DOCSLIB.ORG

Draft Environmental Assessment

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Draft Environmental Assessment United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service April 2019 Draft Environmental Assessment Buck Project Tusquitee Ranger District, Nantahala National Forest Clay County, North Carolina For information Contact: Sarah Bridges 123 Woodland Drive Murphy NC 92006 (828) 837-5152 ext 110 www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc Environmental Assessment Buck Project In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9742. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected] . USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. i Environmental Assessment Buck Project Table of Contents Summary ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter 1 – Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 2 1.1 Document Structure ..................................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Description of the Project Area .................................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................................................ 8 1.3.1 NFsNC Ecological Restoration Focus Areas & Forest Plan.................................................................... 8 1.3.2 Purpose and Need .............................................................................................................................. 10 1.4 Proposed Alternatives ................................................................................................................................ 10 1.4.1 Alternative A ...................................................................................................................................... 10 1.4.2 Alternative B (Preferred Alternative) ................................................................................................. 10 1.4.3 Alternative B - Modified ..................................................................................................................... 18 1.4.4 Alternative C ...................................................................................................................................... 18 1.4.5 Alternative D ...................................................................................................................................... 23 1.5 Decision to be Made .................................................................................................................................. 27 1.6 Scoping ....................................................................................................................................................... 27 1.6.1 Issues Raised in Scoping to be Addressed in this Analysis ................................................................. 28 1.6.2 Issues Not Addressed in the Analysis ................................................................................................. 32 2. Comparison of Alternatives ....................................................................................................................... 32 2.1 Alternatives Considered ............................................................................................................................. 32 2.1.1 Alternative A ...................................................................................................................................... 32 2.1.2 Alternative B ...................................................................................................................................... 33 2.1.3 Alternative B - Modified ..................................................................................................................... 33 2.1.4 Alternative C ...................................................................................................................................... 33 2.1.5 Alternative D ...................................................................................................................................... 33 2.2 Alternatives Considered but Not Analyzed in Detail .................................................................................. 33 2.3 Comparison of Alternatives ........................................................................................................................ 34 2.4 Design Criteria ........................................................................................................................................... 35 3 Environmental Consequences .................................................................................................................... 37 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 37 3.2 Communities, Special Habitats, and Management Indicator Species (MIS) .............................................. 38 3.2.1 Aquatic Communities, Special Habitats and MIS ............................................................................... 40 3.2.2 Botanical Communities, Special Habitats and MIS ............................................................................ 48 3.2.3 Terrestrial Wildlife Communities, Special Habitats and MIS ............................................................. 56 3.2.4. Summary of Effects to All MIS, Communities, and Special Habitats ................................................. 64 3.3. Proposed, Endangered, and Threatened Species ...................................................................................... 66 3.3.1 Aquatic Proposed Endangered, Threatened and Sensitive Species ................................................... 66 3.3.2 Botanical Proposed, Endangered, Threatened Species ..................................................................... 66 3.3.3 Terrestrial Wildlife Proposed, Endangered, and Threatened Species ............................................... 66 3.4. Region 8 Sensitive Species......................................................................................................................... 66 3.4.1 Aquatic Sensitive Species ................................................................................................................... 67 3.4.2 Botanical Sensitive Species ................................................................................................................ 67 3.4.3 Terrestrial Wildlife Sensitive Species ................................................................................................. 67 3.5. Forest Concern Species.............................................................................................................................. 67 ii Environmental Assessment Buck Project 3.5.1 Aquatic Forest Concern Species ......................................................................................................... 68 3.5.2 Botanical Forest Concern Species ...................................................................................................... 68 3.5.3 Wildlife Forest Concern Species ......................................................................................................... 69 3.6. Invasive Species, Natural Heritage Areas, & Old Growth ......................................................................... 71 3.6.1 Invasive Species ................................................................................................................................. 71 3.6.2 North Carolina Natural Heritage Natural Areas ................................................................................. 75 3.6.3 Old Growth ........................................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Biological Evaluation
    United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service March 2018 Biological Evaluation Prospect Hamby Project Tusquitee Ranger District, Nantahala National Forest Cherokee County, North Carolina For Additional Information Contact: Tusquitee Ranger District 123 Woodland Drive Murphy, North Carolina 28906 (828) 837-5152 2-1 Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 2 1.1 Proposed Action ......................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Species Considered ..................................................................................................................... 2 2.0 PROPOSED, ENDANGERED, and THREATENED SPECIES ................................................... 3 2.1 Aquatic Resources ...................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Botanical Resources ................................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Wildlife Resources ..................................................................................................................... 8 2.4 Effects Determinations for Proposed, Endangered, and Threatened Species ........................... 14 3.0 SENSITIVE SPECIES ................................................................................................................. 14 3.1 Aquatic
    [Show full text]
  • Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Animal Species of North Carolina 2018
    Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Animal Species of North Carolina 2018 Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus) photo by Clifton Avery Compiled by Judith Ratcliffe, Zoologist North Carolina Natural Heritage Program N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources www.ncnhp.org C ur Alleghany rit Ashe Northampton Gates C uc Surry am k Stokes P d Rockingham Caswell Person Vance Warren a e P s n Hertford e qu Chowan r Granville q ot ui a Mountains Watauga Halifax m nk an Wilkes Yadkin s Mitchell Avery Forsyth Orange Guilford Franklin Bertie Alamance Durham Nash Yancey Alexander Madison Caldwell Davie Edgecombe Washington Tyrrell Iredell Martin Dare Burke Davidson Wake McDowell Randolph Chatham Wilson Buncombe Catawba Rowan Beaufort Haywood Pitt Swain Hyde Lee Lincoln Greene Rutherford Johnston Graham Henderson Jackson Cabarrus Montgomery Harnett Cleveland Wayne Polk Gaston Stanly Cherokee Macon Transylvania Lenoir Mecklenburg Moore Clay Pamlico Hoke Union d Cumberland Jones Anson on Sampson hm Duplin ic Craven Piedmont R nd tla Onslow Carteret co S Robeson Bladen Pender Sandhills Columbus New Hanover Tidewater Coastal Plain Brunswick THE COUNTIES AND PHYSIOGRAPHIC PROVINCES OF NORTH CAROLINA Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Animal Species of North Carolina 2018 Compiled by Judith Ratcliffe, Zoologist North Carolina Natural Heritage Program N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Raleigh, NC 27699-1651 www.ncnhp.org This list is dynamic and is revised frequently as new data become available. New species are added to the list, and others are dropped from the list as appropriate. The list is published periodically, generally every two years.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Assessment
    United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service March 2014 Environmental Assessment Post-Harvest Vine Control Project Nantahala Ranger District, Nantahala National Forest Macon and Jackson Counties, North Carolina For Information Contact: Joan Brown 90 Sloan Road, Franklin, NC 28734 (828) 524-6441 ext 426 www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Table of Contents Summary ............................................................................................................................................................... i Chapter 1 – Introduction ....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Sensitive Species That Are Not Listed Or Proposed Under the ESA Sorted By: Major Group, Subgroup, NS Sci
    Forest Service Sensitive Species that are not listed or proposed under the ESA Sorted by: Major Group, Subgroup, NS Sci. Name; Legend: Page 94 REGION 10 REGION 1 REGION 2 REGION 3 REGION 4 REGION 5 REGION 6 REGION 8 REGION 9 ALTERNATE NATURESERVE PRIMARY MAJOR SUB- U.S. N U.S. 2005 NATURESERVE SCIENTIFIC NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME(S) COMMON NAME GROUP GROUP G RANK RANK ESA C 9 Anahita punctulata Southeastern Wandering Spider Invertebrate Arachnid G4 NNR 9 Apochthonius indianensis A Pseudoscorpion Invertebrate Arachnid G1G2 N1N2 9 Apochthonius paucispinosus Dry Fork Valley Cave Invertebrate Arachnid G1 N1 Pseudoscorpion 9 Erebomaster flavescens A Cave Obligate Harvestman Invertebrate Arachnid G3G4 N3N4 9 Hesperochernes mirabilis Cave Psuedoscorpion Invertebrate Arachnid G5 N5 8 Hypochilus coylei A Cave Spider Invertebrate Arachnid G3? NNR 8 Hypochilus sheari A Lampshade Spider Invertebrate Arachnid G2G3 NNR 9 Kleptochthonius griseomanus An Indiana Cave Pseudoscorpion Invertebrate Arachnid G1 N1 8 Kleptochthonius orpheus Orpheus Cave Pseudoscorpion Invertebrate Arachnid G1 N1 9 Kleptochthonius packardi A Cave Obligate Pseudoscorpion Invertebrate Arachnid G2G3 N2N3 9 Nesticus carteri A Cave Spider Invertebrate Arachnid GNR NNR 8 Nesticus cooperi Lost Nantahala Cave Spider Invertebrate Arachnid G1 N1 8 Nesticus crosbyi A Cave Spider Invertebrate Arachnid G1? NNR 8 Nesticus mimus A Cave Spider Invertebrate Arachnid G2 NNR 8 Nesticus sheari A Cave Spider Invertebrate Arachnid G2? NNR 8 Nesticus silvanus A Cave Spider Invertebrate Arachnid G2? NNR
    [Show full text]
  • Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Animal Species of North Carolina 2020
    Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Animal Species of North Carolina 2020 Hickory Nut Gorge Green Salamander (Aneides caryaensis) Photo by Austin Patton 2014 Compiled by Judith Ratcliffe, Zoologist North Carolina Natural Heritage Program N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources www.ncnhp.org C ur Alleghany rit Ashe Northampton Gates C uc Surry am k Stokes P d Rockingham Caswell Person Vance Warren a e P s n Hertford e qu Chowan r Granville q ot ui a Mountains Watauga Halifax m nk an Wilkes Yadkin s Mitchell Avery Forsyth Orange Guilford Franklin Bertie Alamance Durham Nash Yancey Alexander Madison Caldwell Davie Edgecombe Washington Tyrrell Iredell Martin Dare Burke Davidson Wake McDowell Randolph Chatham Wilson Buncombe Catawba Rowan Beaufort Haywood Pitt Swain Hyde Lee Lincoln Greene Rutherford Johnston Graham Henderson Jackson Cabarrus Montgomery Harnett Cleveland Wayne Polk Gaston Stanly Cherokee Macon Transylvania Lenoir Mecklenburg Moore Clay Pamlico Hoke Union d Cumberland Jones Anson on Sampson hm Duplin ic Craven Piedmont R nd tla Onslow Carteret co S Robeson Bladen Pender Sandhills Columbus New Hanover Tidewater Coastal Plain Brunswick THE COUNTIES AND PHYSIOGRAPHIC PROVINCES OF NORTH CAROLINA Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Animal Species of North Carolina 2020 Compiled by Judith Ratcliffe, Zoologist North Carolina Natural Heritage Program N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Raleigh, NC 27699-1651 www.ncnhp.org This list is dynamic and is revised frequently as new data become available. New species are added to the list, and others are dropped from the list as appropriate. The list is published periodically, generally every two years.
    [Show full text]
  • Non-Native Invasive Plant Control Decision Notice
    United States Forest National Forests in North Carolina 160 ZILLICOA ST STE A Department of Service Supervisor’s Office ASHEVILLE NC 28801-1082 Agriculture 828-257-4200 File Code: 1950-2 Date: February 24, 2009 Dear Interested Parties: The Decision Notice for the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests Non-Native Invasive Plant Environmental Assessment (EA) was signed on February 23, 2009. I have chosen to implement Alternative 3 of the EA. The selected alternative proposes up to 1,100 acres of non-native invasive plant treatment across the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. Treatments will include an integrated combination of herbicide, manual, mechanical, and fire methods to treat identified infestations. A copy of the Decision Notice (DN) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is enclosed. The DN and FONSI discuss the decision in detail and rationale for reaching that decision. I am also enclosing a copy of the Environmental Assessment for this project. This decision is subject to appeal pursuant to 36 CFR 215.11. A written appeal, including attachments, must be postmarked or received within 45 days after the date this notice is published in The Asheville Citizens Times. The Appeal shall be sent to USDA, Forest Service, ATTN: Appeals Deciding Officer, 1720 Peachtree Rd, N.W., Suite 811N, Atlanta, Georgia 30309-9102. Appeals may be faxed to (540) 265-5145. Hand-delivered appeals must be received within normal business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Appeals may also be mailed electronically in a common digital format to [email protected] Appeals must meet content requirements of 36 CFR 215.14.
    [Show full text]
  • Conservation
    CONSERVATION ecapod crustaceans in the families Astacidae, recreational and commercial bait fisheries, and serve as a Cambaridae, and Parastacidae, commonly known profitable and popular food resource. Crayfishes often make as crayfishes or crawfishes, are native inhabitants up a large proportion of the biomass produced in aquatic of freshwater ecosystems on every continent systems (Rabeni 1992; Griffith et al. 1994). In streams, sport except Africa and Antarctica. Although nearly worldwide fishes such as sunfishes and basses (family Centrarchidae) in distribution, crayfishes exhibit the highest diversity in may consume up to two-thirds of the annual production of North America north of Mexico with 338 recognized taxa crayfishes, and as such, crayfishes often comprise critical (308 species and 30 subspecies). Mirroring continental pat- food resources for these fishes (Probst et al. 1984; Roell and terns of freshwater fishes (Warren and Burr 1994) and fresh- Orth 1993). Crayfishes also contribute to the maintenance of water mussels (J. D. Williams et al. 1993), the southeastern food webs by processing vegetation and leaf litter (Huryn United States harbors the highest number of crayfish species. and Wallace 1987; Griffith et al. 1994), which increases avail- Crayfishes are a significant component of aquatic ecosys- ability of nutrients and organic matter to other organisms. tems. They facilitate important ecological processes, sustain In some rivers, bait fisheries for crayfishes constitute an Christopher A. Taylor and Melvin L. Warren, Jr. are cochairs of the Crayfish Subcommittee of the AFS Endangered Species Committee. They can be contacted at the Illinois Natural History Survey, Center for Biodiversity, 607 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign, IL 61820, and U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Assessment Clay County Shooting Range
    Environmental Assessment Clay County Shooting Range United States Department of Agriculture Forest Environmental Service September 2013 Assessment Clay County Shooting Range Project Tusquitee Ranger District Nantahala National Forest Clay County, North Carolina Responsible Official Lauren Stull District Ranger Tusquitee Ranger District For Information Contact: Tusquitee Ranger District 123 Woodland Drive Murphy, NC 28906 (828) 837-5152 1 Environmental Assessment Clay County Shooting Range The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Environmental Assessment Clay County Shooting Range Contents Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 – Purpose and Need .......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Fisheries Conservation Status of Crayfish Species Paddlefish Conservation Case Study
    VOL 32 NO 8 AUGUST 2007 Fish News Legislative Update Journal Highlights FisheriesFisheries Calendar American Fisheries Society • www.fisheries.org Job Center Conservation Status of Crayfish Species Paddlefish Conservation Case Study Fisheries • VOL 32 NO 8 • AUGUST 2007 • WWW.FISHERIES.ORG 365 Northwest Marine Tcchnology, Inc. 366 Fisheries • VOL 32 NO 8 • AUGUST 2007 • WWW.FISHERIES.ORG VOL 32 NO 8 AUGUST 2007 372 AMERIFisheriescan FIshERIES SOCIETY • WWW.FIshERIES.ORG EDitOriaL / SUbsCriPtiON / CirCULatiON OffiCES 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 110 • Bethesda, MD 20814-2199 301/897-8616 • fax 301/897-8096 • [email protected] The American Fisheries Society (AFS), founded in 1870, is the oldest and largest professional society representing fisheries scientists. The AFS promotes scientific research and enlightened management of aquatic resources 390 for optimum use and enjoyment by the public. It also XXX encourages comprehensive education of fisheries scientists and continuing on-the-job training. AFS OFFICERS FISHERIES EDITORS Contents STAFF PRESIDENT SENIOR EDITOR SCIENCE Jennifer L. Nielsen Ghassan “Gus” N. EDITORS COLUMN: COLUMN: PRESIDENT ElECT Rassam Madeleine 368 PRESIDENT’S HOOK 398 GUEST DIRECTOR’S LINE Mary C. Fabrizio DIRECTOR OF Hall-Arber New Features for AFS Publications FIRST PUBLICATIONS Ken Ashley Thanks for an Incredible Year VICE PRESIDENT Aaron Lerner Doug Beard As part of an ongoing effort to make AFS William G. Franzin MANAGING Ken Currens Through commitment and hardwork the AFS publications more and more useful for fisheries SECOND EDITOR William E. Kelso volunteer membership has accomplished professionals, several new features have been VICE PRESIDENT Beth Beard Deirdre M. Kimball Donald C. Jackson PRODUCTION Robert T.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Assessment for 2010 Suppression of Hemlock Woolly
    United States Department of Agriculture Environmental Forest Service Assessment for Southern Region 2010 Suppression of Revised August 2010 Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Infestations Pisgah National Forest: Haywood, Madison, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Buncombe, Henderson, Mitchell, Transylvania, and Yancey Counties, North Carolina Nantahala National Forest: Graham, Swain, Jackson, Macon, Cherokee, and Clay Counties, North Carolina Responsible Official MARISUE HILLIARD Forest Supervisor 160 Zillicoa Street Suite A Asheville, NC 28801 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contract USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call 800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Content Summary .......................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Aquatic Crayfish Species with Possible Occurrences in South Carolina (Not Listed Or Priority Ranked Within SWAP)
    Supplemental Volume: Species of Conservation Concern SC SWAP 2015 Aquatic Crayfish Species With Possible Occurrences in South Carolina (not listed or priority ranked within SWAP) Contributor (2012): William Poly (SCDNR) and Arnie Eversole (Clemson University) The following species are currently not known in South Carolina, but they may occur here based upon their distribution in North Carolina and/or Georgia. Because they are of conservation concern in their limited known ranges outside the state, they may be added to the South Carolina priority list if their presence is confirmed in the state. Two additional species that occur outside of South Carolina, Procambarus pygmaeus and P. truculentus, may also be present in South Carolina because they occur across the Savannah River in Georgia. However, they are thought to be currently stable in Georgia (Taylor et al. 2007). If found in South Carolina, they would be considered lower priorities. Cambarus species “A” (cf. C. howardi) No Common Name Cambarus howardi has been collected in the Chattahoochee River Basin in Georgia and at one locality in Alabama. Populations in North and South Carolina have been tentatively identified as C. howardi. Possible C. howardi identifications have been made in the Saluda and Enoree River Basins in Greenville and Anderson Counties as well as the upper Broad River Basin. It is also reported to be in Spartanburg County. It is necessary to conduct taxonomic work on previously collected species in order to determine the identity and status of these populations (J. Cooper, pers. comm.). Knotty Burrowing Crayfish Cambarus nodosus Cambarus nodosus has been reported to occur in South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia (Hobbs 1989; Taylor et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Crustacean Biology Advance Access Published 8 August 2017 Journal of Crustacean Biology the Crustacean Society Journal of Crustacean Biology (2017) 1–39
    Journal of Crustacean Biology Advance Access published 8 August 2017 Journal of Crustacean Biology The Crustacean Society Journal of Crustacean Biology (2017) 1–39. doi:10.1093/jcbiol/rux070 An updated classification of the freshwater crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidea) of the world, with a complete species list Keith A. Crandall1 and Sammy De Grave2 1Computational Biology Institute, George Washington University, SEH 7000D, 800 22nd St. NW, Washington DC, 20052, USA and Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA; and 2Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PW, UK Correspondence: K.A. Crandall; e-mail: [email protected] (Received 13 May 2017; accepted 16 June 2017) ABSTRACT The freshwater crayfishes are a group of decapod crustaceans that have played a critical role in a diversity of biological studies, from physiology, to ecology, neurobiology, conserva- tion, and evolution. Central to many of these fields of study is the dependence on a robust taxonomic framework for accurate communication relating to species diversity and associated attributes. Despite a huge body of taxonomic work since Linnaeus, there has never been a single, comprehensive taxonomic summary of all the species of crayfish of the world. There has also been an abundance of recent taxonomic work in terms of new species descriptions and taxonomic insights gained from a variety of phylogenetic studies. Here we gather diverse taxonomic and phylogenetic information into a single resource. We develop an updated clas- sification system that includes all the crayfishes worldwide and taxonomic changes to better reflect the current phylogenetic knowledge of the group. We also include all the fossil crayfish taxa for a complete classification of extant and extinct crayfishes.
    [Show full text]