Habitat and landscape variables affecting Corbicula fluminea presence in the upper Savannah River drainage (USA)
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Abstract
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are amongst the greatest threats to native aquatic biodiversity. These introduced species often thrive in human-altered environments and spread through human-mediated pathways to invade new watersheds. Corbicula fluminea is a freshwater bivalve native to southeastern Asia first introduced in North America in Seattle, WA, in 1938 and has spread to nearly every major watershed in the southeastern United States. In the present study, we use an information theoretic framework to compare landscape and stream habitat variables associated with C. fluminea presence across five HUC10 watersheds in the upper Savannah River basin of South Carolina and Georgia, USA. Predictive models included landscape-level and site-level habitat variables associated with agricultural, developed, and forested landscapes. Models with variables associated with forested and developed landscapes were the top performing models based on AICc values. In top performing models C. fluminea presence was positively correlated with increased stream width, but negatively correlated with substrates dominated by cobble. Lower performing models highlight positive correlations with the presence of upstream reservoirs and increased developed landscape surrounding the site. Identification of habitat and landscape correlates with invasive species presence may lead to more efficient introduction monitoring efforts for conservation managers.
Suggested Citation
Schumber, Z.M., Baker, M.A., Irwin, B., Hamel, M.J., and Hazelton, P.D., 2026, Habitat and landscape variables affecting Corbicula fluminea presence in the upper Savannah River drainage (USA): Aquatic Invasions, v. 21, no. 2, p. 111-126, https://doi.org/10.3391/ai.2026.21.2.189571.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Habitat and landscape variables affecting Corbicula fluminea presence in the upper Savannah River drainage (USA) |
| Series title | Aquatic Invasions |
| DOI | 10.3391/ai.2026.21.2.189571 |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication Date | April 30, 2026 |
| Year Published | 2026 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Regional Euro-Asian Biological Invasions Centre |
| Contributing office(s) | Coop Res Unit Atlanta |
| Description | 16 p. |
| First page | 111 |
| Last page | 126 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina |
| Other Geospatial | upper Savannah River basin |