Southern Forest Resource Assessment led by the USDA Forest Service's Southern Region and Southern Research Station in collaboration with the USEPA, US Fish & Wildlife, TVA, and state forestry agencies of the Southern United States

Broad Category:  Watersheds, Aquatic/Riparian Ecosystems, and Forested Wetlands

Question AQUA-5: What are the history, status, and likely future of aquatic habitats and species in the South?

Question Manager:  Jim Herrig (USFS - Cherokee NF)

Overview:  Provide a broad scale background discussion of various groups, including: fish, reptiles, amphibians, aquatic macroinvertebrates - mussels, snails, crayfish, insects, others (e.g., shrimp).  This includes a historical overview of former ranges and abundance.  Assess current status of these groups.  This may include a chart by taxonomic group.  Mention that the future of many of these species may be bleak due to a combination of anthropogenic factors.  These factors will be discussed; however, the bulk of this analysis and discussion will focus on those species (or groups) vulnerable to further imperilment from forestry-related activities.

Species diversity - need to address as “species richness” rather than using the conventional academic mathematical diversity indices.  This approach will consider diversity in terms of numbers of species and general variety of species within an area.

Methods of Analysis:

·  secure aquatic species list from Biosource (The Nature Conservancy)

·  categorize species or group as to source of imperilment (i.e., primary threat)

·  isolate/identify those species affected by timber management/harvesting activities

·  identify watersheds having sensitive species present

Data Sources:

·  Biosource

·  expert opinion

·  Heritage databases

·  local species experts

Products:

·  comprehensive list of all imperiled aquatic species (G5 and lower)

·  chart(s) showing relative abundance of species by taxonomic group and degree of imperilment, and numbers imperiled by forest management

·  map of watersheds within the Southeast having imperiled species likely to be affected by forest management

·  chart showing trends of imperilment (probably for fish, due to lack of data for other groups)

Collaborators and Sources:
Peggy W. Shute - TVA
Chris Skelton - Georgia DNR
John Alderman - NC
Mike Pender - VCGIF
Jeff Garner - Alabama DCNR
Ken Taylor - Illinois Natural History Survey
Carl Williams - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Dave Etnier - University of Tennessee
Bob Jenkins - Roanoke College
Paul Parmalee - University of Tennessee
[USACE person at Wilmington, NC]
Art Bogan - NCSU
Mark Hughes - Champion International
Dr. Fitzgerald - Florida State? Univ. Of Florida?
Bob Hatcher - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Steve Walsh - USGS, Gainesville, FL
Jim Williams - USGS, Gainesville, FL
Brian Wagner - Arkansas Game and Fish
Ron Cicerrello - KY
Bud Freeman - University of Georgia
Jeff Garner - Alabama
Steve Ross - Mississippi
Mel Warren - USFS, Oxford MS
Wendell Haag - USFS, Oxford MS
Steve Roble - Virginia Heritage
Guenter Scheuster - Eastern Ky
Ken Tennessen - TVA, Muscle Shoals, AL
Steve Ahlsted ???
Fritz Roude - North Carolina Marine Resources Commission
TVA Natural Heritage Resources Program - Norris, TN
state Heritage programs

Links to Other Questions:

BMPs - are the state BMPs adequate to protect aquatic T&E species?

(link with question #4)

Jim, are there some other linkages that need to be mentioned?  Here are some suggestions.  (Roman numeral is the broad area; number is question number.)

·  I-1 - What are the history, status, and projected future of southern forests (in terms of their area, ownership, landscape patterns, and locations)?

·  I-4 - How have abiotic factors including environmental stressors such as air pollution influenced the overall health of the South’s forest and what are future effects likely to be?

·  IV-2 - What are the status and trends of forest management practices in the South?

·  IV-3 - How might existing and new technologies influence forest operations and resultant conditions of forests?

Unresolved Issues:

need for global ranking (i.e., some species are not listed or ranked)

Cited and Other Relevant Literature:

 

 

 modified: 3-MAR-2000