Freshwater mussels are declining globally, experiencing both species losses and declines in the abundance of common species. Because mussels often have strong effects on ecosystem processes, these declines may lead to losses in mussel-generated ecosystem functions such as biofiltration and nutrient recycling and storage. Our understanding of mussel declines, the causes underlying declines, and the consequences of decline for species success and ecosystem health are limited by the lack of long-term data. We used long-term data from the Kiamichi River, Oklahoma to examine changes in abundance, species composition, and nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient recycling over a 30-year period that included two multi-year severe droughts. Overall mussel abundance declined during drought periods, and the relative abundance of drought-tolerant mussel species increased in proportion to drought sensitive species. Since 2016, mussel populations have begun to recover, and drought-sensitive species are increasing in relative abundance. Mussel declines led to large decreases in areal nitrogen and phosphorus excretion, however these rates are increasing as mussel abundance rebounds. Long-term monitoring is often essential for documenting the response of biodiversity and key ecological processes to environmental change.
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21 January 2025
The Importance of Long-Term Data for Understanding How Environmental Change Impacts Mussel Communities and Their Ecosystem Effects
Caryn C. Vaughn,
Carla L. Atkinson
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Anthropocene
monitoring
species traits
Unionidae