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Book Effects of Surrounding Canopy Cover and Other Characteristics of Wetlands on Presence and Growth of Larval Long toed Salamanders Ambystoma Macrodactylum

Download or read book Effects of Surrounding Canopy Cover and Other Characteristics of Wetlands on Presence and Growth of Larval Long toed Salamanders Ambystoma Macrodactylum written by Wynter Buck and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Distribution and Habitat Associations of the Long toed Salamander Ambystoma Macrodactylum in the Oldman River Drainage

Download or read book Distribution and Habitat Associations of the Long toed Salamander Ambystoma Macrodactylum in the Oldman River Drainage written by Kim Pearson and published by Alberta Public Affairs Bureau. This book was released on 2003-01-01 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The Effects of 2 4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid on Swim Performance in Larval Long toed Salamanders Ambystoma Macrodactylum

Download or read book The Effects of 2 4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid on Swim Performance in Larval Long toed Salamanders Ambystoma Macrodactylum written by Amanda Patricia Castro and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Factors Affecting Spotted Salamander Breeding Pond Selection

Download or read book Factors Affecting Spotted Salamander Breeding Pond Selection written by Patrick Yamnik and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Amphibian populations are experiencing rapid declines throughout the world that are apparently driven by habitat loss and fragmentation. Of particular concern is the rapid loss of wetland habitats which serve as critical breeding habitat for many amphibian species. For many species we don't really understand the habitat requirements for reproduction. Many wetlands, especially small isolated wetlands, are being lost and replace with mitigation wetlands that may not provide the same quality habitat as the natural wetlands they replace. The spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) is a key example of an amphibian species that relies on small isolated wetlands for breeding habitat. Although the spotted salamander is not endangered, it can be used as a surrogate to study habitat availability and breeding behavior. The objective of this study is to determine what characteristics of wetlands are determinants of their use by spotted salamanders for breeding. I measured eight variables for 40 ponds at the University of Mississippi Biological Field Station during 2007, including pH, canopy cover, emergent vegetation, submerged vegetation, distance to the nearest forest, hydroperiod, fish abundance, and larval mole salamander (Ambystoma talpodideum) abundance. I then correlated these variables using Spearman rank correlations and non-metric multidimensional scaling with spotted salamander egg mass density and larval survival. Emergent vegetation, hydroperiod, and larval mole salamander abundance all appeared to be positively correlated with spotted salamander egg mass deposition and larval survival. Of these factors, emergent vegetation and hydroperiod are likely to be factors affecting site selection, while the positive correlation with the mole salamander abundance is likely due to similar breeding habitat preference by two species. Because the presence of emerge vegetation appeared to be the most significant factor driving egg mass deposition, I chose to manipulate this variable in 30 ponds for the 2008 breeding season. Ten ponds were placed into each of the following treatments: increased emergement vegetation, decreased emergent vegetation, and no manipulation of emergent vegetation to determine if salamanders would switch ponds to maximize reproductive success. There was no significant difference in the change of egg mass counts between years for the treatments. The lack of change was likely due to fidelity to the breeding pond by adult salamanders. This study suggest that emergent vegetation and hydroperiod are important pond characteristics assessed by spotted salamanders but that adult salamanders may continue to see ponds after the pond characteristics are altered. Censuses of spotted salamanders using egg mass counts may not be the most sensitive measure of environmental change due to strong breeding site fidelity.

Book Interactions Between Stocked Trout and Larval Salamanders Ambystoma Macrodactylum in High elevation Lakes

Download or read book Interactions Between Stocked Trout and Larval Salamanders Ambystoma Macrodactylum in High elevation Lakes written by Torrey J. Tyler and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) is the top vertebrate predator in fishless high-elevation lakes in North Cascades National Park Service Complex (NOCA), Washington. The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of physico-chemical factors and introduced trout on abundance and behavior of A. macrodactylum larvae. Although high-elevation lakes in NOCA were naturally fishless, trout were stocked in many lakes during this century to provide recreational angling opportunity. Twenty fishless lakes and 25 lakes with fish were sampled from 1990 to 1994. Larval salamander density and behavior were assessed by snorkeling lake perimeters and searching through nearshore substrate material and aquatic vegetation. In fishless lakes, larval salamander densities were positively related to total Kjeldahl-N concentration (TKN) and negatively related to lake elevation. Based on analysis of salamander stomach contents, crustacean zooplankton, especially cladocerans, were important food resources for larval A. macrodactylum. Total crustacean zooplankton, as well as cladoceran densities, were positively related to TKN concentration, suggesting that increased zooplankton food resources contributed to increased densities of A. macrodactylum. The effects of fish introductions on larval salamander densities depended on TKN concentration and whether or not trout had established reproducing populations. Mean larval salamander densities for fishless lakes with TKN

Book Movement and Habitat Use of the Long toed Salamander Ambystoma Macrodactylum in Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta

Download or read book Movement and Habitat Use of the Long toed Salamander Ambystoma Macrodactylum in Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta written by Matthew R. Atkinson-Adams and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Population estimates for adult long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) at Linnet Lake in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, showed a 60% decline from 1994 and 2008 -2009. To prevent further decline, in 2008 Parks Canada installed four under-road crossing structures (tunnels) and directional fencing along the road bordering Linnet Lake to reduce road mortality, which was known to be high. Parks later learned that predacious fish had colonized the lake, likely during natural flooding. In 2010 and 2011, Parks removed and relocated 35000 fish from Linnet Lake over 11 days of trapping. Measures intended to restore wildlife populations to historic levels often go unmonitored, and success or failure is not systematically assessed. Long-toed salamanders are small and delicate, and are difficult to monitor when they inhabit the terrestrial environment during the 10 - 11 month non-breeding season. To determine the status of the Linnet Lake long-toed salamander population and investigate terrestrial movement patterns (orientation) and habitat-use, I conducted research in 2013 and 2014 at Linnet Lake and a nearby reference site (Stable Pond, 1.2 km away). I conducted a mark-recapture study at Linnet Lake by marking salamanders with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags, and I used radio frequency identification (RFID) antennas and cameras in tunnels to monitor use by tagged individuals and compare the two methods. I also used PIT tags to mark salamanders at Stable Pond and, using a home-made portable RFID antenna (scanner), I conducted "PIT telemetry" to locate tagged animals in the terrestrial environment at both sites and tested the scanners read range. At Linnet Lake, I found no increase in adult salamander population size from estimates made during the 2008 -2009 study and I found little evidence of recruitment when I compared demographic data to Stable Pond. Population estimates of 1380 (95% CI: 1138, 1702) in 2013 and 706 (95% CI: 575, 893) in 2014 indicate a declining population at Linnet Lake and raise concern regarding the viability of the population and urgency for conservation efforts. RFID antennas were 6.5 times more likely than cameras to detect a tagged salamander entering or exiting tunnels. Salamander orientation was non-uniform at both study sites, with movement patterns staying consistent between years at Linnet Lake and differing between age classes and as salamanders moved further from the shore at Stable Pond. Using PIT telemetry, I relocated 32 individuals in the terrestrial habitats around Linnet Lake and 80 at Stable Pond. I was able to locate and characterize nine overwintering sites and each was associated with decomposing tree roots. Tests of the portable RFID antenna's read range in three substrates (soil, rock, water) at multiple depths showed the highest read range in water, and a non-linear effect of depth on horizontal read range. This study provides important data for monitoring the long-term effects of mitigation efforts at Linnet Lake, and demonstrates the utility of RFID and PIT tags for tracking small terrestrial vertebrates and monitoring the use of road-crossing structures.

Book Predator prey Interactions Between Introduced Trout and Long toed Salamanders and Ways to Mitigate Nonconsumptive Effects

Download or read book Predator prey Interactions Between Introduced Trout and Long toed Salamanders and Ways to Mitigate Nonconsumptive Effects written by Erin Kennedy Kenison and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Predators can increase prey through mortality, but also have the capacity to alter behavior, morphology, and life history through nonconsumptive effects. In many historically fishless lakes in western North America, trout have been introduced for recreational fishing and are associated with reducing and extirpating populations of amphibians, including long-toed salamanders (Ambystoma macrodactylum). Salamanders and trout may coexist in some lakes, as larvae are able to alter foraging behavior by avoiding open water, foraging at night in shallow water, and hiding in cover to avoid predation. However, salamanders may experience nonconsumptive effects due to these behavioral changes. We sought to estimate the nonconsumptive effects of trout on morphology and life history of larval salamanders. We caught salamander larvae using minnow traps in northwestern Montana during the summers of 2012 and 2013 and compared body morphology measurements and size at and timing of metamorphosis between lakes with and without trout. Salamanders in lakes with trout were smaller: they weighed less, had shorter body lengths, and had shorter and narrower tails. Salamanders in lakes with trout were also less likely to metamorphose, did so later in the summer, and had smaller total and tail lengths at metamorphosis. These changes in morphology and life history likely were a result of reduced foraging to avoid predator attacks. We conducted a field experiment in 2013 to investigate whether adding vegetation structure could reduce nonconsumptive effects of trout on salamander larvae by providing refugia and reducing perceived risk of predation. We constructed field enclosures in lakes with and without trout and quantified changes in salamander growth and differences in size at metamorphosis with and without added structure. Salamanders appeared to detect trout cues because they grew more slowly in lakes with trout, even though trout had no ability to consume salamanders. Added vegetation structure did not influence growth rates, but did increase the probability of salamanders that reached metamorphosis. Future research efforts should investigate whether adding vegetation structure to whole lakes can mitigate the nonconsumptive effects of trout, provide a feasible alternative to fish removal, and facilitate coexistence between salamanders and trout.

Book Elevational Differences in UV B Response by the Long toed Salamander Ambystoma Macrodactylum

Download or read book Elevational Differences in UV B Response by the Long toed Salamander Ambystoma Macrodactylum written by Lindsey L. Thurman and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Global amphibian declines have been attributed to numerous and often synergistic causes, such as invasive species, pathogens, and ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. The effects of these stressors are context dependent and can vary with location, species, and populations. As sensitivity to UV-B has shown inconsistencies across amphibian taxa, it can be expected that variation also occurs between populations of a single species. High elevation populations of the long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) face exponentially higher UV-B radiation levels relative to low elevation populations and these levels are predicted to increase in conjunction with continued ozone depletion. We hypothesized that breeding long-toed salamander females at high elevations have modified oviposition behavior to better protect embryos from UV-B induced damage. In addition, we hypothesized that long-toed salamander embryos at high elevation would exhibit elevated photolyase activity, a photo-reactivating enzyme that repairs UV-B radiation-induced damage to DNA. We predicted that this behavioral defense strategy would be employed together with an elevated physiological response as a correlated defense response to increased levels of UV-B radiation in high elevation populations. We surveyed high and low elevation long-toed salamander breeding sites throughout Oregon to quantify oviposition site characteristics and associated UV-B profiles. We simultaneously collected embryos for quantification of photolyase activity in a bacterial transformation assay. We found significant differences in oviposition behavior across elevations, with high elevation breeding females ovipositing in deeper water and using UV-B protective refugia. Oviposition sites at low elevations, however, were most often found in UV-B exposed microhabitats located at the surface of the water. This population difference in oviposition behavior resulted in a standardization of UV-B and temperature conditions for long-toed salamander embryos across elevation. In contrast, we found no population differentiation in photolyase activity between high and low elevation breeding sites. This indicates that behavioral selection for UV-B protected oviposition substrates may either be negating the need for increased photolyase activity in long-toed salamander embryos, or that populations lack the capacity to adapt a heightened physiological response to UV-B at high elevations. Together, these results show how trade-offs in physiology and behavior are a unique adaptation to a significant environmental stressor. Further research into the susceptibility of amphibian species to changing environmental conditions may help to demonstrate the effectiveness of correlated trait responses and plasticity in behavior, and species persistence under changing climate regimes.

Book Long Toed Salamander Conservation Management Plan 2010 2015

Download or read book Long Toed Salamander Conservation Management Plan 2010 2015 written by Lisa Christine Wilkinson and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 10 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) is a Species of Special Concern in Alberta because it has a limited breeding range, populations are isolated and discontinuously distributed, it appears to be vulnerable to various types of habitat disturbance, and some populations may be decling. This plan recommends various ways to conserve long-toed salamander populations and habitat, including regular monitoring of historic breeding populations, avoid removal, alteration, and contamination of key breeding ponds; protect habitat around key breeding ponds with protective notations (PNTs) that reduce disturbance and maintain vegetative cover; and improve communication with public, landowners, industry, and government.--Document.

Book Long toed Salamander Ambystoma Macrodactylum Conservation in the Alberta Foothills

Download or read book Long toed Salamander Ambystoma Macrodactylum Conservation in the Alberta Foothills written by Lisa Christine Wilkinson and published by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development. This book was released on 2003-01-01 with total page 15 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Distribution of the Long Toed Salamander Ambystoma Macrodactylum in Northwestern Alberta

Download or read book Distribution of the Long Toed Salamander Ambystoma Macrodactylum in Northwestern Alberta written by Ken D. Wright and published by Alberta Conservation Association. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: