Artificial Cover Board Monitoring for Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP in Vermont, USA (1999-2000)
Citation
Faccio S, McFarland K (2022). Artificial Cover Board Monitoring for Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP in Vermont, USA (1999-2000). Vermont Center for Ecostudies. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/euem5p accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-08-30.Description
In order to help guide the development of a forest management plan, a biological inventory of the amphibian and reptiles within the park and adjacent lands was conducted in 1999 and 2000. To compare the distribution and relative abundance of Red-backed Salamanders within 3 different forest cover types, cover board transects were established during early April 1999 in a northern hardwood stand, a hardwood/hemlock stand, and a red pine plantation. Following the protocol to monitor terrestrial salamanders established by the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (Droege et al. 1997), within each study site 40 white pine cover boards (measuring 25 x 25 x 2.5 cm) were laid out in pairs, 0.5 m apart. Each pair of boards was spaced approximately 10 m apart and, to reduce forest edge effects, at least 50 m from the forest edge. Cover boards were checked approximately each week between April and November during the two-year study, but were not checked during misty or rainy weather when salamanders were more likely to be out foraging in the leaf litter. Individual salamanders encountered under each board were tallied and handling of salamanders was avoided as much as possible. All Red-backed Salamanders were placed into one of the following size classes: Adult (> 40 mm S-V), Sub-adult (30 – 40 mm S-V), and Juvenile (< 30 mm S-V). During 2000, most adult Redbacks were sexed by visually noting the shape of the snout (squared in males, rounded in females).Sampling Description
Study Extent
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP, Woodstock, Vermont, USASampling
To compare the distribution and relative abundance of Red-backed Salamanders within 3 different forest cover types, cover board transects were established during early April 1999 in a northern hardwood stand, a hardwood/hemlock stand, and a red pine plantation (Fig. 1). Following the protocol to monitor terrestrial salamanders established by the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (Droege et al. 1997), within each study site 40 white pine cover boards (measuring 25 x 25 x 2.5 cm) were laid out in pairs, 0.5 m apart. Each pair of boards was spaced approximately 10 m apart and, to reduce forest edge effects, at least 50 m from the forest edge. Cover boards were checked approximately each week between April and November during the two-year study, but were not checked during misty or rainy weather when salamanders were more likely to be out foraging in the leaf litter (Jaeger 1979, 1980). Individual salamanders encountered under each board were tallied and handling of salamanders was avoided as much as possible. All Red-backed Salamanders were placed into one of the following size classes: Adult (> 40 mm S-V), Sub-adult (30 – 40 mm S-V), and Juvenile (< 30 mm S-V) (Sayler 1966). During 2000, most adult Redbacks were sexed by visually noting the shape of the snout (squared in males, rounded in females) (Hunter, et. al. 1999).Method steps
- see above
Taxonomic Coverages
Red-backed Salamanders
-
Plethodon cinereuscommon name: Red-backed Salamander rank: species
Geographic Coverages
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP, Woodstock, Vermont, USA
Bibliographic Citations
- Faccio, S. D., September 2001. Biological Inventory of Amphibians and Reptiles at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park and Adjacent Lands. Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR—2005/008. National Park Service. Woodstock, VT. - https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/430046 https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/430046
Contacts
Steve Facciooriginator
position: conservation biologist
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
Norwich
05055
Vermont
US
email: sfaccio@vtecostudies.org
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5098-9265
Kent McFarland
metadata author
position: conservation biologist
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
Norwich
05055
Vermont
US
email: kmcfarland@vtecostudies.org
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7809-5503
Kent McFarland
editor
position: conservation biologist
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
Norwich
05055
Vermont
US
email: kmcfarland@vtecostudies.org
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7809-5503
Kent McFarland
administrative point of contact
position: conservation biologist
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
Norwich
05055
Vermont
US
email: kmcfarland@vtecostudies.org
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7809-5503