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https://hdl.handle.net/11681/26457| Title: | An analysis of freshwater mussels (Unionidae) in the Upper Ohio River near Huntington, West Virginia : 1992 studies |
| Authors: | Miller, Andrew C. Payne, Barry S. |
| Keywords: | Unionidae--Ohio River Freshwater mussels--Ohio River--Habitat--Evaluation Stream ecology--Ohio River Ohio River--Navigation--Environmental aspects |
| Publisher: | Environmental Laboratory (U.S.) U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station. |
| Series/Report no.: | Technical Report ; EL-93-27 |
| Abstract: | A survey to assess community characteristics, density, population demography of dominant species, and the likelihood of finding endangered species of freshwater mussels (Unionidae) was conducted in the upper Ohio River (UOR) near Huntington, WV. Data will be used to analyze impacts of increased frequency of commercial navigation traffic resulting from the growth of barge traffic on the Ohio River because of increases in economic activities. A total of 1,477 individuals and 20 species of mussels were collected in the study area using qualitative methods. The fauna was dominated by two thick-shelled species (Elliptio crassidens and Quadrula pustulosa), which together comprised 66.7 percent of the fauna. Species diversity and evenness was moderate and ranged from 1.46 to 2.09 and 0.63 to 0.81, based on results of quantitative sampling. Evidence of recent recruitment for most species was low. The exception was the Quadrula pustulosa pustulosa population; approximately 12 percent of this population exhibited some evidence of recent recruitment. Total density of Unionidae ranged from 6.0 to 16.8 individuals/square meter. Total biomass of Unionidae ranged from 404.9 to 2,485.9 g/square meter. As with density, biomass values were not significantly different among sites at each RM (P > 0.05). Corbicula flumninea were more abundant in fine-grained sediments (moving upriver), although density of Unionidae appeared to be relatively unaffected by grain sizes. The results of future studies at these mussel beds will provide information necessary to evaluate the effects of commercial navigation vessels and other water resource development on freshwater molluscs at beds in this reach of the UOR. |
| Description: | Technical Report |
| Gov't Doc #: | Technical Report EL-93-27 |
| Rights: | Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11681/26457 |
| Appears in Collections: | Technical Report |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TR EL-93-27.pdf | 5.44 MB | Adobe PDF |  View/Open |