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1 November 2009 Effects of Timber Harvest on Amphibian Populations: Understanding Mechanisms from Forest Experiments
Raymond D. Semlitsch, Brian D. Todd, Sean M. Blomquist, Aram J. K. Calhoun, J. Whitfield Gibbons, James P. Gibbs, Gabrielle J. Graeter, Elizabeth B. Harper, Daniel J. Hocking, Malcolm L. Hunter, David A. Patrick, Tracy A. G. Rittenhouse, Betsie B. Rothermel
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Abstract

Harvesting timber is a common form of land use that has the potential to cause declines in amphibian populations. It is essential to understand the behavior and fate of individuals and the resulting consequences for vital rates (birth, death, immigration, emigration) under different forest management conditions. We report on experimental studies conducted in three regions of the United States to identify mechanisms of responses by pond-breeding amphibians to timber harvest treatments. Our studies demonstrate that life stages related to oviposition and larval performance in the aquatic stage are sometimes affected positively by clearcutting, whereas effects on juvenile and adult terrestrial stages are mostly negative. Partial harvest treatments produced both positive and weaker negative responses than clearcut treatments. Mitigating the detrimental effects of canopy removal, higher surface temperature, and loss of soil-litter moisture in terrestrial habitats surrounding breeding ponds is critical to maintaining viable amphibian populations in managed forested landscapes.

© 2009 by American Institute of Biological Sciences. All rights reserved. Request permission to photocopy or reproduce article content at the University of California Press's Rights and Permissions Web site at www.ucpressjournals.com/reprintinfo.asp.
Raymond D. Semlitsch, Brian D. Todd, Sean M. Blomquist, Aram J. K. Calhoun, J. Whitfield Gibbons, James P. Gibbs, Gabrielle J. Graeter, Elizabeth B. Harper, Daniel J. Hocking, Malcolm L. Hunter, David A. Patrick, Tracy A. G. Rittenhouse, and Betsie B. Rothermel "Effects of Timber Harvest on Amphibian Populations: Understanding Mechanisms from Forest Experiments," BioScience 59(10), 853-862, (1 November 2009). https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2009.59.10.7
Published: 1 November 2009
JOURNAL ARTICLE
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KEYWORDS
amphibian
clearcut
forest management
land use
vital rate
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