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Environmental Heritage- DCNR At 15: Diversity Diary By Bob Hill
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An early feature in the new DCNR newsletter was the Diversity Diary—a column written by the Bureau of Forestry’s Bob Hill. When resource was still distributed in its paper format, the Diversity Diary was on the back page, but appeared opposite the mailing address on the outside when folded—often, it was the first thing readers saw when they pulled it out of their mailboxes. Scholarly topics ranged from increasing non-native threats to wondering whether the Great Pumpkin from Peanuts was actually a squash. Mr. Hill is currently an associate professor of adult education at the University of Georgia. His research, teaching and professional service are centered around diversity—primarily in the sociocultural, rather than the biological, domain. He is a member of the graduate faculty and works with masters and doctoral students.
Diversity Diary - Pennsylvania's Pocketbooks, Pigtoes and Pink Muckets
By Bob Hill, DCNR's Biodiversity Coordinator
Question: Aside from beginning with the letter "P", what do the three items in the title have in common?
Answer: Pocketbooks, Pigtoes and Pink Muckets are all freshwater mussels in jeopardy of extinction.
Mussels are a group of mollusks (animals without backbones that include snails and clams) that have two shells, which is why they are called bivalves. These three mussels are but a few of Pennsylvania's 65 species.
Two of the more popular mussels, recently in the news, are our endangered northern riffleshell and clubshell mussels. They captured headlines since they are the first federally listed endangered species to be impacted by a transportation project on our state. Saving them will require translocation to a "new home" upstream in the Allegheny River.
When we think of plant and animal biological diversity, we often conjure up images of tropical rainforests, however, North America is the center of biodiversity of mussels-and western PA was at one time paradise for Pocketbooks, Pigtoes and Pink Muckets.
Like the loss of diversity in the rainforest, we too are losing our diverse sorts of mussels. In fact, a third of the Commonwealth's mussels are in jeopardy (It is estimated that 68% of the 300 species of U.S. freshwater mussels are at risk). Malacologists (biologists who study mussels) remind us that most bivalves can not tolerate pollution, habitat disturbance, and competition from exotic species.
Mussel problems in Pennsylvania are related to water quality degradation including acid mine drainage (low pH and high metals), chemical-laden agricultural run-off, sediment, nutrient loads, dams, impoundments, loss of riparian corridors, sewage, industrial chemicals, sand and gravel dredging, and the arrival of the dastardly zebra mussel.
This alien species, unlike our native ones, obstructs water intake pipes, and is "bad." Native mussels are "good" for the ecosystem-and you and me-for several reasons. One is because they act as our rivers' kidneys, purifying water. Yet, like kidneys, they can be overloaded and die from contaminants.
Making progress to save our mussels is no small task since there are no simple solutions. A diversity of answers, using innovative techniques, includes Pennsylvania's non-point source pollution strategy, nutrient management initiatives, watershed protection and conservation measures, citizen monitoring of water quality, and partnerships between industry and local communities, to name only a few.
As we approach the 21st century, we can cite a few mussel success stories; French Creek and the Clarion River are great examples of what can happen when people care and compelling water protection laws are in place. French Creek is a case study in cooperation for biodiversity conservation (website: ).
The Clarion, well on its way to recovery but once described by a turn-of-the-century malacologist as having "water black as ink" from contamination, is now home to some pollution-sensitive aquatic species, including a mussel. These two river systems offer us hope. With proper action, Pennsylvania's pearls-Pocketbooks, Pigtoes and Pink Muckets (and other mussels!)-can once again grace our waterways. (Reprinted from the July 1998 Resources newsletter)
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10/4/2010 |
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