Download Terrestrial Salamander Monitoring Project

Terrestrial Salamander Monitoring
Project
Rationale for Fieldwork
• amphibians are powerful indicators of
environmental health
• studies suggest that amphibians are
declining world-wide
Target Species
• red-back
salamanders
• lead-back
salamanders
Incidental Species
• spotted salamanders
• blue-spotted
salamanders
• marbled salamanders
• wood frogs
• garter snakes
Redback
Leadback
(redback pictured for comparison)
Spotted Salamander
Marbled Salamander
Blue Spotted Salamander
Red Spotted Newt
Wood Frog
Garter Snake
terrestrial salamanders –
general characteristics
• terrestrial salamanders (red-back and
lead-back) have completely done away
with their aquatic larval stage
• terrestrial salamander biomass may
exceed biomass of all other vertebrate
groups in temperate forests
terrestrial salamanders – specific
characteristics
• extremely efficient at converting food to
biomass
• longevity of 20 years
• low biotic potential, intense protection of
young … reproductive strategy?
• no lungs – respire through skin, must
avoid dessication
• cold-blooded
• territorial and aggressive
populations are impacted by …
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logging
development and filling of wetlands
insect defoliation
soil disruption
climate change
Are populations in decline?
• terrestrial salamanders are critical to forest
biodiversity
• given their longevity and relatively low
biotic potential, changes in population may
indicate significant environmental changes
underway
Fieldwork Protocol
• site selection
• target species
• artificial cover objects (ACO’s)
• transects
other variables that may affect
population counts
• time of year
• time of day
• weather conditions
- temperature
- cloud cover
- recent precipitation
- relative humidity
how to handle salamanders
• avoid over-handling, the “baggie
technique”
• detached tails
• body length
• tail length