Stream Salamander Monitoring: Northeast Refuges and Parks. Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative, Summer 2004

摘要

Stream salamanders are receiving more attention as ecological indicators (Roth et al., 1999; Ohio EPA, 2001). Stream salamanders in the family Plethodontidae often replace fish as the top vertebrate predators in headwater stream ecosystems. Headwater habitats are the small swales, seeps (where ground water oozes slowly to the surface, usually forming a pool), creeks, and first order streams that form the origins of larger rivers. Stream salamanders are promising indicators of environmental stressors in small streams due to their longevity, relatively stable populations, small home ranges, abundance, and ubiquity (Rocco and Brooks, 2000; Welsh and Ollivier, 1998). Studies have found reduced salamander species richness or abundance in streams with higher impervious surface area in the basin, increased urbanization and acid mine drainage, and with nearby road construction and logging. To monitor changes in populations of stream salamanders in relation to environmental variables, efficient and effective standardized sampling techniques that detect and accurately characterize presence and abundance of all species and age classes are essential.