Date of Award
8-16-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Biology, MS
First Advisor
Jennifer Bouldin
Committee Members
Brook Fluker; Jeffery Steevens; John Harris
Call Number
LD 251 .A566t 2022 P54
Abstract
The Buffalo National River (BUFF) was established as the first national river in 1972 and later designated as an Extraordinary Resource Water and Natural and Scenic Waterway. This thesis seeks to address the potential threat of elevated nutrients and its association with freshwater mussel declines in the BUFF through laboratory and in situ exposures. Water and sediment chemistry data were collected, and relevant thresholds were used to extrapolate lab-to-field toxicity during low-flow events. Acute toxicity was not observed; however, low-concentration chronic toxicity may be influencing mussel assemblages with rising temperatures. Water quality degradation is likely the result of combined sources (tourism, agricultural runoff, erosion, and aging wastewater treatment systems) that accumulate downstream. Considering the national decline of freshwater mussels and their sensitivity to pollutants, the integration of both real-world and laboratory exposures aids our understanding of their status, conserving populations, and supporting the BUFF’s long-term watershed management goals.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Pieri, Anna Marie, "Evaluating The Potential Effect of Nitrogen and Toxicological Responses of Juvenile Lampsilis Reeveiana (Mollusca: Unionidae) in the Buffalo National River" (2022). Student Theses and Dissertations. 254.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/254
