2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
5/23/2018 | 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM | PLETHODONTID STREAM SALAMANDER OCCUPANCY, ABUNDANCE, AND DIET ALONG A CONDUCTIVITY GRADIENT | 320
PLETHODONTID STREAM SALAMANDER OCCUPANCY, ABUNDANCE, AND DIET ALONG A CONDUCTIVITY GRADIENT
Elevated specific conductance (SC) is one mechanism hypothesized to be responsible for declines in salamanders from mountaintop removal and valley filled (MTR/VF) streams. Aquatic macro-invertebrates, an important subsidy to stream salamanders, are also known to decline in MTR/VF streams. We conducted repeat count surveys of salamanders, diet, and water chemistry at 30 sites to answer the following questions: 1) Does stream salamander occupancy and abundance change along a SC gradient? and 2) Does stream salamander diet change along a SC gradient? We found adult and larval salamander occupancy and abundance decreased as SC increased, with responses consistent among species and life stages. In larval salamanders, the ratio of aquatic to terrestrial prey consumed decreased from 12:1 to 1:1 at a threshold of 153 ?S/cm. Additionally, the total volume of prey items decreased by 77% at a threshold of 100 ?S/cm. Whereas, adult salamanders consistently consumed a similar volume of prey along the gradient, suggesting a stronger effect of SC on larval salamander food consumption. Our results suggest the reduction in aquatic prey availability is a major driver influencing declines in larval stream salamander occupancy and overall population persistence.
- Amphibian
- Diet
- Invertebrate
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Presenters/Authors
Jacob Hutton
(), University of Kentucky, jakehutton@uky.edu;
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