Amphibian and reptile community response to coarse woody debris manipulations in upland loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) forests
| Authors: | Audrey K. Owens, Kurtis R. Moseley, Timothy S. McCay, Steven B. Castleberry, John C. Kilgo, W. Mark Ford |
| Year: | 2008 |
| Type: | Scientific Journal |
| Station: | Northern Research Station |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016 |
| Source: | Forest Ecology and Management. 256: 2078-2083. |
Abstract
Coarse woody debris (CWD) has been identified as a key microhabitat component for groups that are moisture and temperature sensitive such as amphibians and reptiles. However, few experimental manipulations have quantitatively assessed amphibian and reptile response to varying CWD volumes within forested environments. We assessed amphibian and reptile response to large-scale, CWD manipulation within managed loblolly pine stands in the southeastern Coastal Plain of the United States from 1998 to 2005. Our study consisted of two treatment phases: Phase I treatments included downed CWD removal (removal of all downed CWD), all CWD removal (removal of all downed and standing CWD), pre-treatment snag, and control; Phase II treatments included downed CWD addition (downed CWD volume increased 5-fold), snag addition (standing CWD volume increased 10-fold), all CWD removal (all CWD removed), and control.