3.6 Freshwater Mussels
pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and agrochemicals. Many pollutants detected in streams have never been evaluated for their impacts to mussels (2015 email from T Augspurger to the authors; unreferenced, see “Notes”) . Given their burrowing nature and consumption of detritus and particulate matter, mussels may be more susceptible to trace metal exposure and uptake of contaminants than other aquatic animals (Wilson 2008; Jarvis 2011) . Sediments from upstream, especially hydroelectric impoundments, can be a source of sediments laden with trace metals (Jarvis 2011) . A decline in Appalachian Elktoe populations in the Upper Little Tennessee River watershed may be related to concentrations of trace metals, especially copper and zinc, found in stream sediments (Jarvis 2011) . In urbanized areas, a lack of riparian vegetation and increased imper- vious areas contributes to higher sediment loads from erosion that carry fertilizers, pesti- cides, herbicides, and many other chemical compounds (Ganglof et al. 2009) . Lab studies indicate freshwater mussels are more sensitive than most aquatic animals to toxicity from sodium chloride and potassium chloride (Gillis 2011; Wang et al. 2012) . As sea levels rise and salt water moves upstream into freshwater habitats, it could be predicted that mussels would be particularly vulnerable. Field confrmation of the estimated limits of tol- erance predicted by the lab tests is important in determining the signifcance of this threat and in design of ameliorative measures (2015 email from T Augspurger to the authors; unreferenced, see “Notes”) . Climate change, mining, hydraulic fracturing, and other energy developments will bring additional stressors that need to be evaluated for mussels. In addition to specifc pollutants that may be introduced into the aquatic environment, the interactions of pollutants and temperature (from climate change), salinity (related to sea level rise), and lower dilution (from altered fows) will need to be considered (2015 email from T Augspurger to the authors; unrefer- enced, see “Notes”) . Impervious areas in urbanized watersheds contribute to high water levels, even during short rainfall events, which can result in fash fooding. Tese high or fashy fow events contribute to increased sediment loads, turbidity throughout the water column, and stream bed movements that stress mussel populations (Ganglof et al. 2009) . 3.6.7 Additional Information Te Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere program, in partnership with several federal and state agencies, conducted the Southern Appalachian Assessment, which was designed to be a regional assessment of all resources in 132 counties in mountain areas of North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Virginia (Flebbe et al. 1996b) . Te ecological, social, and economic data collected and analyzed by the project facilitates an ecosystem-based approach to management of the natural resources on public lands within
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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