How Do You Rate This Publication?       

Title:	Efficacy of riparian buffers in mitigating local populations declines and the effects of even-aged timber harvest on larval salamanders
Author(s):	Peterman, William E; Semlitch, Raymond D.
Date:	2009
Source:
Station ID:	JRNL--
Description:	Headwater streams are an important and prevalent feature of the eastern North American landscape.These streams provide a wealth of ecosystem services and support tremendous biological diversity, which is predominated by salamanders in the Appalachian region. Salamanders are ubiquitous throughout the region, contributing a significant biomass that supports ecological and ecosystem processes. One of the greatest threats to salamanders is loss of headwater-riparian habitat through timber harvest. ln this study, we measured larval salamander abundance at five headwater streams with different riparian buffer widths retained following logging. By sampling larval salamanders using leaf litter bags, we assessed the impacts of even-aged timber harvest on aquatic larval salamander abundances, where it was found that larvae are negatively impacted by increased stream sedimentation and a decrease in riparian buffer width. We found that retention of a 9-m buffer was effectively no different than complete removal of all riparian forest, and as such, current regulations to protect headwater streams are ineffectual. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between the 30 m buffer treatment and uncut control treatments suggesting that a 30 m or larger riparian buffer may assuage the inwstream effects of riparian timber harvest Management guidelines for Appalachian forests should be revised to accommodate the biology of plethodontid salamanders.
	View and Print this Publication (430.45 KB)
Publication Notes:	We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information. This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain. Our on-line publications are scanned and captured using Adobe Acrobat. During the capture process some typographical errors may occur. Please contact the SRS Webmaster, srswebmaster@fs.fed.us if you notice any errors which make this publication unuseable. You may send email to pubrequest@fs.fed.us to request a hard copy of this publication. (Please specify exactly which publication you are requesting and your mailing address.)
	Get the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat reader or Acrobat Reader for Windows with Search and Accessibility