File Geodatabase Feature Class
Tags
Calfornia, Karuk tribe, Klamath River, inlandWaters, Margaritifera falcata, biota, environment, Freshwater mussels, Anodonta californiensis, Gonidea angulata
This study examines freshwater mussel distribution and habitat use in the Klamath River of Northern California. We snorkel surveyed forty sites for the presence of freshwater mussels and recorded three mussel genera (Gonidea, Margaritifera, and Anodonta), with Gonidea being most abundant, Margaritifera present in low numbers, and Anodonta present at a few sites at the upper end of our study area. Data collected during these surveys were analyzed in three senior theses at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA (Krall 2010, Tennant 2010, and Westover 2010). The occupied freshwater mussel sites documented by Krall (2010), Tennant (2010), and Westover (2010) in Klamath_2007_mussel_locations.shp and Klamath_2010_mussel_locations.shp were projected onto USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) flowlines in ArcMap. NHD flowline reaches immediately adjacent to occupied freshwater mussel sites in Klamath_2007_mussel_locations.shp and Klamath_2010_mussel_locations.shp were selected and exported in shapefile format (Klamath_occupied_mussel_reaches.shp); all the NHD flowline attributes retained.
Freshwater mussels of the Klamath River community filter water, provide habitat and food for other animals and are culturally important to the Karuk tribe. Mussels are disappearing at an alarming rate in the United States and worldwide; more information on mussel biology and habitat is crucial for conservation. As part of the first comprehensive study of mussels in the Klamath River, we identified habitat variables important to mussel conservation and provided baseline data for future studies. We hypothesized that long term habitat stability affected the distribution and abundance of Gonidea angulata (western ridged mussel), Margaritifera falcata (western pearlshell) and Anodonta sp. (floater mussel) in the Klamath River. We predicted that mussels would more commonly inhabit stable areas like pools, bar edges and bedrock and boulder substrates than less stable areas. We found that substrate and river edge correlated with M. falcata and G. angulata distribution, but mesohabitat did not. M. falcata referentially inhabited boulder and gravel substrates whereas G. angulata lived in boulder and cobble; both commonly occupied stable bank edges. Our research suggests that river edge and substrate are important factors for mussel habitat, and that mussels prefer habitats that are stable for multiple decades. Continued research on the Klamath River mussels is necessary for effective monitoring and conservation of mussels as a cultural and biological resource.
Citation: - Krall M. 2010. Freshwater Mussel Abundance and Habitat in the Klamath River of Northern California. B.A.Thesis, Department of Biology, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA. - Tennant C. 2010. A population demographic analysis of Gonidea angulata in the Mid-Klamath Basin. Whitman College, unpublished thesis. - Westover ML. 2010. Freshwater mussel distribution, abundance, and habitat preference in the middle Klamath River, Northern California. B.A.Thesis, Department of Biology, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA.
Disclaimer: The State makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or adequacy of these data and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in these data. No warranty of any kind, implied, expressed, or statutory, including but not limited to the warranties of non-infringement of third party rights, title, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from computer virus, is given with respect to these data.
Extent
| West | -123.720500 | East | -122.413667 |
| North | 41.932598 | South | 41.186711 |
| Maximum (zoomed in) | 1:5,000 |
| Minimum (zoomed out) | 1:150,000,000 |
Disclaimer: The State makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or adequacy of these data and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in these data. No warranty of any kind, implied, expressed, or statutory, including but not limited to the warranties of non-infringement of third party rights, title, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from computer virus, is given with respect to these data.