Download or read book Decline and Population Status of Desmognathine Salamanders in Florida written by Chace Holzheuser and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Salamanders are often the most abundant vertebrates in forest communities and perform important ecological functions by acting as both predators and prey. Their decline, extirpation, and potential extinction can have dramatic effects on the environment through disruption of predator-prey interactions and alteration of nutrient cycles. Salamanders are also sensitive to habitat encroachment, disease, chemical contamination, and climate change, and their declines serve as an indication that environmental health may be compromised. Unfortunately, salamander declines and extinctions have been reported around the world. Several causes contribute to the declines including land use change, chemical contamination, over exploitation, invasive species, climate change and emerging pathogens.In the Eastern US, salamanders have experienced precipitous declines since at least the 1950s. Some have identifiable causes, but many declines are enigmatic, and studies are needed to identify potential causes and assess population status before restoration is possible. In Florida, declines have been reported in populations of Frosted Flatwoods Salamanders (A. cingulatum), Reticulated Flatwoods Salamanders (Ambystoma bishopi), Striped Newts (Notophthalmus perstriatus) and presumed Spotted Dusky Salamanders (D. compare conanti). Two other salamanders in Florida may also be in decline: the Seal Salamander (Desmognathus monticola) and the Southern Dusky Salamander (D. auriculatus). Dusky Salamanders (Family: Plethodontidae, Genus: Desmognathus) represent an understudied clade of lungless amphibians which are difficult to distinguish due to morphological conservatism. However, modern genetic techniques are revealing a previously hidden abundance of diversity, suggesting that local extirpation of "populations" may in fact represent species level extinctions. The overarching goals of my dissertation was to evaluate the current status of D. monticola and D. auriculatus in Florida and attempt to identify possible agents of their decline. I also investigated the prevalence of amphibian chytrid pathogens in historic and contemporary salamander populations in Florida. To answer my first question, I established historic location distributions in Florida from museum preserved specimens and surveyed all possible historic sites with traditional field techniques. Desmognathus monticola was restricted to a small series of ravines forming an unnamed tributary of Canoe Creek, Escambia Company We were unable to locate any specimens in the field, and show the population declined after their initial discovery in 1969. Desmognathus monticola has not been seen in the state of Florida since 2002 and appears to have been extirpated by poor land use practices. For D. auriculatus, I developed a custom environmental DNA (eDNA) assay and field collection technique to assist with species detection. I tested the effect of lentic versus lotic water habitat and pH on the efficacy of detecting D. auriculatus eDNA at sites of known presence. Although I found no significant effect of pH on eDNA detection success, I was unable to detect eDNA in lentic systems. However, I achieved 100% detection success at lotic system sites. I also detected D. auriculatus eDNA at one site of previously unknown presence but was unable to locate any live specimens during traditional surveys. I recommend conducting additional surveys at the site to ensure the eDNA detection was not a false positive. Finally, I conducted extensive field surveys throughout Florida to locate populations of D. auriculatus. I surveyed most historic collection sites and many new sites but found an extreme reduction in their area of occupancy, with the decline occurring in the 1970s. The Southern Dusky Salamander is now restricted to a few fragmented pockets in North Florida and appears to be extinct in the Florida Peninsula. Although the amphibian chytrid pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is present in current and historic salamander populations, its prevalence is low and does not appear to be the agent of decline. However, it is possible that infected wild D. auriculatus die shortly after contracting Bd and went untested, biasing our results. I was unable to determine the agent of D. auriculatus' decline, but comment on potential causes. In conclusion, my research is the first formal survey of the status of D. monticola since its initial discovery in 1969. I cannot assign a cause to its disappearance, but the most likely candidate is habitat destruction from poor forestry management. My research is also the first formal survey of D. auriculatus' status throughout the state of Florida. I demonstrate the utility of eDNA in locating the species, identify remaining populations, and address several possible causes of the species' decline.

Download or read book Phylogenetics and Population Status of Coastal Plain Dusky Salamanders Amphibia Caudata Plethodontidae written by David A. Beamer and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Amphibian Declines written by Michael Lannoo and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2005-06-15 with total page 1117 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This benchmark volume documents in comprehensive detail a major environmental crisis: rapidly declining amphibian populations and the disturbing developmental problems that are increasingly prevalent within many amphibian species. Horror stories on this topic have been featured in the scientific and popular press over the past fifteen years, invariably asking what amphibian declines are telling us about the state of the environment. Are declines harbingers of devastated ecosystems or simply weird reflections of a peculiar amphibian world? This compendium—presenting new data, reviews of current literature, and comprehensive species accounts—reinforces what scientists have begun to suspect, that amphibians are a lens through which the state of the environment can be viewed more clearly. And, that the view is alarming and presages serious concerns for all life, including that of our own species. The first part of this work consists of more than fifty essays covering topics from the causes of declines to conservation, surveys and monitoring, and education. The second part consists of species accounts describing the life history and natural history of every known amphibian species in the United States.

Download or read book EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY STUDIES ON SALAMANDERS OF THE GENUS Desmognathus PART 1 COMPETITIVE EXCLUSION ALONG A HABITAT GRADIENT BETWEEN TWO SPECIES OF SALAMANDERS IN WEST FLORIDA PART 2 LIFE HISTORY GROWTH AND BODY SIZE VARIATION IN POPULATIONS OF A STREAM SIDE SALAMANDER Desmognathus Brimleyorum ON ADJACENT MOUNTAINS written by and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Evolutionary Ecology Studies on Salamanders of the Genus Desmognathus written by Donald Bruce Means and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Amphibian Declines written by Michael J. Lannoo and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2005-06-15 with total page 1124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Documents in comprehensive detail a major environmental crisis: rapidly declining amphibian populations and the disturbing developmental problems that are increasingly prevalent within many amphibian species.

Download or read book The Status of Desmognathus Brimleyorum Stejneger and an Analysis of the Genus Desmognathus amphibia Plethodontidae in Florida written by D. Bruce Means and published by . This book was released on 1972 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Status of a Johnson County Illinois Population of Dusky Salamander Genus Desmognathus amphibia Plethodontidae written by Harry Charles Moeller and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Serological Investigation of Three Western Populations of Dusky Salamanders Genus Desmognathus with Comments on the Establishment of the Population on Crowley s Ridge written by Max Allen Nickerson and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 7 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A New Subspecies of Dusky Salamander Genus Desmognathus from South Central Florida written by Wilfred T. Neill and published by . This book was released on 1951 with total page 14 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Long Term Studies of Vertebrate Communities written by Martin L. Cody and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 1996-10-24 with total page 621 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique book synthesizes the ongoing long-term community ecology studies of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The studies have been conducted from deserts to rainforests as well as in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats and provide valuable insight that can be obtained only through persistent, diligent, and year-after-year investigation. Long-Term Studies of Vertebrate Communities is ideal for faculty, researchers, graduate students, and undergraduates in vertebrate biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology, including ecology, natural history, and systematics. Provides unique perspectives of community stability and variation Details the influence of natural and other perturbations on community structure Includes synopses by well-known authors Presents results from a broad range of vertebrate taxa Studies were conducted at different latitudes and in different habitats

Download or read book Population Dynamics of Ouachita Dusky Salamanders Desmognathus Brimleyorum in a Managed Forest Landscape written by Kelly Marie Halloran and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With anthropogenic alteration of landscapes increasing world-wide, managed forests are increasingly important as providers of ecosystem services including habitat for numerous wildlife species. It is crucial to maintain a balance between timber production and conservation of biodiversity on managed landscapes. Salamander populations can play key roles in the function and diversity of temperate forest ecosystems. Several studies have reported negative effects of forestry on terrestrial plethodontid salamanders, but less research has focused on stream-dwelling species, evaluated mechanisms driving observed shifts in abundance, or described the dynamics of populations residing in managed forests. Using a Before-After-Control-Impact design, we examined the effects of clearcut timber harvesting on a stream-dwelling salamander endemic to the Ouachita Mountains, Desmognathus brimleyorum. We specifically focused on two possible mechanisms of salamander abundance shifts, survival and movement. We conducted a capture-mark-recapture (CMR) study at three streams within intensely managed pine forests in west-central Arkansas from May 2014-October 2016. The pine stands surrounding two of the streams were harvested following state Best Management Practices (BMPs) (leaving a 28-42 m wide forested stream buffer) in January 2015 and 2016, respectively. We also explored effects of seasonal, site, and age variation on the capture probability, recapture probability, temporary emigration, abundance, and apparent survival of D. brimleyorum with robust design CMR models. Overall, our models provided evidence for seasonal and temporal variation in salamander survival and abundance, but little evidence for strong immediate effects of timber harvesting. However, there was increased salamander movement at the sites where harvesting occurred. The results of this study will help inform management decisions aimed at conserving biodiversity and ecosystem integrity in landscapes managed for timber production.

Download or read book Population Age Structure and Age to Maturity of the Dusky Salamander Desmognathus Fuscus in Maryland written by Rudolf Theodore Danstedt and published by . This book was released on 1968 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Southern Forest Resource Assessment written by David N. Wear and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 652 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The southern forest resource assessment provides a comprehensive analysis of the history, status, and likely future of forests in the Southern United States. Twenty-three chapters address questions regarding social/economic systems, terrestrial ecosystems, water and aquatic ecosystems, forest health, and timber management; 2 additional chapters provide a background on history and fire. Each chapter surveys pertinent literature and data, accesses conditions, identifies research needs, and examines the implications for southern forests and the benefits they provide.

Download or read book Annual Energetics in a Georgia Population of the Dusky Salamander Desmognathus Fuscus Fuscus written by Paul Nelson Orser and published by . This book was released on 1974 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Comparative Feeding Habits and Population Dynamics of the Northern Dusky Salamander Desmognathus Fuscus Fuscus Rafinesque and the Allegheny Mountain Salamander Desmognathus Ochrophaeus Carolinensis Dunn written by Bruce Michael Bennett and published by . This book was released on with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Liturgie voor de H Eucharistieviering b g v roepingenzondag het 50jarig priesterfeest van Leopold van Rooyen MHM en de ingebruikneming van de dagkapel van de St Lebuinuskerk te Deventer written by and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 12 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: