Amphibian response to downed wood retention in managed forests: A prospectus for future biomass harvest in North America

Otto, Clint R. V.; Kroll, Andrew J.; McKenny, Heather C.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2013.04.023

Cited by 32 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 118 publications

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“…For example, coarse woody debris is undoubtedly a critical element of forests for numerous terrestrial salamanders [96]. Logs, stumps and root masses on the forest floor provide a means of subterranean entry, refugia from inhospitable microclimates, habitat and foraging surfaces for invertebrate prey, access to mates and habitat conditions for brooding eggs, and many species establish territories under woody debris [20].…”

Section: Case Studies Of Salamanders In Managed Forestsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Also, many management guidelines recommend adequate recruitment and retention of woody debris in managed forests to maintain or enhance salamander communities [28,100]. Emerging biofuel markets that rely on woody debris or formerly nonmerchantable material gleaned following harvests may reduce woody debris below thresholds required by salamanders or other wildlife [96,101]. Thus, documenting variability in existence and strength of relationships between salamanders and CWD is necessary for developing an understanding of increased intensity of forest management.…”

Section: Case Studies Of Salamanders In Managed Forestsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When developing future monitoring and research programs, practitioners and scientists could consider experimental designs and best practices that meet clearly-defined research objectives. For terrestrial salamanders in IMF ecosystems, these practices could include incorporating methods to estimate detection probabilities to reduce bias, pre-and post-treatment estimates of abundance or occupancy, long-term data collection to capture population and demographic trends over a complete turnover of these relatively long-lived species to capture variability across anticipated stand rotation lengths and designing studies to examine potential impacts of silvicultural activities at micro-to landscape scales [96,118,119]. Meta-analyses (e.g., [27]) that examine inter-specific, regional and spatio-temporal differences in population responses to manipulation of habitat characteristics in IMF ecosystems are critical to drawing strong inferences about the broader impacts of forest management on plethodontid salamanders.…”

Section: Opportunities For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Slow Lives in the Fast Landscape: Conservation and Management of Plethodontid Salamanders in Production Forests of the United States

Homyack

Kroll

2014

Forests

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Intensively-managed forest (IMF) ecosystems support environmental processes, retain biodiversity and reduce pressure to extract wood products from other forests, but may affect species, such as plethodontid salamanders, that are associated with closed canopies and possess limited vagility. We describe: (1) critical aspects of IMF ecosystems; (2) effectiveness of plethodontid salamanders as barometers of forest change; (3) two case studies of relationships between salamanders and coarse woody debris (CWD); and (4) research needs for effective management of salamanders in IMF ecosystems. Although plethodontid salamanders are sensitive to microclimate changes, their role as ecological indicators rarely have been evaluated quantitatively. Our case studies of CWD and salamanders in western and eastern forests demonstrated effects of species, region and spatial scale on the existence and strength of relationships between plethodontid species and a "critical" microhabitat variable. Oregon slender salamanders (Batrachoseps wrighti) were more strongly associated with abundance of CWD in managed second growth forests than ensatina salamanders (Ensatina eschscholtzii). Similarly, CWD was not an important predictor of abundance of Appalachian salamanders in managed hardwood forest. OPEN ACCESSForests 2014, 5 2751Gaining knowledge of salamanders in IMF ecosystems is critical to reconciling ecological and economic objectives of intensive forest management, but faces challenges in design and implementation.

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Section: Case Studies Of Salamanders In Managed Forestsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Case Studies Of Salamanders In Managed Forestsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Opportunities For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Slow Lives in the Fast Landscape: Conservation and Management of Plethodontid Salamanders in Production Forests of the United States

Homyack

Kroll

2014

Forests

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“…It is likely that CWD retention would be of greater benefit to woodland plethodontid salamanders, which do not rely on burrows to the degree that ambystomatids do, and which may therefore be more inclined to use CWD as refuge (Herbeck and Larsen, 1999). The utility of CWD retention for other amphibians remains an important area for future research (Otto et al, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…None of the three states in question have regulations requiring retention of CWD beyond consideration of possible impacts to stream and water quality. Thus, our CC-retained treatment here is intended to be both representative of some best management practices and to test for beneficial effects of CWD retention for amphibians (deMaynadier and Hunter, 1995;Herbeck and Larsen, 1999;Otto et al, 2013). Our clearcut treatment with no intentionally retained CWD is representative of whole-tree harvesting that does not meet best management practices and may also represent complete biomass harvest in instances where as much biomass is removed as possible, such as for use in cellulosic ethanol production, or where landowners may choose not to follow best management practices.…”

Section: Experimental Arraysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of timber harvesting on terrestrial survival of pond-breeding amphibians

Todd

Blomquist

Harper

et al. 2014

Forest Ecology and Management

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a b s t r a c tSuccessful forest management for multiple uses requires balancing extractive practices with maintaining biodiversity, among other important goals. Amphibians comprise an important and abundant part of the biodiversity of many forests. Previous studies have documented declines in the abundance and diversity of amphibians in harvested forests. However, only recently have studies begun to elucidate the mechanisms that underlie such declines. Here, we studied the effects of timber harvesting on survival of geographically widespread ambystomatid salamanders in three forest regions of North America. We used terrestrial enclosures in the Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast to compare amphibian survival in unharvested controls, partially harvested stands ($25% canopy reduction), and clearcuts with coarse woody debris either retained or removed. In all regions, patterns of amphibian survival were similar, with both juvenile and adult salamanders generally having significantly lower survival in clearcuts compared with unharvested controls. Survival of juvenile salamanders in partially harvested stands was also low, but adult salamanders survived as well or better in partially harvested stands as in controls. Larger body size in juveniles was significantly correlated with recapture, irrespective of treatment, in both the Northeast and Southeast, but not in the Midwest or for adults in any region. Relatively heavier adults were more likely to be captured again in the Southeast, but relative mass was not correlated with recapture in any other regions or for juveniles. Our results suggest that increased amphibian mortality may contribute to declines of amphibian abundance and richness after forest clearcutting for the regions evaluated here. Although our results indicate that partial harvesting is compatible with survival of adult salamanders, retention of intact forest around breeding ponds would benefit all terrestrial stages of pond-breeding salamanders and represents a best management practice for the maintenance of amphibian biodiversity.

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Rodent population and community responses to forest-based biofuel production

et al. 2014

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Intensively managed forests in the southeastern United States are a potential source of cellulosic bioenergy and, as conversion technologies improve and demand increases, a greater land area may be required to produce biofuel feedstocks. However, responses of wildlife to forest-based biofuel production are largely unknown. We examined the 4-year response of rodent populations and assemblages to a range of biofuel production regimes, including harvesting residual woody debris and intercropping switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), in an intensively managed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) forest in eastern North Carolina, USA. We investigated abundance, demography, and community response of rodents in a randomized and replicated field experiment using mark-recapture techniques during 2009-2012. Whereas removal of downed woody biomass did not affect abundance, diversity, or demography of rodents, we detected species-specific effects of incorporating switchgrass. After switchgrass was well established, invasive house mice (Mus musculus) were most abundant in plots with switchgrass. In contrast, white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) were commonly captured in plots without switchgrass and other rodents were not affected by biofuel treatments. Across the study, natural succession exerted greater effects on rodent species and the rodent community than biofuel production regimes. As remaining logs and stumps decay and become limiting, downed wood may become more important to rodents. Our results indicate that intercropping switchgrass and harvesting residual woody material had limited effects on rodents in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, USA within 4 years of stand establishment. Ó 2014 The Wildlife Society.

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Amphibian response to downed wood retention in managed forests: A prospectus for future biomass harvest in North America

Cited by 32 publications

References 118 publications

Slow Lives in the Fast Landscape: Conservation and Management of Plethodontid Salamanders in Production Forests of the United States

Slow Lives in the Fast Landscape: Conservation and Management of Plethodontid Salamanders in Production Forests of the United States

Effects of timber harvesting on terrestrial survival of pond-breeding amphibians

Rodent population and community responses to forest-based biofuel production

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