Physical habitat and water quality correlates of crayfish distributions in a mined watershed

Hydrobiologia
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Abstract

In mined watersheds, water quality alters aquatic faunas, but few studies have focused on associations between stream habitat and crayfish distributions. We examined associations of water quality and physical habitat quality on presence/absence of six crayfish species in the upper Kanawha River drainage of southern West Virginia, USA, a region with a long history of surface and mountaintop removal mining of coal. Data supported an association of physical habitat quality with the presence of four species (Cambarus carinirostrisCambarus robustusCambarus cf. sciotensis, and Orconectes sanbornii). Cambarus bartonii cavatus and the non-native Orconectes virilis were associated with lower quality physical habitat than that of the other four species. Relative to other species, C. b. cavatus was associated with the lowest conductivity values, whereas O. virilis was associated with the highest conductivity values. Secondary and tertiary burrowers were generally associated with relatively high-quality physical habitat. However, C. b. cavatus, a crayfish known to burrow extensively in headwater streams, was associated with the lowest quality physical habitat. Physical habitat quality was generally supported over stream conductivity as a variable influencing crayfish distributions. Our data demonstrate the importance of stream habitat quality when assessing crayfish assemblages within mined watersheds.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Physical habitat and water quality correlates of crayfish distributions in a mined watershed
Series title Hydrobiologia
DOI 10.1007/s10750-014-2095-y
Volume 745
Issue 1
Year Published 2014
Language English
Publisher Springer International Publishing
Contributing office(s) Coop Res Unit Leetown
Description 12 p.
First page 85
Last page 96
Country United States
State West Virginia
Other Geospatial Kanawha River drainage
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
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