Burrow availability and desiccation risk of
mole salamanders (Ambystoma talpoideum)
in harvested versus unharvested forest stands
BETSIE
B. ROTHERMEL1 AND THOMAS M. LUHRING
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E, Aiken,
South Carolina 29802, USA
Abstract
Clearcutting and other forest management practices that remove canopy
and disturb ground cover may exacerbate the risk of desiccation, particularly
for newly metamorphosed amphibians. We examined
dehydration rates of juvenile Mole Salamanders (Ambystoma talpoideum)
in relation to burrow availability
in four experimental forest management treatments. Juvenile salamanders
(N = 41) were confined to
small enclosures in four treatments representing a range of habitat disturbance:
clearcut with coarse woody
debris (CWD) removed; clearcut with CWD retained; thinning; and an unharvested
control of second-growth, mature loblolly pine. Half of the salamanders
in each habitat treatment were provided with artificial burrows. Water
loss over 72 h was significantly higher in the clearcut with CWD retained
than in the other three treatments. Most water loss occurred during the
first two nights, when salamanders may have been most active. Only 40%
of salamanders without burrows survived in the clearcuts, versus 90% in
the thinned stand and 100% in the control. Ninety percent of the salamanders
with access to a burrow survived in the clearcuts versus 100% in the thinning
and control. We found no correlation between soil moisture and water loss
and attribute higher desiccation rates in the clearcuts to high temperatures
(> 44°C). Although habitat changes resulting from thinning did
not lead to increased desiccation, complete canopy removal greatly increased
risk of mortality caused by desiccation. Our results also demonstrate
that this risk is strongly mediated by the availability of burrows.
1 Corresponding Author. E-mail: rothermel@srel.edu
SREL
Reprint #2913
Rothermel, B. B. and T. M. Luhring 2005. Burrow availability and desiccation risk of mole salamanders (Ambystoma talpoideum) in harvested versus unharvested forest stands. Journal of Herpetology 39:619-626.
