The Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders, Plethodon Cinereus, in a Suburban Environment

Indianapolis, IN

Eastern Red-backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) are one of the most abundant vertebrates in North America. They are constrained by their physiology to certain abiotic factors within their habitat, including soil moisture, temperature, leaf litter type, and cover objects. In this study, field observations were conducted on Denison University's campus and within the Denison University Biological Reserve to determine if suburban fragmentation of the salamanders' habitat affects the abundance of their populations. I studied 157 3m x 3m plots throughout 10 different sized forest fragments over the course of two months in the fall of 2014. Linear regression analyses showed that forest fragment area and perimeter did not have a significant impact on salamander abundance, mass, or length; however it is possible that there is a certain threshold of fragment size that would determine salamander population abundance. The only significant relationship I found was a positive relationship between % log cover and salamander abundance. My results suggest the amount of available cover objects (e.g., coarse woody debris) is important in determining salamander abundance. The lack of effects of fragment size and perimeter suggest that P. cinereus populations may be able to withstand habitat fragmentation to some extent. This information contributes to our understanding of P. cinereus populations in an increasingly fragmented world, as well as the importance of coarse woody debris for these terrestrial salamanders.