2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
6/06/2017 | 12:15 PM - 12:30 PM | WETLAND ISOLATION AND EXTENDED AMPHIBIAN NONBREEDING PERIODS IN THE SANDHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA | 301B
WETLAND ISOLATION AND EXTENDED AMPHIBIAN NONBREEDING PERIODS IN THE SANDHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Seasonally flooded wetlands provide breeding habitat for approximately 36 species of amphibians in the Southeast. Because these wetlands are patchily distributed across the landscape, amphibian species operate as metapopulations. The metapopulation paradigm predicts that isolated wetlands have greater chances of extended periods of nonbreeding by amphibians, lower species richness, and higher extirpation rates. I obtained an approximately 15-20 year dataset of 6 species of amphibian occurrence at 26 ephemeral wetlands in the Sandhills of North Carolina. I measured several habitat characteristics within and around wetlands and quantified isolation by examining the average distance and number of ephemeral wetlands in the surrounding landscape. My results indicated a significant negative relationship between nonbreeding periods and species richness and the number or distance to neighboring wetlands. Additionally, the number of logs surrounding wetlands was positively related to species richness. The lack of significance of most measured habitat characteristics was probably a consequence of the majority of study wetlands occurring within a relatively well-protected and managed landscape and having little among-site variability. These results suggest that isolated wetlands tend to have lower species richness and can experience extended nonbreeding periods.
- C02 Fish and Other Aquatic Vertebrates
- C09 Wetland Ecology
- S15 Connectivity and Effects of Carolina and Delmarva Bays, Pocosins, and other Geographically Isolated Wetlands of the Atlantic Coastal Plain
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Presenters/Authors
Matthew Moskwik
(), The Nature Conservancy, matthew.moskwik@tnc.org;
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Jeff Beane
(), North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, jeff.beane@naturalsciences.org;
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Nathan Shepard
(), North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, nathan.shepard@ncdcr.gov;
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Brian Ball
(), Endangered Species Branch, Fort Bragg DPW Environmental Division, brian.s.ball4.civ@mail.mil;
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