Southern two-lined salamanders in urbanizing watersheds |
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Authors: | Jennifer E Miller George R Hess Christopher E Moorman |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8003, USA |
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Abstract: | Forested riparian buffers are an increasingly common method of mitigating the negative effects of impervious surface cover
on water quality and wildlife habitat. We sampled larval southern two-lined salamanders (Eurycea cirrigera) in 43 streams, representing the range of impervious surface cover and forested riparian buffer width across Wake County,
NC, USA. Larval abundance decreased with increasing impervious surface cover in the upstream catchment, but was not affected
by buffer width. This is likely a result of an incomplete buffer system and culverts or other breaches along streams. Larval
abundance increased with detritus cover in the stream to a threshold and then decreased as detritus continued to increase.
As percent pebble substrate in the stream increased, especially in perennial streams, larval salamander abundance also increased.
We suspect salamanders were unable to migrate with the water column during dry periods in intermittent streams with sedimented
interstices below the surface, resulting in low abundances. A combination of increased peak flows and sedimentation, reduced
base flow, and chemical changes likely reduces the abundance of salamanders in urban and suburban streams. We suggest creation
of catchment-wide, unbreached buffers to maintain the integrity of stream habitats in urbanizing watersheds. |
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Keywords: | Eurycea cirrigera Forested buffer Impervious surface North Carolina Stream ecology Urbanization Water quality Watershed management |
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