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David E. Scott

Savannah River Ecology
Laboratory Drawer E
Aiken, SC 29802
Phone: (803) 725-5747
Fax: (803) 725-3309
E-Mail: dsopacum@gmail.com

updated November 2009

• MS   Environmental Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1983
• BS    Biology, Wofford College, Spartanburg, South Carolina, 1977

• 1984-present     Research assistant in the herpetology program at SREL. Research responsibilities include the design and implementation of research on the population ecology of amphibians with the primary focus on salamanders. Currently investigating the factors that influence the metapopulation dynamics of several Ambystoma species.

• 1996-2008     Educator with the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) Outreach Program. Responsibilities include program presentation, materials and website design, and grant writing to expand program.

• 1982-1984     Research technician at the Institute of Ecology (University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia) and SREL. Assist with research and statistical analysis on the effects of tillage practices on nutrient cycling in agroecosystems (UGA), and examine the uptake of radioactive contaminants in turtle populations (SREL).

• 1979-1982     Teaching Assistant, University of Virginia. Graduate courses (Terrestrial Ecology and Soil Science) and undergraduate courses (Geology and Introduction to Environmental Sciences).

• 1977-1979     Director, Spartanburg Nature-Science Center, Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Scott, D. E. 2008. Marbled salamander, Ambystoma opacum. Pages 139-141 in: Jensen, John, Carlos Camp, Whit Gibbons, and Matt Elliott (eds.), Amphibians and Reptiles of Georgia. University of Georgia Press, Athens, GA.

Scott, D. E. 2008. Eastern Spadefoot Toad, Scaphiopus holbrookii. Pages 99-101 in: Jensen, John, Carlos Camp, Whit Gibbons, and Matt Elliott (eds.), Amphibians and Reptiles of Georgia. University of Georgia Press, Athens, GA.

Scott, D. E., B. S. Metts, and J. W. Gibbons. 2008. Enhancing amphibian biodiversity on golf courses with seasonal wetlands. Pages 285-292 in Urban Herpetology, Jung, R. E. and J. C. Mitchell (eds.) Herpetological Conservation Volume 3, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Salt Lake City, UT.

Scott, D. E., E. D. Casey, M. F. Donovan, and T. K. Lynch. 2007. Amphibian lipid levels at metamorphosis correlate to post-metamorphic terrestrial survival. Oecologia 153:521-532.

Croshaw, D. A. and D. E. Scott. 2006. Marbled salamanders (Ambystoma opacum) choose nest sites at low elevations in a Carolina bay. Amphibia-Reptilia 27:359-364.

Taylor, B. E., D. E. Scott, and J. W. Gibbons. 2006. Catastrophic reproductive failure, terrestrial survival, and persistence of the marbled salamander. Conservation Biology 20:792-801.

Gibbons, J. W., C. T. Winne, D. E. Scott, et al. 2006. Remarkable amphibian biomass and abundance in an isolated wetland: implications for wetland conservation. Conservation Biology 20:1457-1465.

Croshaw, D. A. and D. E. Scott. 2005. Experimental evidence that nest attendance benefits female marbled salamanders (Ambystoma opacum) by reducing egg mortality. American Midland Naturalist 154:398-411.

Marcy, B. C., Jr., D. E. Fletcher, F. D. Martin, M. H. Paller, M. J. M. Reichert, and D. E. Scott. 2005. Fishes of the Middle Savannah River Basin. University of Georgia Press, Athens, GA. 500 pp.  (http://www.ugapress.uga.edu/index.php/books/fishes_of_middle_savannah/)

Daszak, P., D. E. Scott, A. M. Kilpatrick, C. Faggioni, J. W. Gibbons, and D. Porter. 2005. Amphibian population declines at the Savannah River Site are linked to hydroperiod, not chytridiomycosis. Ecology 86:3232-3237.

Buhlmann, K. A., T. D. Tuberville, Y. Leiden, T. J. Ryan, S. Poppy, C. T. Winne, J. L. Greene, T. M. Mills, D. E. Scott, and J. W. Gibbons. 2005. Biotic communities: amphibians and reptiles. In J. C. Kilgo and J. I. Blake (eds.), Ecology and Management of a Forested Landscape: Fifty Years on the Savannah River Site, pp. 203-223. Island Press, Washington, DC.

Scott, D. E. 2005. Ambystoma opacum, Marbled salamander. Pp. 627-632 in: Amphibian Declines: the Conservation Status of United States Species. M. J. Lannoo (ed), University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.

Scott, D. E., B. S. Metts, and J. W. Gibbons. 2003. Seasonal wetlands and golf courses. Golf Course Management 2003 (November):85-89.

Boone, M. D., D. E. Scott, and P. H. Niewiarowski. 2002. Effects of hatching time for larval ambystomatid salamanders. Copeia 2002: 511-517.

Pechmann, J. H. K., R. A. Estes, D. E. Scott, and J. W. Gibbons. 2001. Amphibian colonization and use of ponds created for trial mitigation of wetland loss. Wetlands 21:93-111.

Gibbons, J. Whitfield, D. E. Scott, T. J. Ryan, et al. 2000. The Global Decline of Reptiles, Déjà Vu Amphibians. Bioscience 50: 653-666.  PDF reprint

Submitted Manuscripts:

Todd, BD, DE Scott, JHK Pechmann, & JW Gibbons.^.  Rapid increase in temporal niche overlap associated with climate change. (in review, PNAS).

Stark, K, DE Scott, O Tsyusko, DP Coughlin, and TG Hinton. Effects of low-dose rates of ionizing radiation on amphibians after exposure to ¹³⁷Cs.

Manuscripts in preparation:

Scott, DE, K Stark, MJ Komoroski, and DA Croshaw. Terrestrial distribution of salamanders around an isolated wetland. (In prep.)

Rania-Ganser, L., D. E. Scott, and B. S. Metts. Skeletochronology of the phalanges of a population of the marbled salamander. (In prep.)

 

• Abercrombie, C. L., D. Davidson, C. A. Hope, and D. E. Scott. 1980. Status of Morelet's crocodile, Crocodylus moreleti, in Belize. Biological Conservation 17:103-114.

• Groffman, P. M., G. J. House, P. F. Hendrix, D. E. Scott, and D. A. Crossley. 1986. Nitrogen cycling as affected by interactions of components in a Georgia Piedmont agroecosystem. Ecology 67:80-87.

• Scott, D. E. 1986. Notes on the eastern hognose snake, Heterodon platyrhinos Latreille (Squamata:Colubridae), on a Virginia barrier island. Brimleyana 9:51-55.

• Scott, D. E., F. W. Whicker, and J. W. Gibbons. 1986. Effect of season on the retention of 137-Cs and 90-Sr by the yellow-bellied slider turtle (Pseudemys scripta). Canadian Journal of Zoology 64:2850-2853.

• Semlitsch, R. D., D. E. Scott, and J. H. K. Pechmann. 1988. Time and size at metamorphosis related to adult fitness in Ambystoma talpoideum. Ecology 69:184-192.

• Stinner, B. R., G. J. House, J. H. K. Pechmann, D. E. Scott, and D. A. Crossley. 1988. Phosphorus and cation dynamics of components and processes in conventional and no-tillage soybean agroecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment 20:81-100.

• Pechmann, J. H. K., D. E. Scott, R. D. Semlitsch, and J. W. Gibbons. 1989. Influence of wetland hydroperiod on diversity and abundance of metamorphosing juvenile amphibians. Wetlands Ecology and Management 1:1-9.

• Jackson, M. E., D. E. Scott, and R. A. Estes. 1989. Determinants of nest success in the marbled salamander (Ambystoma opacum). Canadian Journal of Zoology 67:2277-2281.

• Scott, D. E. 1990. Effects of larval density in Ambystoma opacum: an experiment in large-scale field enclosures. Ecology 71:296-306.

• Hinton, T. G. and D. E. Scott. 1990. Radioecological techniques for herpetology, with an emphasis on freshwater turtles. In Life History and Ecology of the Slider Turtle, J. Whitfield Gibbons (ed.). Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, D.C. pp. 267-287.

• Pechmann, J.H.K., D. E. Scott, R. D. Semlitsch, J. P. Caldwell, L. J. Vitt, and J. W. Gibbons. 1991. Declining amphibian populations: the problem of separating human impacts from natural fluctuations. Science 253:892-895.

• Scott, D. E. and R. D. Dueser. 1992. Habitat use by two insular populations of Mus and Peromyscus: what is the role of competition? Journal of Animal Ecology 61:329-338.

• McDiarmid, R. W., D. E. Scott, and A. D. Tucker. 1992. The care and use of amphibians, reptiles, and fish in research: panel on field techniques. In "Proceedings from the Scientists Center for Animal Welfare Symposium on Care and Use of Amphibians, Reptiles, and Fish", D. O. Schaffer, K.M. Kleinow, and L. Krulisch (eds.). pp. 53-61.

• Scott, D. E. 1993. Timing of reproduction of paedomorphic and metamorphic Ambystoma talpoideum. American Midland Naturalist 129:397-402.

• Semlitsch, R. D., D. E. Scott, J. H. K. Pechmann, and J. W. Gibbons. 1993. Phenotypic variation in the arrival time of breeding salamanders: individual repeatability and environmental influences. Journal of Animal Ecology 62:334-340.

• Dodd, C. K. and D. E. Scott. 1994. Drift fences encircling breeding sites. In "Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity: Standard Methods for Amphibians." W. R. Heyer, M. A. Donnelly, R. W. McDiarmid, L. C. Hayek, and M. S. Foster (eds.). Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D. C.

• Krenz, J. D. and D. E. Scott. 1994. Terrestrial courtship affects mating location in Ambystoma opacum. Herpetologica 50:46-50.

• Scott, D. E. 1994. The effect of larval density on adult demographic traits in Ambystoma opacum. Ecology 75:1383-1396.

• Fischer, R. U., D. E. Scott, J. D. Congdon, and S. A. Busa. 1994. Mass dynamics during embryonic development and parental investment in cottonmouth neonates. Journal of Herpetology 28:364-369.

• Scott, D. E. and M. R. Fore. 1995. The effect of food limitation on lipid levels, growth, and reproduction in the marbled salamander, Ambystoma opacum. Herpetologica 51:462-481.

• Whiteman, H. H. T. M. Mills, D. E. Scott, and J. W. Gibbons. 1995. Confirmation of a range extension for the pine woods snake (Rhadinaea flavilata). Herpetological Review 26:158.

• Scott, D. E., R. U. Fischer, J. D. Congdon, and S. A. Busa. 1995. Lipid dynamics in the eastern cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus. Herpetologica 51:472-487.

• Chazal, A. C., J. D. Krenz, and D. E. Scott. 1996. Relationships of larval density and heterozygosity to growth and survival of juvenile marbled salamanders (Ambystoma opacum). Canadian Journal of Zoology 74:1122-1129.

• Houck, L. D., M. T. Mendonca, T. K. Lynch, and D. E. Scott. 1996. Courtship behavior and plasma levels of androgens and corticosterone in male marbled salamanders, Ambystoma opacum (Ambystomatidae). General and Comparative Endocrinology 104:243-252.

• Semlitsch, R. D., D. E. Scott, J. H. K. Pechmann, and J. W. Gibbons. 1996. Structure and dynamics of an amphibian community: evidence from a 16-yr study of a natural pond. Pages 217-248 In "Long-term Studies of Vertebrate Communities." M. L. Cody and J. D. Smallwood (eds.). Academic Press, New York.

• Taylor, B. E. and D. E. Scott. 1997. Effects of larval density dependence on population dynamics of Ambystoma opacum. Herpetologica 53:132-145.

• Scott, D. E. 1997. Review of Dinosaurs, Diamonds, and Things From Outer Space by David Brez Carlisle. Copeia 1997:237-239.

• Scott, D. E. 1998. A Breeding Congress. Natural History 107(8):26-28.

• Ott, J. and D. E. Scott. 1999. Evaluation of PIT tagging and toe-clipping in marbled salamanders. J. Herp. 33:344-348.

• Scott, D. E. 1999. Review of The Salamanders of the United States and Canada by James W. Petranka. Copeia 1999:845-847.

Co-PI on:

• 2009-2011 Reptiles as long-lived receptors for ecological risk assessment on the SRS ($258,000 over 3 yr from SRS ACP program to Tuberville, Scott, Brant).

• 2008-2009 Effects of elevated pH, copper, and nickel on amphibian success in a constructed wetland. ($425,000 over 2 yr from DOE NNSA program Scott, Tuberville, Sharitz, Gibbons).

• 2007-2009 Assessing the effects of coal combustion products in the D-Area Ash Plume Wetland on the larval success of amphibians. ($265,000 over 3 yr from SRS ACP program to Scott, Tuberville, Metts, Hopkins, Gibbons, Greene).

• 2005-2007 Watershed Restoration and Education in Aiken County, South Carolina ($15, 720; National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Five Star Program funding to Scott, Casey, and Harper).

• 2002-2005  A Primary Understanding of the Environment: Teaching Kids the Science of Ecology ($65,000/yr for three years; The Christensen Fund and the American Honda Foundation educational funding to D. Scott, L. L. Janecek, J. W. Gibbons, and K. W. McLeod).

• 2000-2002  Enhancing Amphibian Biodiversity on Golf Courses through Use of Seasonal Wetlands ($30,000/yr for three years; USGA funding to D. Scott, B. Metts, and J. W. Gibbons).

• 1999-2001  Determining Significant Endpoints for Ecological Risk Analysis ($900,000 DOE EMSP grant to T. G. Hinton, J. D. Congdon, C. Rowe, and D. Scott (Savannah River Ecology Laboratory) and J. Bedford and F. W. Whicker (Colorado State University)

• American Honda Foundation (November 1, 2004) — “A Primary Understanding of Our Environment: Teaching Kids the Science of Ecology” (Scott, Janecek, McLeod) $68,640 (Rejected)

• Environmental Protection Agency (national-November 14, 2005) — “Improving teaching skills through an emphasis on local habitats.” (Scott, Janecek, McLeod) $73,438 (Rejected)

• Environmental Protection Agency (regional-November 14, 2005) — “Upper Three Runs Creek— Community Education about the World’s Most Biodiverse Stream” (Scott, Casey, Harper) $46,431 (Rejected)

• Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (USGS; January 14, 2005) — “Dynamics of Pond-Breeding Amphibians at the Savannah River Site” (Scott, Wilbur, Church, Gibbons, Bailey, Nichols) $91,144 (Rejected)

• American Honda Foundation (February 1, 2005) — “Improving teaching skills through an emphasis on hands-on inquiry-based science.” (Janecek, Scott, McLeod) $22,127 (Rejected)

• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Five Star Program (March 1, 2005) — “Watershed Restoration and Education in Aiken County, South Carolina” (Scott, Casey, Harper;  $15,720 --Funded--woo hoo!)

• National Science Foundation (January 9, 2006) — LTREB: No Wetland is an Island--Assessing the Importance of Population Linkages to Long-term Persistence of Wetland-breeding Amphibians under Scenarios of Modern and Altered Climate (Taylor, Scott, Gibbons; $445,000 to NSF--Rejected)

• Environmental Protection Agency (October 2005) – EPA Star Grant (Linked Aquatic - Terrestrial Ecosystem Responses). “Predicting threshold responses of amphibian communities in isolated wetlands to changes in climate and management practices” (Taylor, Rothermel, Scott, Gibbons) $896,773 (rejected)

• National Science Foundation LTREB program (January 2006) – “No Wetland is an Island--Assessing the Importance of Population Linkages to Long-term Persistence of Wetland-breeding Amphibians under Scenarios of Modern and Altered Climate” (Taylor, Scott, Gibbons) $440,000 (rejected)

• National Science Foundation LTREB program (January 2007) – “No Wetland is an Island--Assessing the Importance of Population Linkages to Long-term Persistence of Wetland-breeding Amphibians under Scenarios of Modern and Altered Climate” (Taylor, Glenn, Scott, Gibbons) $445,000 (rejected)

• Environmental Protection Agency Region IV (March 2008) – EPA Wetland Program Development Grants: “Restoration of Carolina bay wetland ecosystems: A multidisciplinary research and applied conservation approach” (Sharitz, Scott, Buhlmann, Davis, and Singer) $597,000 (rejected)

• National Science Foundation LTREB program (January 2009) – “Importance of immigration, gene flow, and landscape connectivity to persistence of amphibian populations” (Tuberville, Romanek, Buhlmann, Lance, and Scott) $449,000  (rejected)

•  

• Photography
  • Cover photos:
    • Science (two issues)
    • Bioscience (two issues)
    • Molecular Ecology
    • Herpetologica,
    • Handbook of Turtles
    • Fundamentals of Ecotoxicology
    • Amphibian Behavior (back cover)
    • Environmental Techniques and Analysis
    • Boy Scout Handbook for Reptiles and Amphibians (all photos)
    • Poisonous Plants and Animals of Alabama
• Photos also in: Discover magazine, Natural History magazine, National Geographic, Beginnings of Life (textbook), Principles of Conservation Biology (textbook), Nature South, EnviroSouth, Discover South Carolina, Aiken County magazine, Encyclopedia Britannica, Georgia Guide, Augusta Magazine, and Georgia Wildlife.
• General Public Education: Design and produce educational products for general audiences, particularly primary school children. These products include children’s stories (in the form of large posters for classroom walls), teachers’ guides to topics in ecology, slide shows, and multimedia interactive CD-ROM.

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