HR: 11:15h
AN: NB22B-04    [Abstracts]
TI: Are Salamanders Useful Indicators of Hydrologic Permanence in Headwater Streams?
AU: * Johnson, B
EM: johnson.brent@epa.gov
AF: U.S.EPA Office of Research and Development, NERL, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr. MS 642, Cincinnati, OH 45268 United States
AU: Fritz, K
EM: fritz.ken@epa.gov
AF: U.S.EPA Office of Research and Development, NERL, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr. MS 642, Cincinnati, OH 45268 United States
AB: Regulatory agencies need appropriate indicators of stream permanence to aid in jurisdictional determinations for headwater streams. We evaluated salamanders as permanence indicators because they are often abundant in fishless headwaters. Salamander and habitat data were collected in spring and summer 2003 from 59 sites located longitudinally along 17 forested streams in KY, IN, and OH. Larval Eurycea bislineata/cirrigera dominated all forests, and their abundances were highly correlated with drainage areas and channel dimensions. Appalachian streams were more diverse and had intermittent sites with more Desmognathus and Gyrinophilus spp. Of 22 sites where larvae were collected in spring, 9 sites subsequently dried in summer, suggesting salamanders either emigrated or died. We therefore only used taxa with multi-year larval stages as indicators of perennial water. Salamander larvae >1 yr old were collected from each locality in drainage areas <0.17 km2. However, these older larvae were often found in isolated pools that serve as refugia during dry periods. Findings suggest salamanders with multi-year larval periods can indicate perennial waters and that their use is more effective in Appalachia where abundance and diversity are high. Although this work was reviewed by EPA and approved for publication, it may not necessarily reflect official Agency policy.
DE: 1812 Drought
DE: 1860 Runoff and streamflow
DE: 4804 Benthic processes/benthos
DE: 6324 Legislation and regulations
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly