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1 September 2016 Herpetofaunal Communities in Ephemeral Wetlands Embedded within Longleaf Pine Flatwoods of the Gulf Coastal Plain
Kenneth J. Erwin, Houston C. Chandler, John G. Palis, Thomas A. Gorman, Carola A. Haas
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Abstract

Ephemeral wetlands surrounded by Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine) flatwoods support diverse herpetofaunal communities and provide important breeding habitat for many species. We sampled herpetofauna in 3 pine flatwoods wetlands on Eglin Air Force Base, Okaloosa County, FL, over 2 time periods (1 wetland [1] from 1993 to1995 and 2 wetlands [2 and 3] from 2010 to 2015) using drift fences that completely encircled each wetland. We documented 37, 46, and 43 species of amphibians and reptiles at wetlands 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Herpetofaunal communities were remarkably similar across all 3 wetlands (Sorenson Index values > 0.97) despite sampling that occurred 15–20 years apart on wetlands located approximately 10 km apart. Ambystoma bishopi (Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander), Pseudacris ornata (Ornate Chorus Frog), and Eurycea quadridigitata (Dwarf Salamander), all species of conservation concern, were captured at all 3 wetlands, indicating that these wetlands provide habitat for specialist species. Overall, habitat conservation and management has succeeded in maintaining suitable habitat for herpetofauna in recently surveyed wetlands, despite continued range-wide threats from changes to historic fire regimes and climate change.

Kenneth J. Erwin, Houston C. Chandler, John G. Palis, Thomas A. Gorman, and Carola A. Haas "Herpetofaunal Communities in Ephemeral Wetlands Embedded within Longleaf Pine Flatwoods of the Gulf Coastal Plain," Southeastern Naturalist 15(3), 431-447, (1 September 2016). https://doi.org/10.1656/058.015.0305
Published: 1 September 2016
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