under the current protocol, or a fundamental revision of the sampling approach.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Multi-river Datasetmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Tracking the Recovery of Freshwater Mussel Diversity in Ontario Rivers: Evaluation of a Quadrat-Based Monitoring Protocol

Reid

Morris

2017

Diversity

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Diversity, abundance, and size structure of bivalve assemblages in the Sipsey River, Alabama

Haag

Warren

2010

Aquatic Conservation

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ABSTRACT1. Patterns of mussel diversity and assemblage structure in the Sipsey River, Alabama, are described. Qualitative data were used to describe river-wide patterns of diversity. Quantitative data were used to describe the structure of mussel assemblages at several sites based on whole-substrate sampling that ensured all size classes were detected.2. Major human impacts to the stream are limited to apparent effects of coal mining in the headwaters and the impoundment of the lower 9 km of the river by a dam on the Tombigbee River. These impacts resulted in a sharp decline in mussel diversity in the headwaters, and extirpation or decline of populations of several large-river species in the lower river that were probably dependent on colonization from the Tombigbee River.3. Despite localized impacts, mussel assemblages throughout much of the river appear to be mostly intact and self-sustaining. These assemblages have several attributes that differ substantially from those in more degraded streams: (1) high retention of historical species richness; (2) gradual, longitudinal increase in species richness from upstream to downstream, resulting in distinctive headwater and downstream assemblages; (3) ubiquity of most species within particular river segments; (4) low dominance and high evenness with large populations of many species; and (5) frequent recruitment for most species resulting in occurrence of individuals in many size classes.4. Few detailed and demographically unbiased descriptions of relatively intact mussel assemblages exist. We propose that characteristics described in the Sipsey River can be used as a baseline comparison for assessing relative degree of assemblage alteration in other streams and can serve as goals for restoration efforts. Published in

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Detecting the undetectable: Characterization, optimization, and validation of an eDNA detection assay for the federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel, Alasmidonta heterodon (Bivalvia: Unionoida)

Galbraith

2019

Aquatic Conservation

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Environmental DNA (eDNA) assays are valuable tools for monitoring the presence and distribution of cryptic species. Like many freshwater mussels, the numbers of dwarf wedgemussel, Alasmidonta heterodon, have dwindled and its range has diminished. As of its listing in 1993, only 10–20 locations were known to persist out of the 70 Atlantic slope locations known historically. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay to detect the presence of A. heterodon was developed that uses two probes to accommodate a single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the probe‐binding site within the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. This SNP defines northern and southern major phylogenetic lineages. The primers match exactly the previously determined COI sequences of 20 dwarf wedgemussel individuals representing Atlantic slope populations from North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New York, and New Hampshire. Other than for the qPCR assay described here, these primers can be used for sequencing or metabarcoding to further delineate dwarf wedgemussel populations phylogenetically. A simple eDNA preparation method is introduced using flocculation to concentrate free DNA in solution as well as cellular material (including shed animal cells, bacteria, viruses, and dissolved DNA). In addition to the specific application described here, the methodological approaches used in this study are widely applicable to conservation, including, but not limited to, general aquatic biodiversity, phylogenetic studies, and the detection of pathogenic microbes.

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Survey protocol for assessment of endangered freshwater mussels in the Allegheny River, Pennsylvania

Cited by 58 publications

References 9 publications

Tracking the Recovery of Freshwater Mussel Diversity in Ontario Rivers: Evaluation of a Quadrat-Based Monitoring Protocol

Tracking the Recovery of Freshwater Mussel Diversity in Ontario Rivers: Evaluation of a Quadrat-Based Monitoring Protocol

Diversity, abundance, and size structure of bivalve assemblages in the Sipsey River, Alabama

Detecting the undetectable: Characterization, optimization, and validation of an eDNA detection assay for the federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel, Alasmidonta heterodon (Bivalvia: Unionoida)

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