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2 October 2019 Climate-Related Correlates of Several Metrics of Breeding Phenology in a Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) Population in Ohio
Rebecca N. Homan
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Abstract

Climate-related changes in breeding phenology have been demonstrated across a range of taxonomic groups. Amphibian phenology may be particularly susceptible to environmental variability, but studies have found species- and sometimes population-specific differences in the extent and direction of the phenological response to climate variation. I examined Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) phenology metrics over the course of 10 yr to determine whether breeding phenology was sensitive to variation in temperature and precipitation in months immediately preceding or overlapping breeding migration. I examined these relationships for two early-breeding metrics (first arrival and 5% arrival) and one peak-breeding metric (median arrival) to determine whether early and peak breeders respond differently to environmental cues. I found that although there was no linear change in phenology across the 10 yr of this study, there were significant relationships between each of the three phenological metrics and temperature. Specifically, the two early-breeding metrics advanced as February low temperature increased, whereas peak breeding advanced as March low temperature increased. These results suggest that, within the range of variability seen across these 10 yr, temperature is a more important factor than precipitation in Spotted Salamander phenology, and if late winter temperatures eventually increase linearly at this site, then we might expect Spotted Salamander phenology to shift correspondingly. The results also suggest that it may be important to include multiple phenology metrics in future studies so that we can improve our overall understanding of the different layers of climate sensitivity that may exist and compare across studies more effectively.

Copyright 2019 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
Rebecca N. Homan "Climate-Related Correlates of Several Metrics of Breeding Phenology in a Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) Population in Ohio," Journal of Herpetology 53(4), 257-262, (2 October 2019). https://doi.org/10.1670/18-131
Accepted: 26 July 2019; Published: 2 October 2019
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