Changes in the Mussel Community of Ohio Brush Creek

The status of the mussel community of Ohio Brush Creek and its tributaries in southeastern Ohio was evaluated over a 17-year period. Species richness increased from 16 and 20 species found in 1996 and 1987, respectively, to 23 found in 2004. Despite the increase in species richness, the abundance of live and freshly dead shells declined, particularly for common species. Community structure changed from one dominated by a few abundant species to a more evenly distributed community composed of a greater number of species with lower abundances. Further work is needed to determine if changes in abundance are due to mortality, lack of recruitment, or are simply a reflection of variability in population size and sampling.