Publication
Short-term responses of riparian salamander populations to wildfire in the Southern Appalachians
Authors
Philip R. Gould, former PhD Student, School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR); current Research Scientist with United States Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center
Meaghan R. Gade, former PhD Student, SENR; current Energy and Wildlife Program Manager with the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
Andrew J. Wilk, former Graduate Student, SENR; current Environmental Technician with National Great Rivers Research and Education Center
William E. Peterman, Associate Professor, SENR
Quick Take
Slimy but mighty, salamanders are an important part of forest ecosystems. Critical players in the food chain, they recycle nutrients and keep soil healthy. With predictions that forest wildfires may happen more frequently in the future, researchers wanted to know how salamanders are responding to these hazards. Amphibians like salamanders are especially vulnerable to wildfires as they don’t have lungs like people or gills like fish. Instead, they breathe through their skin and need a healthy tree canopy and cool, moist conditions for survival.
To study their responses after wildfires, researchers from The Ohio State University conducted field surveys in Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina—a biodiversity hotspot for salamanders—for three years after the large Camp Branch Wildfire in 2016. Researchers chose five burn sites near streams and five reference sites near streams for comparison. Researchers counted and recorded the number of animals in multiple small study areas at each site. They focused on three common species of salamanders: Blue Ridge two-lined salamanders, red-legged salamanders, and Ocoee salamanders.
Results
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Fire had complex effects on the salamander species. While each species relies on similar conditions (moisture and cool temperatures), their specific life cycles—how each species lives, reproduces, and survives—likely determined how severe the negative effects of the wildfire were and how they responded over time.
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Researchers found adults from all salamander species farther from streams after the wildfires. While they had predicted that the creatures might move closer to be near moisture and better conditions, researchers think many were forced away from the water because of competition over decreased habitat and resources.
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Researchers concluded that riparian forests may buffer effects of wildfires, making them important habitats for conservation. This means that wildfires in forests near waterbodies like streams may have less severe consequences for salamanders than they would in other ecosystems.
- Salamanders are considered indicator species, or sensitive animals whose early responses to ecosystem changes can give insight into how other species may react. Understanding how salamanders respond to wildfires is important for developing effective forest management strategies and ensuring wildlife diversity, researchers say.
Citation
Gould, P.R., Gade, M.R., Wilk, A.J., Peterman, W.E. “Short-term responses of riparian salamander populations to wildfire in the Southern Appalachians.” The Journal of Wildlife Management, June 2022, p. 22282., https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jwmg.22282