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Full-Text Articles in Biology
Diet Composition Explains Reductions In Stream Salamander Occupancy And Abundance Along A Conductivity Gradient, Jacob Matthew Hutton
Diet Composition Explains Reductions In Stream Salamander Occupancy And Abundance Along A Conductivity Gradient, Jacob Matthew Hutton
Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources
Changes in land use such as mountaintop removal mining with valley fills (MTR/VF) affect chemical, physical, and hydrological properties of headwater streams. Although numerous stream taxa have experienced significant declines from MTR/VF, stream salamanders appear to be particularly sensitive. Yet, the specific mechanism(s) responsible for the population declines has eluded researchers. We sampled salamander assemblages across a continuous specific conductivity (SC) gradient in southeastern Kentucky and estimated occupancy rates and abundance estimates along this gradient. We also examined the diet of larval and adult salamanders to determine if autochthony (A/T prey), total prey volume, and body condition is influenced by …
Effects Of Streamside Management Zone Timber Harvest On Salamander Communities In Robinson Forest, Thomas Maigret
Effects Of Streamside Management Zone Timber Harvest On Salamander Communities In Robinson Forest, Thomas Maigret
Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources
Salamanders are critical components of forest ecosystems, in terms of total biomass, as well as for their value as indicators of ecosystem stress. Considering the worldwide decline in amphibian populations, the known effects of timber harvest on salamander populations, and the importance of the forest products industry in Kentucky and elsewhere, the impacts of silvicultural operations on salamander communities cannot be overlooked. The objective was to investigate the effects of three different silvicultural treatments, each involving different streamside management zone (SMZ) characteristics, on salamander communities in ephemeral streams. Data were collected by regular checks of pitfall traps, coverboards, and transect …