Herpetofaunal species composition and relative abundance among three New England forest types

Abstract

Drift fences and pitfall traps captured > 2000 reptiles and amphibians during 2 years; the most common species were wood frog (Rana sylvatica), American toad (Bufo americanus), and redback salamander (Plethodon cinereus). There were differences in species abundances among streamside and upland habitats within three forest cover types: northern hardwoods, red maple, and balsam fir. Among strearnside stands, fewer (P< 0.05) individuals were captured in balsam fir. The two hardwood types supported the most species. Generally, more individuals were captured in upland than in streamside habitats. Both diversity (H') and evenness (J') were correlated with litter depth, and both were higher in hardwood than in balsam fir stands. Rana sylvatica, B. americanus and P. cinereus were more abundant in hardwood than in balsam-fir stands.

Citation

DeGraaf, Richard M.; Rudis, Deborah D. 1990. Herpetofaunal species composition and relative abundance among three New England forest types. Forest Ecology and Management. 32: 155-165.