Explore Research Products in the PAR
It may take a few hours for recently added research products to appear in PAR search results.


  • NSF Public Access
  • Search Results
  • Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests
Title: Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests
Characterizing the population density of species is a central interest in ecology. Eastern North America is the global hotspot for biodiversity of plethodontid salamanders, an inconspicuous component of terrestrial vertebrate communities, and among the most widespread is the eastern red-backed salamander,Plethodon cinereus. Previous work suggests population densities are high with significant geographic variation, but comparisons among locations are challenged by lack of standardization of methods and failure to accommodate imperfect detection. We present results from a large-scale research network that accounts for detection uncertainty using systematic survey protocols and robust statistical models. We analysed mark–recapture data from 18 study areas across much of the species range. Estimated salamander densities ranged from 1950 to 34 300 salamanders ha−1, with a median of 9965 salamanders ha−1. We compared these results to previous estimates forP. cinereusand other abundant terrestrial vertebrates. We demonstrate that overall the biomass ofP. cinereus, a secondary consumer, is of similar or greater magnitude to widespread primary consumers such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) andPeromyscusmice, and two to three orders of magnitude greater than common secondary consumer species. Our results add empirical evidence thatP. cinereus, and amphibians in general, are an outsized component of terrestrial vertebrate communities in temperate ecosystems.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2224545
PAR ID:
10573325
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; more » ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; « less
Publisher / Repository:
Royal Society
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Biology Letters
Volume:
20
Issue:
8
ISSN:
1744-9561
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ; ; ; ; (, Herpetological conservation and biology)
    Understanding the influence of spatiotemporal variation in environmental factors on phenology is crucial for determining the effects of climate change on amphibian populations. Here we quantify the relative influence of temperature and precipitation on surface activity of a terrestrial salamander, the Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) in Richmond, Virginia, USA. Specifically, we used spatial capture recapture methods to test the influence of different metrics for temperature and precipitation on baseline detection probability. We found that soil temperature, particularly at 30 cm below the surface, is a better predictor of detection than air temperature or cumulative precipitation; however, greater cumulative precipitation resulted in a higher detection probability. We also show that a quadratic effect was favored in all scenarios suggesting this species has an optimal soil temperature and cumulative precipitation for surface activity during a particular year. The highest detection probability was associated with 12.6º C at 30-cm below the surface and 0.75 cm of cumulative precipitation during the 2-d period prior to the survey occasion. In addition to contributing knowledge on the specific environmental metrics that best predict surface activity for P. cinereus, this work illustrates the importance of incorporating soil temperature measurements in capture mark-recapture studies of terrestrial salamanders. For projects with limited resources, our work indicates which fine-scale environmental measurements associated with terrestrial salamander activity in the southern portion of the range are best. 
    more » « less
  2. ; (, Ohio/Pennsylvania Herpetology Symposium)
    Species can respond to changing environmental conditions through behavioral adjustments that buffer against costly or lethal stress. Such responses are likely among the most immediate and important mechanisms by which organisms cope with climate change. Behavioral flexibility may be especially important in terrestrial plethodontid salamanders, whose physiology is tightly coupled to ambient thermal and hydric conditions. In the color-polymorphic Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus), previous work suggests that morphs (striped and unstriped) may occupy distinct thermal niches. Here, I used laboratory thermal gradient and thermal buffering experiments to examine how three Plethodon species and their color morphs behaviorally respond to increasing temperatures. I found that species differed in the temperatures utilized in thermal gradient trials and during thermal buffering trials, morphs tolerated increasing temperatures differently, and these morph-specific responses varied across species. 
    more » « less
  3. ; (, Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists)
    Species can respond to changing environmental conditions through behavioral adjustments that buffer against costly or lethal stress. Such responses are likely among the most immediate and important mechanisms by which organisms cope with climate change. Behavioral flexibility may be especially important in terrestrial plethodontid salamanders, whose physiology is tightly coupled to ambient thermal and hydric conditions. In the color-polymorphic Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus), previous work suggests that morphs (striped and unstriped) may occupy distinct thermal niches. Here, I used laboratory thermal gradient and thermal buffering experiments to examine how three Plethodon species and their color morphs behaviorally respond to increasing temperatures. I found that species differed in the temperatures utilized in thermal gradient trials and during thermal buffering trials, morphs tolerated increasing temperatures differently, and these morph-specific responses varied across species. 
    more » « less
  4. ; ; (, Ethology)
    ABSTRACT Human‐modified landscapes introduce novel and challenging environments that can drive rapid shifts in species behavior. Woodland salamanders (genusPlethodon) represent a key group to investigate the effects of human disturbance as they play critical roles in forest ecosystem function yet are highly sensitive to environmental change. Here, we examined behavioral responses of two closely related species, the Eastern Red‐Backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) and the Northern Ravine Salamander (Plethodon electromorphus), to urban environmental features. Specifically, we tested salamander boldness toward concrete substrates (mimicking roads and walkways) and neophobic responses to common anthropogenic litter items that can be found in forest patches near urban areas. We predicted both species would avoid these novel features, but thatP. cinereuswould be more bold given its previously documented territorial and aggressive tendencies. We quantified three exploratory behaviors: time spent moving in the open, hiding, and thigmotaxis (wall‐hugging behavior) but found evidence that onlyP. electromorphusincreased thigmotaxis on the novel substrate. Both species exhibited neophobic responses to anthropogenic litter objects. Our results suggest that these novel urban features can alter the typical behaviors of these common salamander species. Future work should assess whether such avoidance behaviors reduce opportunities for dispersal, foraging, or mating, which may influence population persistence in urbanized landscapes. 
    more » « less
  5. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, Herpetological Monographs)
    Harvey, MB (Ed.)
    What makes a model organism? Identifying the qualities of a model organism has been given a great deal of attention in the biomolecular sciences, but less so in the fields of evolution, ecology, and behavior (EEB). In contrast to the biomolecular sciences, within EEB, biotic and abiotic variation are features to understand, not bugs to get rid of, and EEB scientists often select organisms to study which best suit the scientific question at hand. Successful EEB model organisms can be studied at multiple biological scales and often have a wealth of accumulated knowledge on which current research programs build. A recent call within EEB communities to invest in the development of diverse model systems led us to evaluate the standing of a widespread, abundant, terrestrial salamander in this review: the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus). We first look at salamanders as EEB models more generally and determine where P. cinereus fits in this broader context. The core of our monograph reviews over 400 recent studies on P. cinereus and highlights inconsistencies, gaps in our knowledge, and future directions in the context of our findings and those of three prior comprehensive reviews: two comprehensive reviews published in 1998 and 2013, and a book published in 2016 focused on the behavioral ecology of P. cinereus. After completing our review, we conclude by evaluating the current status of P. cinereus as a model organism in EEB and describe how a collaborative research network, SPARCnet, can serve as a starting point for improving the range-wide understanding of P. cinereus ecology, evolution, and behavior. More generally, we argue that collaborative research networks can and should be applied to other EEB model systems, so that future EEB research may benefit from model systems that accurately represent, in Darwin’s words, “endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful.” 
    more » « less
  • Citation Formats
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
  • BibTeX
  • Text Encoded Conversion
  • XML
  • Save / Share this Record
  • Send to Email