uid=HFR,o=lter,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
all
public
read
doi:10.6073/pasta/e286e622135a2d4171adb37de2e7c0a0
Monitoring Amphibians in the Declined Hemlocks at Harvard Forest 2013-2014
Aaron
Ellison
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4151-6081
Ahmed
Siddig
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8145-0964
2023
English
Disturbances such as outbreaks of nonnative insects and pathogens can devastate unique habitats and directly reduce biodiversity. The foundation tree species Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock) is declining due to infestation by the nonnative insect Adelges tsugae (hemlock woolly adelgid). The decline and expected elimination of hemlock from northeastern US forests is changing forest structure, function, and assemblages of associated species. We assessed changes in occupancy, detection probability, and relative abundance of two species of terrestrial salamanders, Plethodon cinereus (eastern red-back salamander) and Notopthalmus viridescens viridescens (eastern red-spotted newt), in the experimental removal of T. canadensis at Harvard Forest. Four treatments (logging, girdling, hemlock control and hardwood control) have been applied and replicated in eight 0.81-ha plots. Salamanders were sampled under cover boards and using visual encounter surveys in June-July of 2013 and 2014.
Removal of the hemlock canopy increased occupancy of P. cinereus but significantly reduced its estimated detection probability and abundance. Estimated abundance of N. v. viridescens also declined dramatically after canopy manipulations. Our results suggest that ten years after hemlock loss due to either the adelgid or pre-emptive salvage logging, and 50-70 years later when these forests have become mid-successional mixed deciduous stands, that the abundance of these salamanders likely will be less than 50% of their abundance in current, intact hemlock stands.
abundance
amphibians
hemlock
monitoring
salamanders
LTER controlled vocabulary
populations
disturbance
LTER core area
Harvard Forest
HFR
LTER
USA
HFR default
This dataset is released to the public under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (No Rights Reserved). Please keep the dataset creators informed of any plans to use the dataset. Consultation with the original investigators is strongly encouraged. Publications and data products that make use of the dataset should include proper acknowledgement.
Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal
https://spdx.org/licenses/CC0-1.0.html
CC0-1.0
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/exist/apps/datasets/showData.html?id=hf270
Simes Tract (Harvard Forest). Coordinates based on WGS84 datum.
-72.22
-72.21
+42.48
+42.47
215
300
meter
2013
2014
genus
Notophthalmus
species
viridescens
eastern red-spotted newt
genus
Plethodon
species
cinereus
red back salamander
genus
Tsuga
species
canadensis
eastern hemlock
complete
Information Manager
Harvard Forest
324 North Main Street
Petersham
MA
01366
USA
(978) 724-3302
hf-im@lists.fas.harvard.edu
Harvard Forest
324 North Main Street
Petersham
MA
01366
USA
(978) 724-3302
(978) 724-3595
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu
We counted red-backs under artificial cover objects (ACOs) on two (in 2013), and five (in 2014) sampling dates from June and July of 2013 and 2014. During the second and third weeks of May 2013, five 1 × 0.25 × 0.02-m rough-sawn T. canadensis boards (ACOs) were placed at 15-m interval along two 75-m transects in each of the eight HF-HeRE plots. All ACOs were placed at least 15 m from the edge of the plots. In both years, we sampled all of the ACOs in all of the plots on the same day. The 1–2-week interval between sampling individual ACOs was sufficient to ensure that repeated sampling did not impact detection probability (Marsh and Goicocchea 2003).
Red efts were sampled using visual encounter surveys only in 2014, both concurrently with sampling ACOs for red-backs. The 2014 survey was done along two 60 × 1-m parallel transects separated by 30 m from one another.
All amphibian sampling methods were approved by Harvard University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (File 13-02-144; last updated June 02, 2014).
Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research
Harvard Forest
324 North Main Street
Petersham
MA
01366
USA
(978) 724-3302
(978) 724-3595
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu
https://ror.org/059cpzx98
pointOfContact
The Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program examines ecological dynamics in the New England region resulting from natural disturbances, environmental change, and human impacts.
National Science Foundation LTER grants: DEB-8811764, DEB-9411975, DEB-0080592, DEB-0620443, DEB-1237491, DEB-1832210.
hf270-01-red-backs-count.csv
red backs count
hf270-01-red-backs-count.csv
31106
f2e6fbdc5fed4215399ba285c75540a1
1
\r\n
column
,
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p27/hf270/hf270-01-red-backs-count.csv
species
species
PLCI
red-back salamander
NA
missing value
date
date of data collection
YYYY-MM-DD
1 day
NA
missing value
block
topography of the study site
valley
valley
ridge
ridge
NA
missing value
treatment
type of experimental treatments applied in the hemlock removal
experiment
Girdled
girdled
Logged
logged
Hardwood Control
hardwood control
Hemlock Control
hemlock control
NA
missing value
plot
plot number [1-8]. Each plot is 90×90m (0.81 ha).
plot number [1-8]. Each plot is 90×90m (0.81 ha).
NA
missing value
transect
transect number in which data was collected [ 1- 2]. In each plot there
are two 90-m transects.
transect number in which data was collected [ 1- 2]. In each plot there are two
90-m transects.
aco
location of Artificial Cover Object (ACO) in each
transect
location of Artificial Cover Object (ACO) in each transect
NA
missing value
sample.n
sampling occasion [1-7]
sampling occasion [1-7]
NA
missing value
count
number of salamanders observed under each ACO in specific
date
number
1
whole
NA
missing value
rh
relative humidity at sampling date
dimensionless
1
natural
NA
missing value
640
hf270-02-red-efts-count.csv
red efts count
hf270-02-red-efts-count.csv
15591
134eb95c82a1fec621791c3e029b00e6
1
\r\n
column
,
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p27/hf270/hf270-02-red-efts-count.csv
species
species
NOVI
red spotted newt (Notopthalmus viridescens viridescens)
NA
missing value
date
date of data collection
YYYY-MM-DD
1 day
NA
missing value
block
topography of the study site
valley
valley
ridge
ridge
NA
missing value
treatment
type of experimental treatment applied in the hemlock removal
experiment
Girdled
girdled
Logged
logged
Hardwood Control
hardwood control
Hemlock Control
hemlock control
NA
missing value
plot
plot number [1-8]. Each plot is 90m×90m (0.81 ha).
plot number [1-8]. Each plot is 90m×90m (0.81 ha).
NA
missing value
transect
transect number in which data was collected [ 1- 2]. In each plot there
are two 60m×1m transects.
transect number in which data was collected [ 1- 2]. In each plot there are two
60m×1m transects.
NA
missing value
location
area within each transect 15m×1m in which red efts were searched for.
There are 4 areas/transect.
area within each transect 15m×1m in which red efts were searched for. There are
4 areas/transect.
NA
missing value
sample.n
sampling occasion [1-5]
sampling occasion [1-5]
NA
missing value
count
number of efts observed at each 15m×1m box in each transect on specific
date
number of efts observed at each 15m×1m box in each transect on specific
date
NA
missing value
rh
relative humidity at sampling date
relative humidity at sampling date
NA
missing value
320
biodiversity
conservation
community
short-term measurement
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/exist/apps/datasets/showData.html?id=hf075