Date of Award:
5-1-2005
Document Type:
Thesis
Degree Name:
Master of Science (MS)
Department:
Biology
Committee Chair(s)
Edmund D. Brodie Jr.
Committee
Edmund D. Brodie Jr.
Committee
Michael Pfrender
Committee
Timothy Haarmann
Abstract
Fire regimes in North America, including the American Southwest, have undergone relatively dramatic shifts in the last century, resulting in novel stand-replacing fires that are changing landscapes in unprecedented ways. Some possible effects of these novel landscape changes on a terrestrial plethodontid salamander (Plethodon neomexicanus) were investigated. Microhabitat temperatures in four burn-severity types following recent fires were measured. Temperatures were significantly greater in high-severity and moderate-severity burn areas than in low-severity and unburned areas. Salamander presence/absence data from four burn-severity types that were documented as having salamanders prior to wildfire are considered. The proportions of presence and absence were similar for all severity types. Data from a 9 year demographic study of P. neomexicanus from 2 locations, where 1 location was burned in a wildfire halfway through the study, were analyzed. Salamander size distributions and body condition pre-fire and post-fire within the burned site were compared. The unburned site was used as a reference location. Salamanders at the burned site had a shift in size distribution 2 years post-fire relative to itself. No significant changes were measured at the unburned site. A significant affect on salamander body condition was not observed. Ground-dwelling arthropods in 4 different burn-severity types were collected to assess food availability for P. neomexicanus and previously collected food habits data for this species were analyzed. All sizes of P. neomexicanus preferred ants (Hymenoptera/Formicidae), mites (Acari), and rove beetles (Coleoptera/Staphylinidae), but consumed a variety of invertebrate prey. Although some statistical differences were found between burn-severity types for the most preferred food items, few trends were apparent, and there appears to have been sufficient food available for P. neomexicanus immediately following the Cerro Grande wildfire.
Recommended Citation
Cummer, Michelle R., "The Effect of Wildfire on Populations of the Jemez Mountains Salamander (Plethodon neomexicanus) With Consideration to Arthropod Prey Availability Following the Cerro Grande Fire of Northern New Mexico" (2005). Biology. 701.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd_biology/701
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