Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

, Volume 132, Issue 1–3, pp 509–515 | Cite as

Leaf Litterbag Sampling for Larval Plethodontid Salamander Populations in Georgia

Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:
  • 83 Downloads

Abstract

Survey techniques for larval salamanders vary in their effectiveness and efficiencies. In this study, the leaf litterbag sampling technique was employed to gather data on larval salamander populations in perennial streams of southern Georgia. Salamanders were collected monthly for 12 months to analyze capture counts and population size-class structure. Simultaneous dipnet sweep data were used to examine potential count data biases of the leaf litterbag sampling technique. In both leaf litterbag and dipnet sweep surveys, adult and larval Southern Two-lined Salamanders (Eurycea cirrigera) and larval Southern Red Salamanders (Pseudotriton ruber) were sampled. In leaf litterbags, larval E. cirrigera were captured most frequently, followed by adult E. cirrigera and larval P. ruber, respectively. However, the efficiency of collecting adult E. cirrigera and larval P. ruber could not be determined because of small sample sizes. Larval E. cirrigera counts detected from leaf litterbags were frequently lower than those associated with dipnet sweeps, suggesting that the former may underestimate larval salamander counts. Leaf litterbags successfully detected all E. cirrigera size-classes (i.e., first-year, second-year, and adult), further indicating that larvae in Georgia spend 2 years in the aquatic phase. Leaf litterbags are an effective method of sampling larval salamanders when used to assess species assemblage and age-class distribution.

Keywords

Amphibian Eurycea cirrigera Larval salamander Litterbag Refugia bag Salamander Sampling 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Alvarez, J. A. (2004). Use of artificial egg laying substrate to detect California Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma californiense). Herpetological Review, 35, 45–46.Google Scholar
  2. Anderson, J. B., & Mason, W. T., Jr. (1968). A comparison of benthic macroinvertebrates collected by dredge and basket sampler. Water Pollution Control Federation, 40, 252–259.Google Scholar
  3. Barr, G. E., & Babbitt, K. J. (2001). A comparison of 2 techniques to sample larval stream salamanders. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 29, 1238–1242.Google Scholar
  4. Bruce, R. C. (1982a). Egg-laying, larval periods, and metamorphosis of Eurycea bislineata and E. junaluska at Santeetlah Creek, North Carolina. Copeia, 1982, 755–762.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Bruce, R. C. (1982b). Larval periods and metamorphosis in two species of salamanders of the genus Eurycea. Copeia, 1982, 117–127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Bruce, R. C. (1985). Larval period and metamorphosis in the salamander Eurycea bislineata. Herpetologica, 41, 19–28.Google Scholar
  7. Bruce, R. C. (1986). Upstream and downstream movements of Eurycea bislineata and other salamanders in a Southern Appalachian stream. Herpetologica, 42, 149–155.Google Scholar
  8. Chalmers, R. J., & Droege, S. (2002). Leaf litter bags as an index to populations of Northern Two-lined Salamanders (Eurycea bislineata). Wildlife Society Bulletin, 30, 71–74.Google Scholar
  9. Crossman, J. S., Cairnes, J., Jr. (1974). A comparative study between two different artificial substrate samplers and regular sampling techniques. Hydrobiologia, 44, 517–522.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Dodd, C. K., Jr., & Dorazio, R. M. (2004). Using counts to simultaneously estimate abundance and detection probabilities in a salamander community. Herpetologica, 60, 468–478.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Dodd, C. K., Jr., Loman, J., Cogălniceanu, D., & Puky, M. (2006). Monitoring amphibian populations. In H. H. Heatwole & J. W. Wilkenson (Eds.) Conservation and decline of amphibians, amphibian biology, vol. 9A. Chipping Norton, New South Wales, Australia: Surrey Beatty & Sons. (in press)Google Scholar
  12. Duellman, W. E., & Wood, J. T. (1954). Size and growth of the Two-lined Salamander, Eurycea bislineata rivicola. Copeia, 1954, 92–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. Fraser, D. F. (1976). Empirical evaluation of the hypothesis of food competition in salamanders of the genus Plethodon. Ecology, 57, 459–471.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. Gascon, C. (1991). Population- and commuity-level analyses of species occurrences of central Amazonian rainforest tadpoles. Ecology, 72, 1731–1746.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. Hilsenhoff, W. L. (1969). An artificial substrate sampler for stream insects. Limnology & Oceanography, 14, 465–471.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. Jones, D. G., Summer, W. B., Miwa, M., & Jackson, C. R. (2003). Baseline characterization of forested headwater stream hydrology and water chemistry in southwest Georgia (pp. 161–165). In Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Southern Silviculture Research Conference, Biloxi, MS. 24–28 February 2003. Southern Research Station: USDA Forest Service, Asheville, NC.Google Scholar
  17. Jung, R. E., Droege, S., Sauer, J. R., & Landy, R. B. (2000). Evaluation of terrestrial and streamside salamander monitoring techniques at Shenandoah National Park. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 63, 65–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. McDiarmid, R. W. (1994). Amphibian diversity and natural history: An overview. In R. W. Heyer, M. Donnelly, D. B. Wake, & R. W. McDiarmid (Eds.) Measuring and monitoring biological diversity (pp. 5–15). Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 364 pages.Google Scholar
  19. Means, D. B. (2000). Southeastern U.S. Coastal plain habitats of the Plethodontidae. In D. B. Bruce, R. G. Jaeger, & L. D. Houck (Eds.) The biology of the plethodontid salamanders (pp 287–302). New York: Kluwer, 488 pages.Google Scholar
  20. Nickerson, M. A., & Krysko, K. L. (2003). Surveying for Hellbender salamanders, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis (Daudin): A review and critique. Applied Herpetology, 1, 37–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Pauley, T. K., & Little, M. (1998). A new technique to monitor larval and juvenile salamanders in stream habitats. Banisteria, 12, 32–36.Google Scholar
  22. Petranka, J. W. (1998). Salamanders of the United States and Canada (p. 587). Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press.Google Scholar
  23. Pollio, C. A. (2000). Eurycea cirrigera (Southern Two-lined Salamander): Larval period/size-class determination. Herpetological Review, 31, 166–167.Google Scholar
  24. Schmidt, B. R. (2003). Count data, detection probabilities, and the demography, dynamics, distribution, and decline of amphibians. Comptes Rendus Biologies, 326, S119–S124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Schmidt, B. R. (2004). Declining amphibian populations: The pitfalls of count data in the study of diversity, distributions, dynamics, and demography. Herpetological Journal, 14, 167–174.Google Scholar
  26. Scott, N. J., Jr., & Woodward, B. D. (1994). Standard techniques for inventory and monitoring: Surveys at breeding sites. In R. W. Heyer, M. Donnelly, D. B. Wake, & R. W. McDiarnid, (Eds.) Measuring and monitoring biological diversity (pp 118–125). Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 364 pages.Google Scholar
  27. Shaffer, H. B., Alford, R. A., Woodward, B. D., Richards, S. J., Altig, R. G., & Gascon, C. (1994). Standard techniques for inventory and monitoring: Quantitative sampling of amphibian larvae. In R. W. Heyer, M. Donnelly, D. B. Wake, & R. W. McDiarmid (Eds.) Measuring and monitoring biological diversity (pp. 130–141). Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 364 pages.Google Scholar
  28. Summer, W. B., Jackson, C. R., Jones, D. G., & Miwa, M. (2003). Characterization of hydrologic and sediment transport behavior of forested headwater streams in southwest Georgia. In Proceedings of the 2003 Georgia Water Resource Conference, Athens, GA. 23–24 April 2003. Institute of Ecology: University of Georgia, Athens, GA.Google Scholar
  29. Waldron, J. L., Dodd, C. K., Jr., & Corser, J. D. (2003). Leaf litterbags: Factors affecting capture of stream-dwelling salamanders. Applied Herpetology, 1, 23–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. Wassersug, R. J. (1997). Assessing and controlling amphibian populations from the larval perspective. In D. M. Green (Ed.) Amphibians in decline: Canadian studies of a global problem (pp 271–281). St. Louis, Missouri, USA: Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.Google Scholar
  31. Willson, J. D., & Dorcas, M. E. (2003). Quantitative sampling of stream salamanders: A comparison of dipnetting and funnel trapping techniques. Herpetological Review, 34, 128–130.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Environmental Engineering SciencesUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleUSA

Personalised recommendations