Targeting riparian buffers and grassed waterways to address freshwater species decline

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Targeting conservation practices greatly increases economic efficiency (1) if the resource problem occurs primarily within a small geographic area and (2) if the conservation practice is targeted within the area where it works most effectively. Over 73% of United States' freshwater mussel species, 35% of amphibians, and 37% of fish have been classified as vulnerable, imperiled, or endangered (Henley et al. 2000; Williams et al. 1993). These species' problems are concentrated in certain Southeastern streams and rivers, where an estimated (Neves et al. 1997) 91% of the United States' freshwater mussels, 53% of fingernail clams, and 61% of snails reside. For rare mussel species most in need of protection, 98% of these species occur in the Southeast (Neves et al. 1997).