The Conservation, Biology, and Natural History of Crayfishes from the Southern US 2010 Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):267–269 Concluding Remarks: A Symposium on the Conservation, Biology, and Natural History of Crayfishes from the Southern United States Stuart A. Welsh1,*, Zachary J. Loughman2, and Thomas P. Simon3 This Special Issue on crayfishes of the southern United States is the result of a symposium held at the 2008 meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society. The publication highlights many important issues and research needs relative to the conservation and management of imperiled crayfish faunas. An underlying theme is the lack of critical information on basic biology and natural history of crayfishes, and the limitation this has on conservation and management effectiveness. In addition, conservation efforts are often ineffective owing to unrecognized diversity, as many taxa are currently undescribed or possibly undiscovered. It is difficult for a single symposium to comprehensively cover all conservation concerns, but this effort singles out and satisfies needs for state-level diversity assessments, and supports the need for threat assessments associated with declines in crayfish diversity. Status assessments of crayfish diversity are critical for the conservation and management efforts of state natural resource agencies. For many states, sporadic surveys of crayfishes have occurred within the past century, although current conservation concerns have increased the interest in crayfishes by natural resource agencies in recent years. Research papers presented in this special issue document the diversity and distributions of crayfishes in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, and West Virginia (Heath et al., Kilian et al., Loughman [a], Loughman and Welsh, Skelton, Simmons and Fraley, Wagner et al.). These papers reflect a larger regional emphasis, because many crayfishes are distributed across several states. To fully recognize the state-level and regional diversity of crayfishes and possible cryptic diversity, we emphasize the need for more taxonomic studies (both morphologic and molecular; see Dillman et al.). An understanding and documentation of threats to crayfish diversity are central to conservation efforts. Several articles within this special issue emphasized the impacts of habitat degradation on crayfish populations (Burskey and Simon, Jones et al., Loughman [a], Loughman and Welsh, Simmons and Fraley). Also, nonnative species and their associated threats 1US Geological Survey, West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 322 Percival Hall, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506. 2Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Campus Service Center Box 139,West Liberty University, West Liberty, WV 26074. 32364 East Linden Hill Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401. *Corresponding author - swelsh@wvu.edu. 268 Southeastern Naturalist Vol. 9, Special Issue 3 to native species were discussed by many authors (Kilian et al., Loughman [a], Loughman and Welsh, Simmons and Fraley, Skelton). The danger that invasive crayfishes represent to crayfish diversity is exemplified by Swecker et al., who documented the extirpation of Orconectes limosus (Rafinesque) (Spinycheek Crayfish) in West Virginia via an invasive crayfish species, Orconectes virilis Hagen (Virile Crayfish). More studies are needed on natural history of crayfishes. Several papers on state-level crayfish distributions included valuable information on natural history (Heath et al., Kilian et al., Loughman [a], Loughman and Welsh, Simmons and Fraley, Skelton, Wagner et al.). Primary burrowers are particularly poorly understood. Loughman (b) documented natural history information on a high-elevation primary burrower in north-central West Virginia, Cambarus dubius Faxon (Upland Burrowing Crayfish). This paper was the only one in the symposium focused solely on a primary burrower. Additional studies of intraspecific and interspecific interactions of crayfish species are needed, and more research emphasis should be focused on habitat use by crayfishes. Stewart et al. (a) examined agonistic interactions between form I and form II male Procambarus suttkusi Hobbs (Choctawhatchee Crayfish). Burskey and Simon evaluated land use and reach-scale habitat use, while Stewart et al. (b) studied habitat use and partitioning within species assemblages. These approaches will aid natural resource managers in crayfish conservation efforts. Studies of crayfish natural history and habitat use will also benefit from novel field techniques, such as the application of PIT tag marking methods described by Black et al. The symposium on the Conservation, Biology, and Natural History of Crayfishes from the Southern United States was a summit for crayfish conservation. Some common threads among papers within the symposium synthesized a need for state-level crayfish assessments, as well as conservation threats associated with habitat degradation and nonnative species. The broad range of research topics presented in this special issue reflects a broader range of research needs relative to crayfish conservation. Sequels to this symposium are needed for further synthesis of knowledge on conservation, biology, and natural history of North American crayfishes. As stated in the Foreword (Loughman et al.), we hope that this special issue will act as a springboard for future symposia on crayfishes. Conservation concerns and the complexity of crayfish issues will benefit from further research and collaboration. Literature Cited Black, T.R., S.S. Herleth-King, and H.T. Mattingly. 2010. Efficacy of internal PIT tagging of small-bodied crayfish for ecological study. Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):257–266. Burskey, J.L., and T.P. Simon. 2010. Reach- and watershed-scale associations of crayfish within an area of varying agricultural impact in west-central Indiana. Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):199–216. 2010 S.A. Welsh, Z.J. Loughman, and Thomas P. Simon 269 Dillman, C.B., B.K. Wagner, and R.M. Wood. 2010. Phylogenetic estimation of species limits in dwarf crayfishes from the Ozarks: Orconectes macrus and Orconectes nana (Decapoda: Cambaridae). Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):185–198. Heath, W.H., P.M. Stewart, T.P. Simon, and J.M. Miller. 2010. Distributional survey of crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda) in wadeable streams in the coastal plains of southeastern Alabama. Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):199–154. Jones, T.G., K.B. Channel, S.E. Collins, J. Enz, and C.M. Stinson. 2010. Possible extirpation of Cambarus veteranus (Big Sandy Crayfish) from West Virginia. Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):165–174. Kilian, J.V., A.J. Becker, S.A. Stranko, M. Ashton, R.J. Klauda, J. Gerber, and M. Hurd. 2010. The status and distribution of Maryland crayfishes. Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):11–32. Loughman, Z.J. 2010a. Crayfishes of western Maryland: conservation and natural history. Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):33–62. Loughman, Z.J. 2010b. Ecology of Cambarus dubius (Upland Burrowing Crayfish) in north-central West Virginia. Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):217–230. Loughman, Z.J., and S.A. Welsh. 2010. Distribution and conservation standing of West Virginia crayfishes. Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):63–78. Loughman, Z.J., T.P. Simon, and S.A. Welsh. 2010. Foreword to the conservation, biology, and natural history of North American crayfishes. Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):1–10. Simmons, J.W., and S.J. Fraley. 2010. Distribution, status, and life-history observations of crayfishes in western North Carolina. Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):79–126. Skelton, C.E. 2010. History, status, and conservation of Georgia crayfishes. Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):127–138. Stewart, P.M., A.D. McKenzie, T.P. Simon, and A.M. Baker. 2010a. Agonistic interactions among size-matched Form I and Form II male Procambarus suttkusi (Choctawhatchee Crayfish). Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):231–244. Stewart, P.M., J.M. Miller, W.H. Heath, and T.P. Simon. 2010b. Macrohabitat partitioning of crayfish assemblages in wadeable streams in the coastal plains of southeastern Alabama. Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):245–256. Swecker, C.D., T.G. Jones, K. Donahue II, D. Mckinney, and G.D. Smith. 2010. The extirpation of Orconectes limosus (Spinycheek Crayfish) populations in West Virginia. Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):155–164. Wagner, B.K., C.A. Taylor, and M.D. Kottmyer. 2010. Status and Distribution of Orconectes williamsi (Williams’ Crayfish) in Arkansas, with new records from the Arkansas River drainage. Southeastern Naturalist 9(Special Issue 3):175–184.