The importance of natural history, landscape factors, and management practices in conserving pond-breeding salamander diversity
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Published source details
Brodman R. (2010) The importance of natural history, landscape factors, and management practices in conserving pond-breeding salamander diversity. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 5, 501–514.
Published source details Brodman R. (2010) The importance of natural history, landscape factors, and management practices in conserving pond-breeding salamander diversity. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 5, 501–514.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Use prescribed fire or modifications to burning regime in grassland Action Link |
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Use prescribed fire or modifications to burning regime in forests Action Link |
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Use prescribed fire or modifications to burning regime in grassland
A replicated, before-and-after study in 1988–2008 of 25 wetlands in grassland and forest reserves in Indiana, USA (Brodman 2010) found that the relative abundance of salamanders declined following prescribed spring, but not autumn or winter burns. There was a significant decline (33–63%) in the abundance of three of four species following spring burns. Open habitat (grassland and savanna) salamanders took two years to recover and abundance often exceeded that before the burn. Declines were not associated with autumn or winter burns and tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum and eastern newt Notophthalmus viridescens increased at two sites after an autumn burn. Monitoring was undertaken the year before and after burns. Each site was visited monthly for three months in spring and one in summer or autumn. Visual searches, minnow traps, dipnets and seines were used to survey entire small ponds (< 0.25 ha) and 50 m of adjacent upland habitat, or along transects for larger ponds.
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Use prescribed fire or modifications to burning regime in forests
A replicated, before-and-after study in 1988–2008 of 25 wetlands in forest and grassland reserves in Indiana, USA (Brodman 2010) found that the relative abundance of salamanders declined following prescribed spring, but not autumn or winter burns. The six forest species declined significantly (82–100%) following spring burns and took an average of five years to recover to pre-burn levels. Declines were not associated with autumn or winter burns and tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum and eastern newt Notophthalmus viridescens increased at two sites after an autumn burn. Monitoring was undertaken the year before and after burns. Each site was visited monthly for three months in spring and one in summer or autumn. Visual searches, minnow traps, dipnets and seines were used to survey entire small ponds (< 0.25 ha) and 50 m of adjacent upland habitat, or along transects for larger ponds.
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