Two recent amphibian-focused studies highlight the ecological importance of red-backed salamanders, while confirming that proactive measures will prevent the costly impact of a wildlife disease spreading across Europe that has not yet reached North America. is
Scientists knew that red-backed salamanders were abundant in eastern North America, but a recent study found that their density and biomass across the region were much higher than expected. The study authors estimated a mean of 5,300 salamanders per patch of forest the scale of a football field within the Northeast. Although each individual is just 3 inches long, red-backed salamanders' large numbers mean they've a number of the highest biomass estimates for non-insect animals within the Northeast, behind white-tailed deer. is the same as or greater than
The study, “Range-Wide Salamander Densities Reveal a Key Component of Terrestrial Vertebrate Biomass in Eastern North American Forests,” conducted by the US Geological Survey and a number of other partner institutions, is the primary time that density and biomass for this common, But rarely seen. , the species was enumerated as much as its range.
The incredible range of occurrence of red-backed salamanders within the Northeast captured on this study suggests that red-backed salamanders, and possibly amphibians basically, are more abundant in terrestrial temperate ecosystems than previously suspected. Play popular roles.
“The enormous biomass of red-backed salamanders tells us that they are 'small but mighty' in terms of their role in the ecological health of Northeast forests,” said Evan Grant, lead creator and USGS research wildlife biologist. ” “If red-backed salamanders were to vanish, there would probably be some very large ecosystem-level consequences.”
Many salamanders, akin to the red-backed salamander, are small and spend most of their time underground, in order that they are easy for most individuals to overlook. In fact, Grant often refers to salamanders and other amphibians as “hidden biodiversity” because, although they are sometimes abundant, they're well hidden. But this doesn't mean that individuals should ignore their environmental role. Salamanders eat things that larger consumers can't and so they themselves prey on other animals, meaning they punch greater than their weight within the food web of the salamander ecosystem.
“Salamanders serve an important function in forest ecosystems,” explained David Miller, professor of wildlife ecology at Penn State and co-author of the study. “They're at the top of the food chain on the forest floor, where everything is breaking down into the soil that sustains this whole web of life. In fact, salamanders are so important to that life cycle that we call them barometers.” could be used for the health of the forest.”
Unfortunately, just as scientists are starting to grasp the true extent of salamanders' 'hidden biodiversity' and ecological importance, a recent wildlife disease that is especially hard on salamanders has change into an issue for scientists and wildlife managers. There is a danger and serious concern.
or Bsal for brief, is a fungal disease closely related to the chytrid fungus that's already devastating amphibian populations all over the world. It was first present in the Netherlands in 2013. Sadly, since its introduction, Bsal has decimated salamander populations in Central Europe and continues to spread throughout Europe.
Bsal has not yet been detected within the U.S., so scientists and wildlife managers are preparing for its arrival. North America has a Bsal Task Force whose mission is to limit the invasion and reduce the impact of Bsal in North America. However, natural resource managers have run right into a dilemma when attempting to implement proactive management guidance for a disease that shouldn't be yet even on American shores.
They needed evidence that proactive management could be more practical than waiting to reply until the disease was detected within the wild. So, Grant co-authored one other recent paper that tested a series of proactive and reactive management measures to predict impacts on slander populations over time.
The study, “Active Management Improves Reactive Actions for Wildlife Disease Control,” used computer modeling to verify what seems intuitively obvious: ie. , starting to administer wild populations before Bsal arrives is, the truth is, more successful in achieving the management goal of keeping salamanders. From disappearing to waiting until Bsal is detected or nothing.
“If we do nothing to manage Bsal, the model predicts that this disease will be devastating to North American salamander species,” said Molly Blitz, assistant professor of disease ecology at Penn State and said the lead creator of the second study. “This study provides strong quantitative support for proactive management measures. Basically, if we want these endangered salamander species to exist in the future, doing something practical is our best bet.”
Types of administrative actions considered include:
- making it difficult for amphibians to spread disease by installing barriers or increasing habitat complexity;
- reducing Bsal fungal spores in aquatic habitats by temporarily increasing water temperature, increasing salinity, or increasing the abundance of fungus-consuming zooplankton;
- Helping amphibians fight disease by improving their health through supplementation, etc., by increasing the abundance of local, helpful antifungal microbes, or by vaccination.
Although this second study didn't assess how lively management for Bsal might affect other parts of the ecosystem, visitor satisfaction or financial costs, Blitz, Grant and others have already estimated these results. Working in order that managers fully account for the relative advantages of proactive versus reactive management.
“With a new understanding of how incredibly prevalent salamanders are in an ecosystem, and empirical validation of the benefits of active management for salamander populations threatened by Bsal, it is more important than ever. that the 'hidden biodiversity' of amphibians be protected.” Blitz said.