Thursday, June 8, 2017
14:00 - 15:45

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14:00 - 14:15: / 305A A ROADMAP TO ONE U.S. STATE’S CRAYFISH CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

6/08/2017  |   14:00 - 14:15   |  305A

A ROADMAP TO ONE U.S. STATE’S CRAYFISH CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM Crayfish in North America are increasingly recognized for their importance to biodiversity and ecosystem function, and their substantial imperilment. This is contributing to increasing funding for and more people working on crayfish research and conservation. State and provincial “fish and wildlife” management agencies are equipped with unique tools and resources to facilitate crayfish conservation. Many state/provincial agencies historically focused efforts on recreationally-targeted fish stocks since most funding comes from fishing license sales; but focus is expanding in many jurisdictions. In Missouri we developed a Crayfish Conservation and Management Program, initially based on crayfish relevance to sport fish and other popular wildlife. Initial work examined and reported crayfish importance as prey to species of importance to Agency and public stakeholders. We extensively and continually educated those stakeholders about this and other ecological roles of crayfish; and advocated for more research about our crayfish fauna’s ecology and conservation. We drafted a Program strategic plan (28 strategies), inviting review and strategy prioritization (and thus investment) by Agency staff/administrators, and external reviewers. This plan dictates current and future conservation efforts including species status surveys, ecological research, regulation development and public education.

Robert DiStefano (Primary Presenter/Author), Missouri Department of Conservation, Bob.DiStefano@mdc.mo.gov;


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14:15 - 14:30: / 305A US FOREST SERVICE ROLES IN CRAYFISH CONSERVATION

6/08/2017  |   14:15 - 14:30   |  305A

US FOREST SERVICE ROLES IN CRAYFISH CONSERVATION Effective conservation of crayfish diversity in the USA will require focused effort by multiple categories of land owners and land managers, including the federal government. Conservation prioritizations often categorize USDA Forest Service (FS) lands in some type of “protected” status, suggesting that species on those lands already have a degree of protection. Indeed, the FS mission is to “sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations”. That mission is implemented via 3 main branches, each with the ability to contribute to crayfish conservation in different ways. All branches cooperate with other agencies, NGOs, academia, and private/industrial landowners. I will explore the notion that crayfishes are protected by virtue of occurring on FS lands and will address various avenues by which the FS currently contributes to crayfish conservation. I will also consider possible future directions.

Susan Adams (Primary Presenter/Author), USDA Forest Service, Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research, Southern Research Station, Susan.adams@usda.gov;


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14:30 - 14:45: / 305A CRAYFISH CHANGES TO THE ARKANSAS WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN AFTER THE FIRST 10 YEARS

6/08/2017  |   14:30 - 14:45   |  305A

CRAYFISH CHANGES TO THE ARKANSAS WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN AFTER THE FIRST 10 YEARS The Arkansas Wildlife Action Plan was revised in 2015. This plan describes the Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SCGN) and priority habitats that may receive funding through the State Wildlife Grant Program in Arkansas. In this presentation, we review the Wildlife Grant Program, species addition and removal, and future crayfish conservation priorities. Arkansas has 60 recognized crayfish taxa. A total of 27 crayfish species were listed as SGCN, a net increase of 3 species over the original plan. Procambarus ferrugineus was removed from the list because it was found to be an invalid species and four species (Cambarus hubbsi, Fallicambarus dissitus, Orconectes acares, and O. leptogonopodus) were added. Among species that appeared in both versions of the plan, one showed increased conservation priority and nine showed decreased conservation priority. During the decade that the original plan was in place, research was conducted involving 13 crayfishes resulting directly in the reduced conservation priority for seven of them. The 2015 plan will be used to prioritize projects that will receive State Wildlife Grant funding over the next decade.

Brian Wagner (Primary Presenter/Author), Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, Brian.Wagner@agfc.ar.gov;


Daniel Magoulick ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Arkansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Arkansas, danmag@uark.edu;


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14:45 - 15:00: / 305A NO DIFFERENCE IN THE RATE OF LEAF LITTER PROCESSING BETWEEN A NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE CRAYFISH

6/08/2017  |   14:45 - 15:00   |  

NO DIFFERENCE IN THE RATE OF LEAF LITTER PROCESSING BETWEEN A NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE CRAYFISH Non-native crayfish may alter material processing and the food-webs of the systems they invade. Our study compared the impact of a native and non-native crayfish on leaf litter processing in 1250 L outdoor mesocosms. Four individuals of a native crayfish (Cambarus sp. C) were housed with 0, 2, 4, or 6 individuals of a non-native crayfish (Orconectes virilis), plus a non-native only treatment with 4 individuals of O. virilis. Each tank received 3, 1.5 g leaf packs constructed of senescent Liriodendron tulipifera leaves bound with a binder clip. We quantified AFDM loss of a randomly selected leaf pack on days 2, 10, and 24. The decay coefficient (k) ranged between -0.2321 and -0.0146 per day with a mean k (pm SD) of -0.0660 (pm 0.0546) per day. There was no effect of the density of the non-native crayfish nor was there a difference on the rate of leaf decay between the native only and non-native only treatments. Our results suggest that the non-native species tested in our study is functionally redundant with the native with respect to leaf litter processing.

Jessica Hoak ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Virginia Tech, jessica.hoak@live.longwood.edu;


Jonathan Milisci (Primary Presenter/Author), Longwood University, jonathan.milisci@live.longwood.edu;


Sujan Henkanaththegedara ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Longwood University, henkanaththegedarasm@longwood.edu;


David Conner ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Longwood University, david.conner@live.longwood.edu;


Connor Perry ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Longwood University, connor.perry@live.longwood.edu;


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15:00 - 15:15: / 305A EFFECTS OF CHELIPED LOSS ON CRAYFISH BURROWING: ENERGETIC COSTS AND CHANGES IN BURROW CONSTRUCTION.

6/08/2017  |   15:00 - 15:15   |  

EFFECTS OF CHELIPED LOSS ON CRAYFISH BURROWING: ENERGETIC COSTS AND CHANGES IN BURROW CONSTRUCTION. Crayfish are important ecosystem engineers that modify stream environments through burrowing. Such behaviors have profound effects on the ecosystem, altering water properties, the physical state of the soil, and the survival of other organisms. While the ecological impacts of crayfish burrowing have been well documented, the physical costs associated with burrowing and the abilities required for successful burrowing have not received much attention. Specifically, the effects of self-amputation (autonomy) and limb regeneration on burrowing performance following limb damage or predation threat have not been investigated, yet might significantly inhibit burrowing performance. Here we show that crayfish with amputated limbs are unable to construct burrows with chimneys, yet the ability to construct proper burrows increases as limbs regenerate. We also show that crayfish undergoing regeneration of one of their chelipeds need more time, complete less complex burrow, consume more oxygen, and secrete more ammonia during burrowing than non-regenerative crayfish, suggesting energetic costs of burrowing while undergoing limb regeneration. Identifying the factors that influence major stream engineers, such as crayfish, might help us find ways to manage and protect these communities.

LUC DUNOYER (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Kentucky, lucdunoyer@gmail.com;


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15:15 - 15:30: / 305A CHALLENGES, INSIGHTS, AND OPPORTUNITIES IN CRAYFISH CONSERVATION AND ECOLOGY - A SESSION SYNTHESIS

6/08/2017  |   15:15 - 15:30   |  

CHALLENGES, INSIGHTS, AND OPPORTUNITIES IN CRAYFISH CONSERVATION AND ECOLOGY - A SESSION SYNTHESIS Mounting data firmly support the integral role crayfishes play on instream process, species displacement, organic matter and sediment processing, and maintenance of biodiversity in freshwater systems. Despite considerable recent work, there is growing evidence that we have a tremendous amount remaining to discover regarding these animals. Species-specific effects appear common although most life history descriptions are best guesses, physiological constraints and population connectivity are largely unknown, dynamics of species and disease introductions are not fully understood, and there is a dearth of knowledge on specialist species (e.g., burrowers, cave dwellers). Further, as the rate of species discovery remains high, we do not have a firm grasp on baseline biodiversity of this group. Thus, there is a ‘crayfish problem’. Based on participant polls and discussion, we will synthesize ideas presented in this special session to guide development of a comprehensive crayfish action plan. This synthesis will highlight perspectives and recent case-studies with approaches merging novel and established tools, voicing the need for conservation and ecological understanding to bring crayfishes to the forefront of conservation efforts for practitioners, managers, decision-makers, and researchers.

Brian Helms (Primary Presenter/Author), Troy University, helmsb@troy.edu;


Zachary Loughman ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), West Liberty University, zloughman@westliberty.edu;


Bronwyn Williams ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, bronwyn.williams@naturalsciences.org;


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