About This Project

Salamander populations are currently a focus of conservation efforts due to population declines caused by issues such as habitat loss and fungal infections. The goal of this study is to understand how different habitat conditions effect salamander distributions in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Specifically, I am interested in the effects of habitat conditions on salamander behavior, stress, and body condition.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

The Southern Appalachian Mountains are among the top locations for salamander diversity in North America. Plethodontid salamanders are lungless, which strongly influences the habitats they can live in. In this project, I will study behavioral preference and physiological responses of salamanders to preferred and sub-optimal habitats. I hypothesize that preference for habitat condition will be influenced by exposure to predator stress and competition. In other words, salamanders will settle for sub-optimal habitat when they face biotic risks in their preferred habitat. Additionally, individuals forced to accept sub-optimal habitat will have higher levels of stress hormones and relatively poor body conditions in the long run.

What is the significance of this project?

Small changes in habitat could have a large impact on the ability of plethodontid salamanders to maintain their distributions. Factors such as competition are likely to exacerbate the problem. This study will provide new information about the linkage between physiological constraints and habitat in plethodon salamanders. A recent study demonstrated that “skin swabs” could provide reliable measurements for stress hormones in amphibians. My research will be the first to use this non-lethal method to address ecological questions. Additionally, no one has attempted to use bioelectrical impedance as a method for assessing body condition in salamanders. Demonstrating the use of these new techniques will be beneficial to future studies in plethodontid salamander conservation.

What are the goals of the project?

Data on temperature, humidity, and soil moisture will first be collected in known salamander habitat to determine microhabitat conditions. Microhabitat preference based on these conditions will then be determined in the mobile laboratory for two species of salamander that occur at different altitudes and experience different habitat conditions. I will then examine how biotic cues in combination with habitat conditions influence microhabitat choice and use a novel skin swab method to measure stress hormones in skin secretions as an indicator of physiological stress. Finally, I will use a non-lethal bioelectrical impedance assay to analyze body conditions of salamanders exposed to optimal and sub-optimal habitats for long periods in a mesocosm study.