Trend Analysis Shows Decline of an Endangered Thermophilic Springsnail (Pyrgulopsis Bruneauensis) in Southwestern Idaho

Myler, Cary; Mladenka, Greg C.; Minshall, G. Wayne

doi:10.3398/1527-0904(2007)67[199:tasdoa]2.0.co;2

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Although this generally promising situation bodes well for the continued protection of the surface habitats of springsnails, the future is clouded by the overarching threat posed by groundwater pumping, which has proven to be intractable and is likely to lead to additional extinctions in the near future because of anticipated increases in water demands (e.g., Arizona fauna; Marshall et al 2010). The current policies and regulations for groundwater pumping in the West do not adequately involve environmental needs and are, therefore, generally insufficient to protect aquatic biota, even when a federally listed species is nearing extinction, as was noted in the case of P. bruneauensis (Myler et al 2007, USFWS 2007a. Although the purchase of pertinent lands (and the associated water rights) as a means of controlling groundwater development may be a tenable conservation action for a few species, including P. bruneauensis (USFWS 2007a), broader protection from this threat will require new sustainability policies that provision water for both humans and aquatic ecosystems (e.g., constraining groundwater extraction to maintain environmental flows).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The large number of dried springs that are scattered throughout the West (Unmack and Minckley 2008) suggests the likelihood of additional, unrecorded springsnail extinctions. Local populations of several extant springsnails have been extirpated as a result of aquifer drawdown (e.g., P. bruneauensis, Myler et al 2007; Pyrgulopsis texana, USFWS 2013). The threat posed by aquifer drawdown is exacerbated in several parts of the West (which are underlain by well-integrated subsurface drainage networks), where local groundwater extraction potentially jeopardizes entire regional faunas (e.g., eastern Great Basin; BLM 2012).…”

Section: Threats and Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Springsnails: A New Conservation Focus in Western North America

Hershler¹,

Liu²,

Howard³

2014

BioScience

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Springsnails (genus Pyrgulopsis) are one of the most abundant and diverse members of the endemic western North American aquatic biota. These tiny gastropods are imperiled by threats ranging from groundwater pumping to livestock grazing. During the past 25 years, this longneglected element of biodiversity has emerged as a new focus of conservation-related activities, including protection of several species under the Endangered Species Act and monitoring and habitat restoration efforts. Molecular investigations have helped sharpen springsnail taxonomy and suggest that these animals cannot be managed using a priori assumptions of population structure. Despite this progress, there is an urgent need for additional studies of springsnail natural history, taxonomy, and genetics. The prospects for improving the protection and restoration of springsnail habitats are promising but are clouded by the overarching threat of groundwater mining, which may be addressed best by broader conservation efforts focused on regional groundwater-dependent ecosystems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Threats and Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Springsnails: A New Conservation Focus in Western North America

Hershler¹,

Liu²,

Howard³

2014

BioScience

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“…is unknown, but juvenile Pyrgulopsis spp. may be as small 0.3–0.4 mm (Mladenka & Minshall, 2001; Pearson et al, 2014), which is slightly smaller than the basket's mesh openings. After processing, invertebrates were returned to the sample locations.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…. All models accounted for season, as springsnails have large season-to-season fluctuations in abundance(Mladenka & Minshall, 2001;Johnson et al, 2019). Where models suggested an effect of season or sample, estimated marginal means were compared (Tukey's, α = 0.05, R package 'emmeans':Lenth et al, 2021).…”

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confidence: 99%

Successful establishment of endangered springsnails following habitat enhancement and translocations

Johnson

Beauchamp

Butler

et al. 2022

Aquatic Conservation

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1. Spring-associated aquatic invertebrates tend to be narrow-range endemics.Globally, they are threatened with extinction as a result of habitat loss caused by declining aquifers and by climate change.2. Extinction risks to narrow-range endemics may be reduced by having multiple, separate populations, yet there have been few attempts to use conservation translocations to create new populations.3. Pyrgulopsis roswellensis (Roswell springsnail), Juturnia kosteri (Koster's springsnail) and Gammarus desperatus (Noel's amphipod) are range-restricted, springassociated endangered species. Each species has lost one or more populations owing to habitat loss, and their distributions are now largely restricted to Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico. 4. In 2014, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge enhanced a series of springs by rerouting a channelized section of river away from them. The goal was to create habitat suitable for establishing new populations of P. roswellensis and J. kosteri, and for expansion of G. desperatus. After assessing risks and benefits of translocations, approximately 6,177 P. roswellensis and 8,707 J. kosteri were introduced into the project area from 2015 to 2018. 5. Efficacy was evaluated by comparing the abundance of invertebrates in the translocation site through time, and by comparing springsnail abundance with three reference spring systems. From 2014 to 2021, invertebrates were monitored twice annually in the translocation area. In reference spring systems, P. roswellensis and J. kosteri were monitored twice annually in 2020 and 2021.6. Counts of springsnails in the translocation area were comparable to one or more reference areas, which suggests that translocations were successful. In addition, the proportion of P. roswellensis, the less common springsnail, to J. kosteri was similar to references areas. 7. G. desperatus did not increase, which may be because some measures of water quality have not stabilized. 8. Globally, climate change and aquifer declines necessitate immediate consideration be given to conservation translocations as a means of keeping spring-associated species from becoming extinct.

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“…This species was ruled as endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1993 principally because of the threats posed by the reduction of its thermal spring habitats owing to agriculture-related groundwater withdrawal (USFWS 1993). Previous studies of this species have focused on its ecology, life history (Mladenka and Minshall 2001) and recent decline (Myler et al 2007). The only previously published genetic data for P. bruneauensis are mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from a single specimen which was delineated as a divergent (4.9-10.4% COI) terminal of uncertain relationships within the genus (Liu and Hershler 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogeography of an endangered Western North American springsnail

Liu

Hershler

2011

Conserv Genet

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We provide the first genetic analysis of the Bruneau Hot Springsnail (Pyrgulopsis bruneauensis), a federally listed (endangered) hydrobiid gastropod that is distributed in spring-fed habitats along a short reach of the Bruneau River in southwestern Idaho and threatened with extinction by groundwater withdrawal. Partial sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit I (NDI) were obtained from 51 specimens from six sites spanning the narrow geographic range of P. bruneauensis. A Bayesian analysis of the combined dataset resolved this species as a well supported clade which differed from other regional congeners by 4.66-10.62% sequence divergence (COI). The 11 observed COI haplotypes in P. bruneauensis formed two divergent (1.42 ± 0.7%) subgroups that co-occurred at five of the six collecting sites. COI haplotype diversity was substantial (ranging up to 0.9111) in all but one sample, while nucleotide diversity was low (\0.01). AMOVA detected small but significant variation among sites, although only one sample was significantly differentiated by pairwise comparisons. Haplotype composition varied widely among the collecting localities and no obvious geographic pattern was detected. These findings suggest that translocation of snails, which was considered as a possible measure in the P. bruneauensis recovery plan, should be preceded by assays to ensure selection of appropriately genetically diverse source populations.

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Trend Analysis Shows Decline of an Endangered Thermophilic Springsnail (Pyrgulopsis Bruneauensis) in Southwestern Idaho

Cited by 7 publications

References 1 publication

Springsnails: A New Conservation Focus in Western North America

Springsnails: A New Conservation Focus in Western North America

Successful establishment of endangered springsnails following habitat enhancement and translocations

Phylogeography of an endangered Western North American springsnail

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