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Terrestrial Habitat Use by Radio-Implanted Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum)
| Title: | Terrestrial Habitat Use by Radio-Implanted Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) |
| Author: | Nussbaum, Ashley Lynn |
| Description: | Worldwide concern over the potential decline of amphibian populations has been met with calls for conservation and management plans aimed to protect and prevent further amphibian habitat destruction and alteration. Yet most amphibian conservation plans currently in effect only establish habitat protection for the aquatic domain. The terrestrial domain is often overlooked because little is known on how amphibians utilize and interact with this habitat. Until recent advancements in radiotemeletry, the secretive nature of many amphibians had hindered terrestrial habitat research. The spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) is just one species that has now been studied with the use of radiotelemetry. Some basic details of terrestrial movement and habitat use have been established, but there is still a wealth of knowledge to be gained. We used radiotelemetry in this study to track the terrestrial movements of spotted salamanders within a forested landscape in northeast Ohio. We compared the soil pH and density of burrow entrances of individuals’ locations to local areas that surrounded sites of refuge, and to randomly selected locations. We hypothesized that terrestrial habitat selection is influenced by variation in soil pH and burrow entrance densities. We did not find consistent evidence to suggest that there is an association between habitats selected and soil pH. However, we did find that habitat selection was positively associated with burrow entrance density, consistent with non-random movement. Additional studies are needed as we attempt to determine how burrows are located, what factors influence the quality of a burrow, and how these factors vary across different habitats and landscapes. |
| Permanent Link: |
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1134688691
http://hdl.handle.net/2374.OX/3448 |
| Date: | 2005 |
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