The transfer of energy and nutrients largely depends on the role of animals in the movement of biomass between trophic levels and ecosystems. Despite the historical recognition that amphibians could play an important role in the movement of biomass and nutrients, very few studies have provided reliable estimates of abundance and density of amphibians to reveal their true importance. Here, we provide robust estimates of abundance and density of a dominant species, the Southern Redback Salamander (Plethodon serratus Grobman, 1944), in the oak forest ecosystem of the Ozark Highlands in Missouri. We then use the abundance and density estimates to calculate biomass and nutrient content of salamanders at our study sites in the Ozark forests. Salamanders at the Sinkin Experimental Forest comprise a large amount of protein, energy, and nutrients that greatly exceed estimates derived some 35 years ago in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire. Our estimates (7 300 -12 900 salamanders·ha −1 ) are 2-4 times greater than the values reported by Burton and Likens (1975a, Ecology, 56: 1068-10801975b , Copeia, 1975. Furthermore, we show that density estimates of other small plethodontid species reported in the literature are nearly an order of magnitude greater than that reported by Burton and Likens. We believe this indicates that previous results have underestimated the importance of salamander biomass, nutrient, and energy flux, and their functional role in regulating invertebrates and carbon retention in forest ecosystems. Résumé :Le transfert d'énergie et de nutriments dépend en bonne partie du rôle des animaux dans le mouvement de biomasse entre niveaux trophiques et entre écosystèmes. Même s'il est reconnu depuis longtemps que les amphibiens pourraient jouer un important rôle dans le mouvement de biomasse et de nutriments, très peu d'études ont fourni des estimations fiables de l'abondance et de la densité des amphibiens qui permettraient d'en révéler l'importance réelle. Nous fournissons des estimations robustes de l'abondance et de la densité d'une espèce dominante, la salamandre rayée du Sud (Plethodon serratus Grobman, 1944), dans l'écosystème de la forêt de chêne des hautes terres des monts Ozark, au Missouri. Nous utilisons ensuite les estimations d'abondance et de densité pour calculer la biomasse et le contenu en nutriments des salamandres dans les sites d'étude des forêts des Ozark. Les salamandres dans la forêt expérimentale de Sinkin renferment une grande quantité de protéines, d'énergie et de nutriments qui dépasse de beaucoup les estimations obtenues il y a quelque 35 ans dans la forêt expérimentale de Hubbard Brook, au New Hampshire. Nos estimations (7 300 -12 900 salamandres·ha −1 ) sont de 2 à 4 fois supérieures aux valeurs rapportées par Burton et Likens (1975a, Ecology, 56: 1068-10801975b , Copeia, 1975. En outre, nous montrons que les estimations de la densité d'autres espèces de petits pléthodontidés rapportées dans la littérature dépassent par presque un ordre de grandeur les estimat...

Prescribed fire and timber harvest are anthropogenic disturbances that modify resource availability and ecosystem structure, and can affect wildlife both directly and indirectly. Terrestrial salamanders are effective indicators of forest health due to their high abundance and sensitivity to microclimatic conditions. Given their ecological importance, it is critical to understand how forest salamanders respond to management‐related disturbances. We predicted that timber harvest and prescribed fire would decrease salamander abundance and availability, and increase salamander cover object use. We surveyed for southern red‐backed salamanders (Plethodon serratus) over 9 sampling periods from 2010 to 2014 in a Missouri Ozark (USA) forest, and used binomial mixture models to estimate abundance and detectability in a large‐scale Before‐After, Control‐Impact (BACI) experiment. Five replicate 5‐ha units were randomly assigned to each treatment (prescribed burn, shelterwood harvest, midstory herbicide) and control. We compared abundance, surface activity, detectability, and microhabitat use among treatments. Abundance and surface activity decreased post‐treatment in shelterwood, midstory, and burn units. Abundance estimates in midstory and burn units rebounded in the second post‐treatment year but declined further in shelterwood harvest units. Overall, treatments had stronger effects on salamander availability than on actual abundance. We also found a higher proportion of salamanders under cover objects after prescribed fire, further illustrating the importance of accounting for imperfect detectability. Our findings foster a more robust understanding of the mechanisms underlying population‐level responses to management practices, ultimately increasing our ability to manage terrestrial salamanders effectively. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

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