DISCOVERY OF REMNANT POPULATIONS OF THE ENDANGERED DWARF WEDGEMUSSEL USING GIS HABITAT ANALYSIS 2008
Hildebrand RH, Campbell CA, Lellis WA. DISCOVERY OF REMNANT POPULATIONS OF THE ENDANGERED DWARF WEDGEMUSSEL USING GIS HABITAT ANALYSIS 2008. National Park Service
A landscape-scale model and associated stream-segment database was developed to predict occurrences for the dwarf wedgemussel (DWM; Alasmidonta heterodon), a federally endangered freshwater mussel within the Atlantic Slope fauna. By extension, the model may also be applied with caution to predict where DWM are not expected to occur. Due to the rarity and declines of freshwater mussels in general and to the intense rarity of DWM and likelihood of difficulties in producing a good working model, another objective of the project was to provide a survey of freshwater mussel populations for many streams in National Capital Region and Northeast Region parks in regional proximity to the core dataset used to develop the model. Over 50 streams were sampled in National Capital and Northeast Region parks for DWM and freshwater mussels in general. No DWM were found in the surveys, and very few streams contained freshwater mussels. However, streams in Manassas National Battlefield and Prince William Forest Park contained robust mussel populations of many species. In contrast, streams predicted or near those predicted to contain DWM did not contain freshwater mussels.