SUMMARY

Little is known about the distribution of freshwater mussels in

Mississippi national forests. Review of the scant available information revealed that the national forests harbor a diverse mussel fauna of possibly 46 or more species (including confirmed,

probable, and potential occurrences). Occurrence of 33 species is

confirmed. Because of the geographic, physiographic, and drainage basin diversity of Mississippi national forests, there is considerable variation in mussel communities among the national

forests. Three distinct fauna1 groups are represented in Mississippi national forests, each with a characteristic assemblage of

species. One species of potential occurrence is a federally endangered species, 1 species of confirmed occurrence is a candidate for

listing, and 11 species of confirmed or probable occurrence are

considered of special concern by the American Fisheries Society

(Williams and others 1993). None of the national forests have been

surveyed adequately, and specific population data are almost completely lacking. This review of existing information represents the

first of a three-phase program needed to comprehensively evaluate the mussel resources of Mississippi national forests. Phase

two involves an exhaustive, qualitative field survey of Mississippi

national forests to document precise distribution of species and

location of important communities. Phase three consists of a quantitative study of important communities in order to assess reproductive characteristics and viability and to establish baseline

density estimates for monitoring of future population trends.

Cover: left, Lampsilis cardium; top right, Utterbackia imbecillis; bottom right, Potamilus ohiensis.
Current Distributional Information on

Freshwater Mussels (family Unionidae)

in Mississippi National Forests

Wendell R. Haag

and

Melvin L. Warren, Jr.

INTRODUCTION

There are 6 national forests (NF’s) in Mississippi

(fig. 11, with proclamation boundaries covering a total

of 936,165 ha in 33 counties, of which 461,787 ha are

publicly owned and under USDA Forest Service management. The remaining land within the proclamation boundaries is privately owned. These forests are

widely distributed across the State and lie in several

physiographic regions. Consequently, Mississippi NF’s

encompass streams within most major river drainages

in the State and provide a diversity of habitats for

aquatic organisms.

In many Mississippi streams, freshwater mussels

are a conspicuous element of the fauna. However,

mussel populations have declined precipitously in the

past 100 years due to a variety of human-induced

changes to streams, such as channelization, impoundment, and water pollution. Currently, 72 percent of

the freshwater mussel fauna of North America is considered threatened, endangered, or of special concern

(Williams and others 1993). In many regions, streams

on NF’s may be less impacted by poor land-use practices and water pollution than nearby lands and serve

as refugia for rare or endangered organisms. Therefore, Mississippi NF’s potentially represent important

habitat for freshwater mussels.

There is little published information available on

the distributions of freshwater mussels in Mississippi,

and virtually nothing is known of mussel distributions

on NF lands in the State. National Forest personnel

need accurate current information on mussel distributions and status in order to effectively manage this

component of the aquatic resource. Our goal in this

report is to present available information on mussel

distributions, including the presence of threatened or

endangered species, on NF lands in Mississippi and to

prioritize information gaps that need urgent attention.

HOMOCHllTO

Figure 1. - Locations of the six national forests in Mississippi are

designated by shaded areas.

METHODS

Information on mussel distributions was obtained

from three sources: (1) published mussel surveys; (2)

Wendell R. Haag is a biological science technician and Melvin L. Warren, Jr., is a research biologist at the U.S. Department ofAgriculture,

Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station, Forest Hydrology Laboratory, P.O. Box 947, Oxford, MS 38655.

1

, /
mussel collection records of the Mississippi Museum

of Natural Science (MMNS), Mississippi Department

of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Jackson, MS, and

the Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity (OSU), Columbus, OH; and (3) field collection

records of the Forest Hydrology Laboratory (FHL),

Southern Forest Experiment Station, USDA Forest

Service, Oxford, MS. Occurrence of mussel species on

NF lands is classified in one of three categories: (1)

confirmed sites-confirmed record of a species within

the proclamation boundary of a NF; (2) probable occurrence-a species for which there are confirmed

records near the forest and in streams of the same

drainage as those in the NF; or (3) potential occurrencea species that is known to occur in the same drainages

and in similar habitats as those present in the NF but

for which there are no known records near the NF.

Conservation status of each species was obtained

from Williams and others (1993) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (USDI) Fish and Wildlife Service

(USDI FWS 1994a, b). Mussel nomenclature follows

Williams and others (1993). Streams were classified

following Ross and Brenneman (1991). Physiographic

regions are from Stephenson and Monroe (1940).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

At least 46 species of mussels may occur in Mississippi NF’s (table 1). Occurrence was confirmed for 33

species, and 13 other species are considered of probable or potential occurrence. The Delta National Forest had the greatest number of species, with at least

27 total and 22 confirmed species. The Homochitto National Forest had the fewest number of species with

at least 11 total and 8 confirmed species. Tombigbee

and Bienville National Forests had the fewest confirmed species (3 and 1, respectively), although the

total number of species, including probable or potential occurrences was higher (at least 14 and 18 species, respectively). DeSoto and Holly Springs National

Forests were intermediate in diversity, with each having at least 20 total and 12 confirmed species.

Mississippi NF’s contain streams belonging to 7 of

the 10 major drainages in Mississippi identified by

Ross and Brenneman (1991) (table 2). The three drainages not represented on NF lands are the Big Black

River, Lake Pontchartrain, and the Tennessee River.

This drainage diversity is responsible for the relatively

high mussel species diversity found in Mississippi

NF’s. There are three distinct mussel fauna1 groups

represented in NF streams: (1) Mississippian, (2) Pontchartrain/Pearl/Pascagoula, and (3) Mobile Bay. Species found in Mississippi NF’s characteristic of the

Mississippian fauna include Actinonaias ligumentina,

Fusconaia flaua, Lampsilis cardium, L. siliquoidea,

2

Obovaria subrotunda, Pleurobema pyramidatum,

Potamilus ohiensis, Quadrula nodulata, Q. pustulosa,

and Q. quadrula. Species of the Mississippian fauna

are found in Delta, Holly Springs, and Homochitto

National Forests. Species unique to the PonchartrairY

PearVPascagoula fauna are Pleurobema beadleanum

and Q. refulgens; these species are found in the DeSoto

National Forest and potentially in the Bienville National Forest. Species characteristic of the Mobile Bay

fauna include P. de&urn and Q. asperata; these species are potentially found in the Tombigbee National

Forest. Several species are found only in the Gulf of

Mexico basin and are absent from the Mississippian

basin. These include Elliptio arctata, Ii: cerina, L.

ornata, L. straminea straminea, L. s. claibornensis,

0. unicolor, Strophitus subvexus, and Villosa vibex.

Species of this group are found in the DeSoto National

Forest and potentially in Bienville and Tombigbee

National Forests. The remaining species show no particular drainage affinities and are distributed widely

in appropriate habitats. Uniomerus tetralasmus and

U. declivos are collectively referred to as Uniomerus

spp. because of confusion about reidentification and

the validity of these taxa.

Precise information on distributions of mussel species is scarce for Mississippi NF’s. Even NF’s with the

most available information were represented by only

four or five collection sites. Other NF’s had one or zero

collection sites. Most stream reaches in Mississippi

NF’s have not been surveyed for mussels; therefore,

the fauna1 lists presented here should be considered

preliminary and incomplete. The only population data

available for Mississippi NF’s are for a single site in

the Big Sunflower River in the Delta National Forest

(Miller and others 1992).

INDMDUAL FOREST ACCOUNTS

Bienville National Forest

The Bienville National Forest proclamation boundaries encompass 155,043 ha in the Jackson Prairies

and Longleaf Pine Hills physiographic regions in

south-central Mississippi. The Bienville is located in

two major drainages, the Pearl and Pascagoula Rivers. The northern portion of the Bienville is drained

by small tributaries of Tuscolameta Creek of the Pearl

River drainage. The southwestern portion of the

Bienville is drained by headwaters of the Strong River

system, also a Pearl River tributary. The southeastern portion of the Bienville is drained by headwaters

of the Leaf River system within the Pascagoula River

drainage. Aquatic habitat within the Bienville consists

mostly of small streams with scattered small wetlands

and reservoirs.
Table 1. -Mussels of confirmed, probable, orpotential occurrence in Mississippi national forests

National forest*

B DL D S H S HO T

Actinonaias ligamentina

Amblema plicata

Anodonta suborbiculata

Anodontoides radiatust

Arcidens confragosus

Elliptio arctata+

E. crassidens

Fusconaia cerina

I? ebena

F flava

Glebula rotundata

Lampsilis cardium+

L. ornata+

L. siliquoidea

L. straminea straminea+

L. s. claibornensis

L. teres

Lasmigona complanata

Leptodea fragilis

Ligumia subrostrata

Megalonaias nervosa

Obliquaria reflexa

Obovaria subrotunda+

0. unicolor+

Plectomerus dombeyanus

Pleurobema beadleanuml

P decisuma

P pyramidatums

Potamilus ohiensis

P purpuratus

Pyganodon grandis

Quadrula apiculata

Q. asperata+

Q. nodulata

Q. pustulosa

Q. quadrula

Q. refulgens+

Strophitus subvexust

Toxolasma parvus

T texasensis

Ditogonia verrucosa

lFuncilla donaciformis

!l! truncata

Uniomerus spp.

Utterbackia imbecillis

Villosa lienosa

V vibex

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

*National forests: B = Bienville; DL = Delta; DS = DeSoto; HS = Holly Springs; HO = Homochitto;

T = Tombigbee.

tconsidered of special concern by American Fisheries Society.

*Listed as endangered by the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service (USDI FWS).

SCandidate for listing by USDI FWS.

There is only one mussel collection record available Records from nearby areas are also scarce, being limfrom within the proclamation boundaries of the ited to sites on the Leaf and Strong River mainstems,

Bienville: downstream of the Bienville boundary (MMNS).

Roadside ditch along Interstate 20, 0.4 km west of Bienville has a possible mussel fauna of at least 18

Forest community, Scott County, MS. 17 April 1972. species (table 3). Only one species is confirmed from

(MMNS). within the proclamation boundaries. Twelve species

3
Table 2, -Hierarchical classification of stream systems found in Mississippi national forests (stream classifications from Ross and Brenneman 1991)

National forest Basin Drainage System

Holly Springs

Bienville

Delta

DeSoto

Gulf of Mexico

Mississippi River

Gulf of Mexico

Pearl

Pascagoula

Yazoo

Pascagoula

Coastal Rivers

Tuscolameta Creek

Strong River

Leaf River

Sunflower River

Red Creek

Black Creek

Leaf River

Chickasawhay River

Biloxi River

Tchoutacabouffa River

Mississippi River Yazoo

Lower Mississippi North

Tallahatchie River

Yalobusha River

Coldwater River

Hatchie River

Wolf River

Homochitto Mississippi River Lower Mississippi South Homochitto River

Bayou Pierre

Buffalo River

Tombigbee Gulf of Mexico Tombigbee

Pearl

Noxubee River

Tibbee Creek

Yockanookany River

are considered of probable occurrence based on their

presence in other small streams in the upper Pearl

and Pascagoula River drainages. Five species are considered of potential occurrence based on their presence in larger streams in the Pearl and Pascagoula

drainages downstream of the Bienville boundary.

Delta National Forest

Delta National Forest proclamation boundaries encompass 47,885 ha in the Yazoo Delta physiographic

region in west-central Mississippi. The Delta is

drained entirely by the Sunflower River system of the

Yazoo drainage. Aquatic habitat consists of large rivers, including the mainstems of the Big Sunflower

River and Little Sunflower River (a side channel of

the Big Sunflower) and numerous lowland streams and

bayous.

There is only one mussel collection record available

within the proclamation boundaries of the Delta:

Big Sunflower River, River Mile 35.2, Sharkey

County, MS (Miller and others 1992).

There are no other collection records available for areas near the Delta, but there are several records for

streams and wetlands within the Delta region of the

Yazoo drainage (FHL).

The Delta has a possible mussel fauna of at least 27

species (table 4). Twenty-two species of mussels are

known to occur in the Big Sunflower River at the previously mentioned site. Five species are considered of

potential occurrence based on their presence elsewhere

in the Delta physiographic region in habitats similar

to those found within the Delta. One species known to

occur in the Delta, Pleurobema pyramidatum, is considered a candidate for listing under the Endangered

Species Act (Category 2, listed as P rubrum, USDI

FWS 1994a), and is considered threatened by the

American Fisheries Society (Williams and others

1993). The record ofActinonaias ligamentina from the

Big Sunflower River is the only known occurrence of

this species in Mississippi (Miller and others 1992).

DeSoto National Forest

The DeSoto National Forest proclamation boundaries encompass 323,133 ha in the Longleaf Pine Hills

and Coastal Pine physiographic regions in southeastern Mississippi. The northern part of the DeSoto is

drained by tributaries of the Leaf and Chickasawhay

River systems, both major tributaries of the Pascagoula River drainage. The central part of the DeSoto

is drained by the Black and Red Creek systems, which

are direct tributaries of the Pascagoula River. The

southern part of the DeSoto is drained by small

streams that flow directly into the Gulf of Mexico

(Coastal Rivers drainage) including the Biloxi and

4
Table 3, --Mussels of confirmed, probable, or potential occurrence in the Bienville National Forest

Occurrence*

Species CF PR PO

Elliptio arctataf

Fusconaia cerina

Lampsilis ornata?

L. straminea claibornensis

L. teres

Leptodea fragilis

Ligumia subrostrata

Obovaria unicolort

Pleurobema beadleanumt

Potamilus purpuratus

Pyganodon grandis

Strophitus subvexust

Toxolasma parvus

lFitogonia verrucosa

Uniomerus sp.

Utterbackia imbecillis

Villosa lienosa

I! vibex

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

*CF = confirmed; PR = probable; PO = potential.

tconsidered of special concern by the American Fisheries Society.

Tchoutacabouffa River systems. Aquatic habitat consists of small and medium-sized lowland streams, a

short reach of the Leaf River mainstem, wetlands, and

small reservoirs.

Mussel records within the proclamation boundaries

of the DeSoto are available for five sites:

1 .

2 .

3 .

4 .

5 .

Leaf River from New Augusta to the mouth of

Tallahala Creek, Township 3 North, Range 11

West, Sections 23 and 24, Perry County, MS.

19 August 1980,26 June 1985. (MMNS).

Black Creek between Brooklyn and Cypress

Creek landings, Perry County, MS. 14 June

1980,29 June 1980. (MMNS).

Red Creek at Interstate 59 crossing, 19 km

northeast of Poplarville, Township 1 South,

Range 14 West, Section 5, Pearl River County,

MS. 27 May 1967. (MMNS).

Ashe Lake, 19 km north of Wiggins, 26 km east

of Lumberton, Township 1 North, Range 12

West, Section 23, Forest County, MS. 1 July

1968. (MMNS).

Big Biloxi River at Interstate 49 crossing, 8 km

south of Saucier, 16 km north of Jet Interstate

10 and Interstate 49 in Gulfport, Township 5

South, Range 11 West, Section 31, Harrison

County, MS. 21 October 1964. (MMNS).

Records near the DeSoto but outside the proclamation boundary include sites on lower Red, lower Black,

Tallahala, and Bogue Homa Creeks; the Leaf River;

and the Little Biloxi River (MMNS and OSU>.

The DeSoto has a possible mussel fauna of at least

20 species (table 5). Twelve species of mussels are reTable 4. -Mussels ofconfirmed orpotential occurrence in the Delta

National Forest

Occurrence*

Species CF PO

Actinonaias ligmentina X

Amblema plicata X

Anodonta suborbiculata X

Arcidens confragosus X

Elliptio crassidens X

Fusconaia ebena X

l? flava X

Glebula rotundata X

Lampsilis siliquoidea X

L. teres X

Leptodea fragilis X

Megalonaias nervosa X

Obliquaria reflexa X

Plectomerus dombeyanus X

Pleurobema pyramidatumt X

Potamilus ohiensis X

I? purpuratus X

Pyganodon grandis X

Quadrula nodulata X

Q. pustulosa X

Q. quadrula X

Toxolasma texasensis X

Tritogonia verrucosa X

!lYuncilla donaciformis X

T truncata X

Uniomerus sp. X

Utterbackia imbecillis X

*CF = confirmed; PO = potential.

tcandidate for listing by the U.S. Department of Interior Fish

and Wildlife Service.

5
corded from the five sites listed, and eight other spe- of the Holly Springs are drained by the Coldwater,

cies are considered of probable occurrence in the Wolf, and Hatchie River systems, and a small area of

DeSoto based on their presence just outside the proc- the southern portion of the Holly Springs is drained

lamation boundary. No species known to occur in the by the Yalobusha River system. The largest tributarDeSoto are listed currently as federally threatened or ies of the Tallahatchie River system within the Holly

endangered. Pleurobema beadleanum and Quadrula Springs are the Little Tallahatchie River, Cypress and

refulgens are considered species of special concern by Big Spring Creeks, and the Tippah River (including

the American Fisheries Society (Williams and others Chewalla and Oaklimiter Creeks). Aquatic habitat

1993). These species, both of which are endemic to consists primarily of three types: large river and resersouthern Mississippi and Louisiana, occur in Black voir habitat of the Little Tallahatchie River mainstem,

Creek and the Leaf River and are likely to occur in small upland streams, and small lakes and reservoirs.

other streams within the DeSoto. Two species of prob- Mussel survey records within the proclamation

able occurrence in the DeSoto, Elliptio arctata and boundaries of the Holly Springs are available for four

Obovaria unicolor, are considered species of special localities:

concern (Williams and others 1993). These species 1 . Cypress Lake, 6 km south-southeast of Puskus

occur in Red and Black Creeks and the Leaf River near Lake, 18 km east of Oxford, Township 8 South,

the DeSoto boundary and likely occur within the Range 1 West, Section 17, Lafayette County,

DeSoto as well. MS. 15 October 1993. (FHL).

Holly Springs National Forest

The Holly Springs National Forest proclamation

boundaries encompass 210,581 ha in the North Central Hills physiographic region in northern Mississippi.

Most of the Holly Springs is drained by tributaries of

the Tallahatchie River system although northern parts

2. Puskus Lake, 3 km southeast of Cambridge,

18 km northeast of Oxford, Township 7 South,

Range 1 West, Section 30, Lafayette County,

MS. 28 July 1993. (FHL).

3. Chewalla Creek downstream of Chewalla Lake

dam, 5 km southwest of Lake Center, 12 km

southeast of Holly Springs. Township 4 South,

Range 1 West, Section 19. Marshall County,

MS. 14 July 1993. (FHL).

Table 5. -Mussels of confirmed or probable occurrence in the DeSoto National Forest

Occurrence*

C F P R

Site

Species 1 2 3 4 5

Elliptio arctutu+

E. crassidens

Fusconaia cerina

F ebena

Glebula rotundata

Lampsilis ornata+

L. straminea claibornensis

L. teres

Lasmigona complanata

Obovaria unicolor+

Plectomerus dombeyanus

Pleurobema beadleanum+

Pyganodon grandis

Quadrula apiculata

Q. refulgens+

Toxolasma parvus

fiitogonia verrucosa

Utterbackia imbecillis

Villosa lienosa

V vibex

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X X

X X

X X

*CF = confirmed; PR = probable.

tconsidered of special concern by the American Fisheries Society.

6
4. Cypress Creek at Hwy 30 crossing, 15 km

north-northwest of Lafayette Springs, 23 km

east-northeast of Oxford, Township 7 South,

Range 1 West, Section 27, Lafayette County,

MS. 25 May 1993,23 August 1993,5 April 1994.

(FHL).

Records from areas near the Holly Springs but outside the proclamation boundary include sites on the

mainstem Little Tallahatchie River downstream of the

Holly Springs (FHL, MMNS) and small tributaries of

the Tallahatchie (FHL) and Yalobusha (MMNS) systems. There are no collection records for any tributaries of the Wolf, Hatchie, or Coldwater Rivers within

or near the Holly Springs boundary.

The Holly Springs has a possible mussel fauna of at

least 21 species (table 6). Twelve species of mussels

are known from the four sites listed, and nine other

species are considered of probable occurrence in the

Holly Springs based on: (1) their presence in the Little

Tallahatchie River just downstream of the Holly

Springs boundary or (2) their presence in small tributaries outside the Holly Springs but within the

Tallahatchie River system. No species known to occur

in the Holly Springs are listed currently as federally

threatened or endangered. Lamp&s cardium, known

to occur in Chewalla Creek, is considered a species of

special concern by the American Fisheries Society

(Williams and others 1993). One species of probable

occurrence in the Holly Springs, Anodontoides radiatus, is considered a species of special concern (Williams and others 1993). This species occurs in a small

Tallahatchie tributary near the Holly Springs boundary, and the presence of similar habitat within the

Holly Springs suggests that it likely occurs there as

well.

Homochitto National Forest

Homochitto National Forest proclamation boundaries encompass 151,266 ha in the Loess Hills and

Longleaf Pine Hills physiographic regions in southwestern Mississippi. Most of the Homochitto is drained

by the Homochitto River system, although small areas in the northern and southern portion of the

Homochitto are drained by the Bayou Pierre and Buffalo River systems, respectively.

Mussel records within the proclamation boundaries

of the Homochitto are available for five sites:

1. Homochitto River at Forest Service Road 109

crossing, 10 km southeast of Union Church, 18

km northeast of Bude, Township 7 North,

Table 6. -Mussels of confrmed or probable occurrence in the Holly Springs National Forest

Occurrence*

CF PR

Site

1 2 3 4

Amblema plicata

Anodontasuborbiculata

Anodontoides radiatust

Arcidens confragosus

Lampsilis cardiumt

L. siliquoidea

L. teres

Leptodea fragilis

Ligumia subrostrata

Obliquaria reflexa

Plectomerus dombeyanus

Potamilus purpuratus

Pyganodon grandis

Quadrula pustulosa

Q. quadrula

lbxolasma parvus

l! texasensis

fiitogonia verrucosa

Uniomerus sp.

Utterbackia imbecillis

Villosa lienosa

X

X

X

X

X

X X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X X

X

X

X X

X X

X

X

X

X

X

X

*CF=confirmed; PR=probable.

tconsidered of special concern by the American Fisheries Society.

7
Range 5 East, Section 8, Franklin County, MS.

7 May 1982. (Hartfield and Ebert 1986,

MMNS).

2. Homochitto River at State Route 550 crossing,

7 km east of Union Church, Township 8 North,

Range 5 East, Section 16, Lincoln County, MS.

5 April 1972,12 May 1982. (Hartfield and Ebert

1986, MMNS).

3. Homochitto River at Forest Service Road 128

crossing, 5 km southeast of Pleasant Hill, 10

km northeast of Union Church, Township 9

North, Range 5 East, Section 34, Copiah

County, MS. 1982. (Hartfield and Ebert 1986,

MMNS).

4. Clear Springs Creek below Clear Springs Lake

dam, 11 km southwest of Meadville, 12 km

southeast of Roxie. Township 5 North, Range

2 East, Section 2, Franklin County, MS. 19-20

May 1982. (Hartfield and Ebert 1986, MMNS,

OSU).

5. Clear Springs Lake, 11 km southwest of

Meadville, 12 km southeast of Roxie, Township

5 North, Range 2 East, Section 2, Franklin

County, MS.l

One other collection record is available from McCalls

Creek, a Homochitto River tributary, approximately

3 km upstream from the Homochitto boundary

(MMNS).

The Homochitto has a possible mussel fauna of at

least 11 species (table 7). Eight species of mussels are

known to occur in the Homochitto, and an additional

three species are considered of probable occurrence

based on their presence in McCalls Creek, a tributary

of the Homochitto River that flows through the

Homochitto. One species of probable occurrence,

Obovaria subrotunda, is considered a species of special concern by the American Fisheries Society (Williams and others 1993).

Tombigbee National Forest

Tombigbee National Forest proclamation boundaries

encompass 48,258 ha in the Flatwoods, Pontotoc Hills,

and Black Prairies physiographic regions in central

and northeastern Mississippi. Most of the Tombigbee

is drained by tributaries of the Tombigbee River system, although a small area in the southwestern portion of the Tombigbee is drained by headwater

tributaries of the Yockanookany River (Pearl River

drainage). Most Tombigbee tributaries within the

Tombigbee are part of the Noxubee River or Tibbee

Creek systems. Aquatic habitat in the Tombigbee consists of small streams and small reservoirs.

1 Hartfield, Paul. 1995. USDI FWS, Jackson, Mississippi, personal communication with the authors.

8

Mussel survey records within the proclamation

boundaries of the Tombigbee are available for one site:

Davis Lake, 18 km west-northwest of Okolona,

18 km north-northeast of Houston, Township 11

South, Range 3 East, Sections 12-14, Chickasaw

County, MS2

Records for areas near the Tombigbee but outside

the proclamation boundaries include one site each on

Chuguatonchee and Houlka Creeks in the Tibbee Creek

system (MMNS). These streams drain portions of the

Tombigbee, and the available sites are both less than

3 km downstream of the Tombigbee boundary. There

are also records available for Chewawah Creek (Tibbee

Creek system) in Chickasaw County (MMNS). In addition, there are numerous records available for other

sections of the Tibbee Creek and Noxubee River systems (MMNS, OSU).

The Tombigbee has a possible mussel fauna of at

least 15 species (table 8). Three species are confirmed

from the Tombigbee and nine species are considered

of probable occurrence based on their occurrence in

nearby small streams of the Tibbee Creek and Noxubee

River systems. Three species are considered of potential occurrence based on their presence in larger

streams downstream from the Tombigbee. Three species of probable occurrence in the Tombigbee, Lampsilis straminea straminea, L. ornata, and Strophitus

subvexus, are considered species of special concern by

the American Fisheries Society (Williams and others

1993). Pleurobema decisum, a federally endangered

species (USDI FWS 1994b), is known to occur in small

streams elsewhere in the Tombigbee drainage (van der

Schalie 1981, Williams and others 1992) and is considered of potential occurrence in the Tombigbee.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Current knowledge of distributions of mussel species and locations of important mussel communities

in Mississippi NF’s is inadequate to support informed

management decisions. Very little mussel survey data

exist, but the available information revealed that Mississippi NF’s harbor a diverse freshwater mussel fauna

of at least 33 species but possibly including 46 or more

species. Considerable variation in mussel community

composition exists among NF’s because of the diversity of physiography and river drainages in which the

NF’s lie and the resulting diversity of aquatic habitats. Three distinct fauna1 groups are present in the

NF’s. These are characterized by species endemic to

the: (1) Mississippi River basin; (2) Lake Pont-

’McDougal, L.A. 1995. Forest Service, Blacksburg, Virginia, personal communication with the authors.
Table 7.-Mussels of confirmed orprobable occurrence in the Homochitto National Forest

Occurrence*

C F P R

Site

Species 1 2 3 4 5

Amblema plicata X

Elliptio crassidens X

Fusconaia ebena X

I? flava X

Lampsilis siliquiodea X X

Obovaria subrotundat X

Pyganodon grandis X

Toxolasma texasensis X X X

Uniomerus sp. X

Utterbackia imbecillis X

Villosa lienosa X X X X

*CF = confirmed; PR = probable.

+Considered of special concern by the American Fisheries Society.

chartrain, Pearl River, and Pascagoula River drainages; and (3) Mobile Bay drainages. Another group of

species was widely distributed and showed no drainage affinities. Because of the paucity of survey data

on NF lands, the distribution of many species within

Mississippi NF’s was necessarily inferred from surveys near the NF’s.

A systematic, three-phase approach is needed to efficiently and accurately assess mussel resources in

Mississippi NF streams. This study represents the first

phase in which a review of existing information is compiled. The second phase involves an exhaustive, qualitative field survey to document current distributions

of species and the location of important communities.

The third phase consists of establishing selected sites

within the drainage(s) for intensive quantitative descriptions of ecological characteristics and monitoring of population trends. National forests should be

prioritized for inventory according to potential diversity and conservation status of species occurring or

potentially occurring in each NF. Using this rationale,

we recommend that the DeSoto National Forest be inventoried first due to its high number of potential species (20) and species with special conservation status

(5). The Delta National Forest should be surveyed next

due to its high number of potential species (27). The

remaining NF’s should be surveyed in the following

order: Bienville, Tombigbee, Holly Springs, and

Homochitto.

Currently, there are no mussels present on the Forest Service Southern Region (R-8) Sensitive Species

list for NF’s in Mississippi. However, 11 species of confirmed or probable occurrence in Mississippi NF’s are

considered species of special concern by the American

Table 8. -Mussels of confirmed, probable, or potential occurrence

in the Tombigbee National Forest

Occurrence*

Species C F P R PO

Fusconaia cerina X

Lamps& ornata+ X

L. straminea straminea+ X

L. s. claibornensis X

L. teres X

Ligumia subrostrata X

Pleurobema decisumt X

Pyganodon grandis X

Quadrula asperata+ X

Strophitus subvexust X

Toxolasma parvus X

59itogonia verrucosa X

Uniomerus sp. X

Utterbackia imbecillis X

Villosa lienosa X

*CF = confirmed; PR = probable; PO = potential.

tconsidered of special concern by the American Fisheries Society

*Listed as endangered by the U.S. Department of the Interior FWS.

Fisheries Society (Williams and others 1993), 1 species of confirmed occurrence is a candidate for listing

under the Endangered Species Act, and 1 species of

potential occurrence is listed as endangered by USDI

FWS. In total, there are potentially at least 13 species with special conservation status in Mississippi

NF’ s, suggesting that more distributional and population data are urgently needed to assess the sensitive status of these and other mussel species in NF

streams.

9
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank the following individuals and their respective institutions and agencies for their assistance with

this project: Robert Jones and Libby Hartfield, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science; Paul Hartfield,

USDI FWS; Kathy Borror and David Stansbery, the

Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity;

Rick Dillard and Leigh Ann McDougal, Forest Service;

James Williams, USDI National Biological Survey.

LITERATURE CITED

Hartfield, P.; Ebert, D. 1986. The mussels of southwest Mississippi streams. American Malacological

Bulletin. 4: 21-23.

Miller, A.C.; Payne, B.S.; Hartfield, P.D. 1992. Characterization of a freshwater mussel (Unionidae) community in the Big Sunflower River, Sharkey County,

Mississippi. Journal of the Mississippi Academy of

Sciences. 37: 8-11.

Ross, S.T, Brenneman, W.M. 1991. Distribution of

freshwater fishes in Mississippi. Freshwater Fisheries Report No. 108. Jackson, MS: Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. 548 p.

Stephenson, L.W.; Monroe, W.H. 1940. The upper Cretaceous deposits. Mississippi State Geological Survey Bulletin 40. 296 p.

U.S. Department of the Interior (USDI) FWS. 1994a.

Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants;

animal candidate review for listing as endangered

or threatened species. Federal Register. 56:58804-

58836.

U.S. Department of the Interior (USDI) FWS. 199413.

Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants, 50

CFR 17.11 & 17.12. Washington, DC: Division of

Endangered Species, USDI FWS.

van der Schalie, H. 1981. Mollusks of the Alabama River

drainage, past and present. Sterkiana. 71: 24-41

Williams, J.D.; Fuller, S.L.H.; Grace, R. 1992. Effects

of impoundment on freshwater mussels in the main

channel of the Black Warrior and Tombigbee Rivers

in western Alabama. Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural History. 13: l-10.

Williams, J.D.; Warren, M.L. Jr.; Cummings, K.S.;

Harris, J.L.; Neves, R.J. 1993. Conservation status

of freshwater mussels of the United States and

Canada. Fisheries. 18: 6-22.

10
Haag, Wendell R.; Warren, Melvin L., Jr. 1995. Current distributional

information on freshwater mussels (family Unionidae) in Mississippi

national forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. SO-119. New Orleans, LA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment

Station. 10 p.

A review of freshwater mussel distribution data showed that Mississippi national forests harbor a diverse fauna of potentially 46 or more

species. Occurrence of 33 species is confirmed. Three distinct fauna1

groups are represented, each with a characteristic assemblage of species. A three-phase program for evaluation of the resou.rce is outlined.

Keywords: Field survey, sensitive species.
The United States Department ofAgriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination

in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age,

disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases

apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for

communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.)

should contact the USDA Office of Communications at (202) 720-5881 (voice) or

(202) 720-7808 (TDD).

To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250, or call (202) 720-7327 (voice) or (202) 720-

1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity employer.