12 
Christopher J. O’Bara 
Creek system with the expansion of P. cumber landensis into four 
streams that were devoid of the species when sampled by Starnes and 
Starnes (1978b). 
Five populations (Poor Fork, Brownies Creek, Davis Creek, Little 
Clear Creek, Trammel Fork) are isolated and appear to be in jeopardy 
because of low numbers or inadequate adjacent habitat. These 
populations could be lost as a result of a single catastrophic event, and 
natural recolonization would be extremely unlikely because of their 
isolation. 
Fish species typically found in association with P. cumberlandensis 
included creek chub ( Semotilus atromaculatus), white sucker ( Catosto - 
mus commersoni), blacknose dace ( Rhinichthys atratulus), stripetail 
darter ( Etheostoma kennicotti), and central stoneroller ( Campostoma 
anomalum). Some or all of these five species were generally found in 
each stream containing P. cumberlandensis. 
Gradient is believed to influence the distribution of P. cumberland- 
ensis significantly. In streams of the Cumberland Mountains, the 
gradient is usually high, which results in large populations of R. 
atratulus. Low-gradient streams (Kanawha section) did not appear to 
provide suitable hatitat for P. cumberlandensis. A 60:40 riffle/ pool ratio 
appears to be preferred by P. cumberlandensis . I conclude that 42 of the 
193 systems sampled did not historically support populations of P. 
cumberlandensis owing to inadequate habitat (too high or low gradient, 
streams too large, etc.), whereas the remaining 151 systems have adequate 
habitat to sustain the species. 
Habitat degradation resulting from human activities is the cause of 
the apparent decline of P. cumberlandensis. Major degrading activities 
are coal mining and associated disturbances (site preparation, road 
maintenance). During the survey, mining occurred in only one of the 30 
watersheds in which the blackside dace was found. That watershed, 
Sims Fork, was impacted not directly by run-off from the coal mine, 
but primarily by poor road construction and bridges not adequate to 
enable the passage of large coal trucks, thus resulting in trucks passing 
directly through the stream. Coal mining had occurred in five of the 
other watersheds, but had been stopped because of the current economic 
state of the coal industry. The absence of blackside dace from 101 of the 
151 systems with theoretically adequate habitat for the species could 
have resulted from coal-mining activities. The remaining 20 systems 
with appropriate gradient but not inhabited by P. cumber lanensis have 
been degraded by agriculture, road construction, impoundments, or 
poor forestry practices. Extirpated populations were impacted by coal 
mining (6), road construction (1), agriculture (1), and drought (1). 
