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Trochet A, Le Chevalier H, Calvez O, Ribéron A, Bertrand R, Blanchet S. Influence of substrate types and morphological traits on movement behavior in a toad and newt species. PeerJ 2019; 6:e6053. [PMID: 30643673 PMCID: PMC6330043 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Inter-patch movements may lead to genetic mixing, decreasing both inbreeding and population extinction risks, and is hence a crucial aspect of amphibian meta-population dynamics. Traveling through heterogeneous landscapes might be particularly risky for amphibians. Understanding how these species perceive their environment and how they move in heterogeneous habitats is an essential step in explaining metapopulation dynamics and can be important for predicting species’ responses to climate change and for conservation policy and management. Methods Using an experimental approach, the present study focused on the movement behavior (crossing speed and number of stops) on different substrates mimicking landscape components (human-made and natural substrates) in two amphibian species contrasting in locomotion mode: the common toad (Bufo bufo), a hopping and burrowing anuran and the marbled newt (Triturus marmoratus), a walking salamander. We tested the hypothesis that species reaction to substrate is dependent on specific ecological requirements or locomotion modes because of morphological and behavioral differences. Results In both species, substrate type influenced individual crossing speed, with individuals moving faster on soil than on concrete substrate. We also demonstrated that long-legged individuals moved faster than individuals with short legs. In both species, the number of stops was higher in females than in males. In common toads, the number of stops did not vary between substrates tested, whereas in marbled newts the number of stops was higher on concrete than on soil substrate. Discussion We highlighted that concrete substrate (mimicking roads) negatively affect the crossing speed of both studied species, with an effect potentially higher in marbled newts. Our findings corroborate negative effects of such heterogeneous landscapes on movement behavior of two amphibian species, which may have implications for the dynamics of metapopulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Trochet
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III), Toulouse, France.,Station d'Ecologie Théorioque et Expérimentale, CNRS, Moulis, France
| | - Hugo Le Chevalier
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III), Toulouse, France.,Station d'Ecologie Théorioque et Expérimentale, CNRS, Moulis, France
| | - Olivier Calvez
- Station d'Ecologie Théorioque et Expérimentale, CNRS, Moulis, France
| | - Alexandre Ribéron
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III), Toulouse, France
| | - Romain Bertrand
- Station d'Ecologie Théorioque et Expérimentale, CNRS, Moulis, France.,Center for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, CNRS, Moulis, France
| | - Simon Blanchet
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III), Toulouse, France.,Station d'Ecologie Théorioque et Expérimentale, CNRS, Moulis, France
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Burkhart JJ, Peterman WE, Brocato ER, Romine KM, Willis MMS, Ousterhout BH, Anderson TL, Drake DL, Rowland FE, Semlitsch RD, Eggert LS. The influence of breeding phenology on the genetic structure of four pond-breeding salamanders. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:4670-4681. [PMID: 28690797 PMCID: PMC5496555 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 04/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding metapopulation dynamics requires knowledge about local population dynamics and movement in both space and time. Most genetic metapopulation studies use one or two study species across the same landscape to infer population dynamics; however, using multiple co-occurring species allows for testing of hypotheses related to different life history strategies. We used genetic data to study dispersal, as measured by gene flow, in three ambystomatid salamanders (Ambystoma annulatum, A. maculatum, and A. opacum) and the Central Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis) on the same landscape in Missouri, USA. While all four salamander species are forest dependent organisms that require fishless ponds to reproduce, they differ in breeding phenology and spatial distribution on the landscape. We use these differences in life history and distribution to address the following questions: (1) Are there species-level differences in the observed patterns of genetic diversity and genetic structure? and (2) Is dispersal influenced by landscape resistance? We detected two genetic clusters in A. annulatum and A. opacum on our landscape; both species breed in the fall and larvae overwinter in ponds. In contrast, no structure was evident in A. maculatum and N. v. louisianensis, species that breed during the spring. Tests for isolation by distance were significant for the three ambystomatids but not for N. v. louisianensis. Landscape resistance also contributed to genetic differentiation for all four species. Our results suggest species-level differences in dispersal ability and breeding phenology are driving observed patterns of genetic differentiation. From an evolutionary standpoint, the observed differences in dispersal distances and genetic structure between fall breeding and spring breeding species may be a result of the trade-off between larval period length and size at metamorphosis which in turn may influence the long-term viability of the metapopulation. Thus, it is important to consider life history differences among closely related and ecologically similar species when making management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob J Burkhart
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
| | - William E Peterman
- School of Environment and Natural Resources The Ohio State University Columbus OH USA
| | - Emily R Brocato
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
| | - Kimberly M Romine
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
| | | | | | | | - Dana L Drake
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs CT USA
| | - Freya E Rowland
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
| | | | - Lori S Eggert
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
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LeGros DL, Steinberg B, Lesbarrères D. Middle of the road: enhanced habitat for salamanders on unused logging roads. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/wr14239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Amphibians are particularly susceptible to the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation. The construction and use of roads is among the most common sources of habitat fragmentation and can lead to serious population declines. Unused resource access roads, such as those formerly used for logging, can still negatively impact salamanders and reduce habitat quality through edge effects. Unfortunately, habitat rehabilitation and enhancement is rarely attempted on unused forest roads.
Aims
Our aim was to elaborate on a previous study that tested several types of woody debris to mitigate the negative impacts of forest roads by creating a novel habitat on an unused forest road in Algonquin Provincial Park. Here we focus solely on the use of large, squared timbers and their use by salamanders.
Methods
We tested the application of coarse woody debris (CWD) to the surface of an unused forest road. CWD were sampled for salamanders seven times during the 2011 field season. Local climatic variables were tested against salamander captures, and CWD size preferences and patterns of salamander aggregation under CWD were assessed.
Key results
We observed five salamander species and 415 individuals under timbers in the 2011 field season. Larger timbers (>1m3) were preferred by all species observed and a significant proportion of animals were found in groups of two or more under larger timbers. High ambient temperature and low relative humidity negatively affected the number and species composition observed under timbers, suggesting that the efficiency of CWD as a survey method and enhanced habitat is season dependent.
Implications
Large timbers placed on unused forest roads may provide suitable refuges for migrating or dispersing forest salamanders while they attempt to cross the road. The tendency of salamanders to aggregate under CWD allows individual red efts to reduce water loss; however, red-backed salamanders are territorial and may drive off conspecifics. The use of large CWD may be an effective and low-cost method to rehabilitate unused forest roads and can be used to promote habitat connectivity for salamanders in targeted habitats, such as near wetlands, or for other species of concern.
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Cline BB, Hunter ML. Movement in the matrix: substrates and distance‐to‐forest edge affect postmetamorphic movements of a forest amphibian. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany B. Cline
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine 5755 Nutting Hall Orono Maine 04469 USA
| | - Malcolm L. Hunter
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine 5755 Nutting Hall Orono Maine 04469 USA
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Nowakowski AJ, Veiman-Echeverria M, Kurz DJ, Donnelly MA. Evaluating connectivity for tropical amphibians using empirically derived resistance surfaces. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 25:928-942. [PMID: 26465034 DOI: 10.1890/14-0833.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural expansion continues to drive forest loss in species-rich tropical systems and often disrupts movement and distributions of organisms. The ability of species to occupy and move through altered habitats likely depends on the level of contrast between natural forest and surrounding land uses. Connectivity models, such as circuit theory models, are widely used in conservation biology, and their primary input consists of resistance surfaces representing movement costs associated with landscape features. Cost values are most frequently determined by expert opinion, which may not capture relevant levels of contrast among features. We developed resistance surfaces using experiments that represent different local mechanisms hypothesized to affect connectivity for two Neotropical amphibian species. Response ratios were calculated to translate experimental results to cost values used in connectivity modeling. We used relative abundance data in three land-cover types to generate resistance surfaces for evaluating independent support of models derived from experiments. Finally, we analyzed agreement among movement pathways predicted for each species and among three commonly used connectivity measures: Euclidean, least cost, and resistance distances. Experiments showed that extreme microclimates associated with altered habitats significantly increased desiccation and mortality risk for both species. Resistances estimated from microclimate experiments were concordant with those from survey data for both species. For one focal species, resistance estimates derived from predator encounter rates were also highly correlated with abundance-derived resistances. There was generally low agreement among the three alternative distance measures, which underscores the importance of choosing connectivity models that are most appropriate for the study objectives. Overall, similarity among linkages modeled for each species was high, but decreased with declining forest cover. Our results highlight the value of experiments for drawing inferences about processes in resistance modeling, as well as the need to consider model differences and species-specific responses when developing strategies to maintain connectivity.
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Lee-Yaw J, Sechley T, Irwin D. Conflicting effects of microhabitats on Long-toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) movement: implications for landscape connectivity. CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Understanding dispersal requires multiple lines of investigation, from the study of broad patterns of population connectivity to the identification of factors impacting movement at local scales. To determine the potential effects of different microhabitats on dispersal in the Long-toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum Baird, 1850), we experimentally evaluated mobility, moisture loss, and habitat choice in response to five common substrates (deciduous and coniferous leaf litter, grass, moss, and sand). Specifically, we examined differences in the efficiency with which salamanders moved across substrates when motivated to move. We then quantified moisture loss in each substrate and evaluated habitat preference. Our results point to a trade-off between substrates that are easily traversed and those that offer high protection against desiccation. Habitat choice appeared to balance these two aspects of performance, with salamanders favouring a substrate that offered both low resistance to movement and high protection against desiccation. This result was context-dependent, as preferences shifted towards wetter but less easily traversed substrates when supplemental cover objects were made available. Overall, our study highlights the potential for individuals to respond to a given substrate in ways that can both facilitate and limit dispersal and thus underscores the need to consider different aspects of individual performance and behaviour when studying population connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.A. Lee-Yaw
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - T.H. Sechley
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - D.E. Irwin
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
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Movement Behavior is Habitat Dependent in Invasive Jackson's Chameleons in Hawaii. J HERPETOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1670/13-150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Ousterhout BH, Luhring TM, Semlitsch RD. No evidence of natal habitat preference induction in juveniles with complex life histories. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.04.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Coster SS, Veysey Powell JS, Babbitt KJ. Characterizing the width of amphibian movements during postbreeding migration. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2014; 28:756-762. [PMID: 24423254 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2013] [Accepted: 08/08/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Habitat linkages can help maintain connectivity of animal populations in developed landscapes. However, the lack of empirical data on the width of lateral movements (i.e., the zigzagging of individuals as they move from one point to point another) makes determining the width of such linkages challenging. We used radiotracking data from wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) and spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in a managed forest in Maine (U.S.A.) to characterize movement patterns of populations and thus inform planning for the width of wildlife corridors. For each individual, we calculated the polar coordinates of all locations, estimated the vector sum of the polar coordinates, and measured the distance from each location to the vector sum. By fitting a Gaussian distribution over a histogram of these distances, we created a population-level probability density function and estimated the 50th and 95th percentiles to determine the width of lateral movement as individuals progressed from the pond to upland habitat. For spotted salamanders 50% of lateral movements were ≤13 m wide and 95% of movements were ≤39 m wide. For wood frogs, 50% of lateral movements were ≤17 m wide and 95% of movements were ≤ 51 m wide. For both species, those individuals that traveled the farthest from the pond also displayed the greatest lateral movement. Our results serve as a foundation for spatially explicit conservation planning for pond-breeding amphibians in areas undergoing development. Our technique can also be applied to movement data from other taxa to aid in designing habitat linkages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie S Coster
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, 114 James Hall, Durham, NH, 03824, U.S.A
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Peterman WE, Connette GM, Semlitsch RD, Eggert LS. Ecological resistance surfaces predict fine-scale genetic differentiation in a terrestrial woodland salamander. Mol Ecol 2014; 23:2402-13. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.12747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2013] [Revised: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- William E. Peterman
- Illinois Natural History Survey; Prairie Research Institute University of Illinois 1816 S Oak Street Champaign; IL 61820 USA
| | - Grant M. Connette
- Division of Biological Sciences; University of Missouri; Columbia MO USA
| | | | - Lori S. Eggert
- Division of Biological Sciences; University of Missouri; Columbia MO USA
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Osbourn MS, Connette GM, Semlitsch RD. Effects of fine-scale forest habitat quality on movement and settling decisions in juvenile pond-breeding salamanders. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014; 24:1719-1729. [PMID: 29210233 DOI: 10.1890/13-0813.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A better understanding of how individuals respond to variation in habitat quality while moving through heterogeneous habitats is needed to predict ecological phenomena at larger scales, such as local population and metapopulation dynamics. We sought to identify how fine-scale habitat quality affects the decisions of juvenile pond-breeding salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum and A. annulatum) to cease dispersive movements away from their natal pond, select a refuge, and settle. Because of the acute susceptibility of juvenile amphibians to evaporative water loss in terrestrial habitats, we predicted that they possess mechanisms for adjusting their behavior in response to variations in fine-scale habitat quality. We used experimental field enclosures to isolate the effects of habitat quality on settling behavior and employed generalized linear mixed models to examine how manipulations in canopy cover (closed or open) and microhabitat (control, compacted soils, high coarse woody debris, high burrow density), along with environmental variables (rainfall and air temperature), affect the individual's probability of settling. Our results indicated that A. maculatum and A. annulatum had a 10% and 30% decreased probability of settling in open-canopy clearcut habitat, respectively, compared to closed-canopy forest habitat. In addition, A. annulatum were 24% less likely to settle in compacted soil treatments. Although the settlement probability of A. annulatum did not depend on refuge availability, A. maculatum were 18% and 25% more likely to settle under conditions of high burrow density and high coarse woody debris, respectively. These findings make a unique contribution to our understanding of amphibian movement ecology by demonstrating how the interplay of external factors and individual behavior produce observed patterns of movement and habitat selection.
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Context-dependent movement behavior of woodland salamanders (Plethodon) in two habitat types. ZOOLOGY 2013; 116:325-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2013.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2013] [Revised: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 08/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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