Time tells the story: Concerns for long-term species resilience with habitat changes

Abstract

Coastal giant salamanders (Dicamptodon tenebrosus) have lived in forests of the Pacific Northwest for tens of thousands of years. Their survivability is a testament to their ability to withstand and adapt to long-term changes. But can they withstand a succession of more rapid changes resulting from human intrusion and compounded by climate change?

Dede Olson, a scientist with the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, has studied the intersection of salamanders and forest management practices for more than 30 years. She recently conducted studies of how the management of riparian buffer zones affects salamander populations and the food webs that sustain them.

Coastal giant salamanders can live for more than 25 years. Factoring in their longevity when managing their habitat is key to their survival.

Although some experimental forest treatments can lead to observable responses in fish populations in adjacent streams in just a couple of years, it can take decades for effects on salamander populations to become apparent because their habitat spans streams to ridgelines.

This time lag presents habitat management challenges. Forest managers generally use riparian buffers to protect aquatic and riparian biodiversity in the Northwest; these findings indicate that rather than universal applications of fixed-width buffers, a portfolio of options considering different habitats that amphibians need throughout their long lives may be more effective.

Citation

Kirkland, John; Olson, Dede. 2024. Time tells the story: Concerns for long-term species resilience with habitat changes. Science Findings 266. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 6 p.