Long‐term herpetofaunal response to repeated fuel reduction treatments

Abstract

Fuel reduction treatments are used to reduce wildfire risk and to restore plant communities. Yet, repeated mechanical or prescribed fire treatments may gradually change forest structure and microhabitat conditions, favoring some taxa and decreasing suitability for others. We experimentally assessed long‐term (intermittent years, 2003–2016) effects of repeated dormant‐season mechanical and prescribed fire treatments on capture rates of reptiles and amphibians in southern Appalachian upland hardwood forests. Treatments were mechanical understory removal (twice), prescribed burning (4 times; burn‐only), mechanical understory removal followed 1 year later by high‐severity prescribed burns and 3 subsequent burns (mechanical + burn), and untreated controls. Initial burns were hotter in mechanical + burn than burn‐only units, resulting in heavy tree mortality and increased canopy openness within 2 growing‐seasons post‐burn. We captured 4,606 individuals of 15 amphibian and 20 reptile species. Capture rates of American toads (Anaxyrus americanus), green frogs (Lithobates clamitans), plethodontid salamanders (Plethodon spp.), and northern red salamanders (Pseudotriton ruber) were not affected by any fuel reduction treatment. The capture rate of five‐lined skinks (Plestiodon fasciatus) was greater in mechanical + burn than burn‐only or control units, and the capture rate of eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) was greater in mechanical + burn than control units. Juvenile eastern fence lizard captures were greater in mechanical + burn units and increased over time, indicating that high‐severity burning followed by repeated burns may improve conditions for successful recruitment. Different responses among species highlight the importance of including multiple taxa when assessing effects of forest disturbances on wildlife, and give perspective on how forest health may vary depending on target taxa. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.

Interacting and non‐linear avian responses to mixed‐severity wildfire and time since fire

“…Even for wildlife taxa thought to be vulnerable to the effects of fire, such as some herpetofauna, previous studies did not observe negative responses to fire for these species, and fire contributed to greater herpetofaunal diversity over large spatial and temporal scales (Hossack and Corn , Greenberg et al. ). However, some taxa may respond to fire severity and time since fire in unique ways (e.g., small mammals), warranting study of the pyrodiversity–biodiversity relationship across a range of taxa and environmental conditions (Zwolak and Foresman ).…”

Understory Vegetation Responses to 15 Years of Repeated Fuel Reduction Treatments in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, USA

“…This FFSS site is one of the few that remain active, having been treated with a total of 4 dormant-season prescribed burns and 2 mechanical treatments through 2016 [31]. Our study is based on vegetation changes following the four management treatments: dormant season prescribed burning in February or March, using either aerial ignition (spot fire) or strip head fire techniques (B) (4 total: 2003, 2006, 2012, and 2015); mechanical felling all woody stems >1.8 m tall and <10 cm in diameter, and all shrubs of any height in December-February (M) (2 total: 2001-2002, and 2012); a combination of dormant season burning and mechanical treatment (MB) (4 B: 2003, 2006, 2012, and 2015; 2 M: 2001-2002, and 2012); and no treatment to compare the results of each treatment (C) ( Table 1).…”

Short‐term responses of riparian salamander populations to wildfire in the Southern Appalachians

“…Much of what we know about amphibian responses to fire disturbance stems from studies of prescribed fire. While prescribed fires are different from wildfire in that they typically burn at a lower, more uniform intensity (Arkle and Pilliod 2010, Greenberg et al 2018, Jacobsen et al 2020), studies focused on responses to prescribed fire are an important foundation for understanding the nuanced effects of fire on amphibians. For example, Ford et al (1999) reported no difference in salamander abundance between sites with prescribed burning and control riparian forests in our study region.…”