A nondestructive technique to monitor the relative abundance of terrestrial salamanders

Abstract

Salamanders are abundant vertebrates in many forest ecosystems, and their annual biomass production can be important in forest food webs (Pough et al. 1987). Population densities of eastern redback salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) can exceed 2 individuals/m2 in deciduous forests of the United States (Heatwole 1962, Jaeger 1980). Eastern redback salamanders were the most abundant terrestrial vertebrate in northern hardwood forests on the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire (Burton and Likens 1975a). Salamander biomass may equal that of small mammals and be twice that of birds (Burton and Likens 1975b). Annual production of eastern redback salamander biomass exceeds that of either small mammals or birds (Burton and Likens 1975b).