Abstract

A Decision Support Tool for Louisiana Pearlshell Mussel Conservation
Track: Conservation
Authors: Blair Tirpak

We developed a habitat model for the federally threatened Louisiana Pearlshell mussel (LPM) to prioritize locations for restoration and management. The LPM responds to many microhabitat factors that are not available spatially over large areas (e.g., flow, substrate, and water temperature); therefore, we relied on available datasets as proxies for these variables (e.g., stream order and gradient, bank slope, and percent canopy cover and percent forested habitat) in a spatially-explicit species-habitat model. In comparison to the landscape as a whole, mussels were distributed non-randomly. Mussels occurred in first- to third-order streams with moderate stream gradients along gently sloping areas in predominantly forested landscapes with greater canopy cover than average. Unoccupied but potentially suitable habitats were rare within our study area, and these areas are being surveyed for potential mussel populations and being viewed as high quality habitat where cultured mussels can be restored with a high potential for success.