Direct and Indirect Effects of Pine Silviculture on the Larval Occupancy and Breeding of Declining Amphibian Species
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-2019
Keywords
extirpation, forest floor, forest management, habitat specialist, land use, longleaf pine, path analysis
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13493
Abstract
- Plantation silviculture is increasing globally and is particularly intensive in temperate coniferous forests, where densely planting trees requires practices common to non‐conifer systems that can alter forest floor microhabitat, and potentially threaten amphibian persistence. Most declining amphibian species depend on specific forest microhabitats as terrestrial refugia, but amphibian extirpation associated with tree harvest alone appears unlikely, suggesting that impacts of planting forests on groundcover might better predict recent declines in amphibian occupancy.
- We repeatedly sampled larval presence or absence of 10 amphibian species native to temperate coniferous forest in the Southeastern United States for one year at 62 isolated wetlands, located in either naturally regenerating or planted forest (plantation). We assessed three direct ways that planted forests might reduce amphibian breeding site occupancy by: (a) increasing conifer densities, (b) decreasing groundcover, and (c) an indirect pathway, whereby increased tree densities at plantations might reduce groundcover and thus amphibian site occupancy.
- After controlling for wetland traits and accounting for differences in detection, breeding site occupancy for 8/10 amphibian species was dependent upon whether forests were planted surrounding wetlands (within 300 m). Herbaceous groundcover, not canopy, most commonly influenced occupancy and increased occupancy for declining surface active or fossorial amphibians.
- Path analyses showed that, by directly and indirectly reducing groundcover (via conifer densities), plantations had significantly lower occupancy of two declining surface active or fossorial frog species, whereas two common aquatic frog species were tolerant to planting conifers. Among declining species, salamanders showed a greater reduction in occupancy than anurans, likely because of greater vulnerability to the drier forest floor conditions of plantation than naturally regenerating forests.
- Synthesis and applications. Direct negative impacts of coniferous plantation on amphibians can be addressed by limiting groundcover and soil impacts, including switching from high intensity practices, such as mechanical chopping vegetation or bedding soil, to lower intensity site preparation treatments that are less likely to significantly disturb groundcover. Indirect negative effects of dense canopy cover at planted forests could be lowered by periodically thinning canopies prior to final harvest, thus increasing intact forest groundcover and the conservation of both common and declining amphibians.
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Journal of Applied Ecology, v. 56, issue 12, p. 2652-2662
Scholar Commons Citation
Haggerty, Christopher J E; Crisman, Thomas L.; and Rohr, Jason R., "Direct and Indirect Effects of Pine Silviculture on the Larval Occupancy and Breeding of Declining Amphibian Species" (2019). School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications. 2243.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/geo_facpub/2243
