Does A Predator Transition Determine The Distribution Of Crayfish In The New River, NC?

The stream-dwelling crayfish fauna of the New River in western NC, consists of three common species (Orconectes cristavarius, Cambarus chasmodactylus, and Cambarus bartonni) and a rare species (Cambarus aspermanus) . . . In this study I evaluated the factors that may be responsible for the virtual absence of C. chasmodactylus YOY from the New River, despite the presence of the adults . . . The importance of abiotic factors and competition was tested using a target-neighbor design field experiment where a uniform density of C. chasmodactylus YOY was enclosed in the New River with O. cristavarius YOY at densities ranging from none to approximately two times ambient density . . . The results of this study suggest that this shift in predatory fish type may be important in determining the distribution of crayfish species in the New River.