The freshwater mussel (Bivalvia: Unionidae) fauna of North American streams is the most diverse in the world, but is highly threatened and declining at an alarming rate. Over 70% of native North American mussels are either already extinct, federally listed as endangered or threatened, or in need of conservation status. Freshwater mussels provide important services such as habitat and nutrients for other aquatic organisms, thus the decline in freshwater mussels may lead to the collapse of other riverine faunas. However, no studies have examined what the decline in native mussels may mean to other river organisms or stream ecosystem function. Our study is both documenting the distribution and abundance of mussels in Ouachita Upland rivers and examining the relationships between mussels and the invertebrates and fishes with which they co-occur. Ouachita Upland rivers are an ideal system to examine these relationships since many rivers have not lost a significant proportion of their species to extinction.

Complete species list

Species lists by river