Grantee Research Project Results
2002 Progress Report: Impact of Invasive Plants on Abundance and Fitness of Salamanders
EPA Grant Number: R828902Title: Impact of Invasive Plants on Abundance and Fitness of Salamanders
Investigators: Blossey, Bernd , Maerz, John C. , Liebherr, James K. , Nuzzo, Victoria
Institution: Cornell University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: August 3, 2001 through August 2, 2004
Project Period Covered by this Report: August 3, 2001 through August 2, 2002
Project Amount: $446,959
RFA: Exploratory Research to Anticipate Future Environmental Issues (2000) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Water , Aquatic Ecosystems
Objective:
The objectives of this research project are to assess whether: (1) changes in vegetation structure and composition associated with nonnative plant invasions affect the performance (survival, fecundity) and abundance of red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) in Northeastern forests; (2) any changes in salamander performance or abundance result from changes in prey quality or abundance associated with nonnative plant invasions; and (3) woodland salamanders are good bioindicators of changes to forest food webs, particularly changes that result from biological invasions.
Progress Summary:
As of November 2002, we have established and initiated the monitoring of 15 long-term research sites in mature forests of the Northeastern United States (see Table 1). We established five sites in central New York to study the effects of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) invasions, five sites in northeastern Pennsylvania to study the effects of Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) invasions, and five sites in southeastern Pennsylvania to study the effects of Japanese stilt-grass (Microstegium vimineum) invasions. In addition to our 15 invasive plant sites, we established a monitoring site in an old growth forest in central New York. This site has no nonnative plants present and is intended to serve as a reference site for comparison to all other sites, both invaded and noninvaded, that have logging histories.
Nonnative Plant | Site | Location | Date Established |
Alliaria petiolata | Binghamton University, Fuller Hollow | Vestal, NY | May 2000 |
Fillmore Glen State Park | Moravia, NY | June 2000 | |
Waterman Conservation Education Center | Apalachin, NY | July 2000 | |
Rand Tract | Syracuse, NY | December 2000 | |
Richford | Richford, NY | November 2001 | |
Berberis thunbergii | Forest Lake Club, Wolf Lake | Hawley, PA | November 2001 |
Forest Lake Club, Forest Lake | Hawley, PA | November 2001 | |
Delaware State Forest, Bethany Turnpike | Germantown, PA | December 2001 | |
Delaware State Forest, Hunt Run | Germantown, PA | December 2001 | |
Zimmer Wildlife Sanctuary | Mountainhome, PA | March 2002 | |
Microstegium vimineum | Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Sawmill Road | Kempton, PA | November 2001 |
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Visitor Center | Kempton, PA | November 2001 | |
French Creek State Park | Elverson, PA | December 2001 | |
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Park | Elverson, PA | August 2002 | |
Weiser State Forest Port | Clinton, PA | August 2002 |
We now have at least 1 year of data for 13 of the invasive plant sites, and
2 months of data for the other 2 sites. We have collected vegetation data from
all 15 sites, and 2 sampled invertebrate communities at all 5 garlic mustard
sites, 4 barberry sites, and 2 stilt-grass sites. We will complete invertebrate
sampling at all sites by next year, giving us a full picture of the invertebrate
communities at all sites. Using data from all sites in this first year, and
from a subset of those sites established prior to the start of the project,
we already have developed a broader understanding of the state of nonnative
species in forest food webs. We also have identified some important patterns
associated with invasions by all three plant species, and formulated hypotheses
about the potential interactive effects of invasions by multiple nonnative species
on salamander populations. Of particular importance is the influence of invasions
by nonnative earthworms on forest food webs, and the association between earthworm
invasions and plant invasions.
We have presented the objectives, design, and preliminary results of this project, and preliminary results from several regional and international meetings to state and federal management agencies and various conservation and naturalist groups in the different regions (see Table 2). We have developed a Web site for this project, where project summaries are posted, and the public can download a copy of our Salamander Population Monitoring Protocols that includes detailed methodologic and relevant literature on population monitoring and the use of salamanders as bioindicators. Links to other related projects within our program also are available.
Conference | Organization | Location | Date |
International Scientific Conferences | Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Annual Meeting | Indianapolis, IN | July 2001 |
Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting | Madison, WI | August 2001 | |
Invasive Plant Society Meeting | Swarthmore, PA | August 2001 | |
ESF Workshop on Biological Invasions in Terrestrial Ecosystems | Halle, Germany | September 2002 | |
Invasive Plant Symposium | Schuykill Center, PA | November 2002 | |
State and Federal Groups | USDA Mid-Atlantic State Cooperators Forest Health Meeting | Rehoboth, DE | October 2001 |
PA DCNR Regional Forest Managers Meeting | Harrisburg, PA | January 2002 | |
PA DCNR Regional Forest Health Conference | Minton, PA | March 2002 | |
PA DCNR Northeastern Forest Pest Management Conference | Hazelton, PA | August 2002 | |
Academic and Public Seminars | Olive Natural Heritage Society/Catskill Center for the Environment | Olive, NY | September 2001 |
Wildflower Association of Michigan | Lansing, MI | March 2002 | |
Finger Lakes Native Plant Society | Ithaca, NY | May 2002 | |
Lacawac Sanctuary | Lacawac, PA | August 2002 | |
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary | Kempton, PA | September 2002 | |
Sienna College | Loudonville, NY | September 2002 |
Future Activities:
We will continue to monitor all of our study sites for the next 2 years. We will refine the way we measure salamander abundance, and the way we measure aspects of salamander performance (e.g., growth, fecundity, and survival). In addition, we will continue to monitor changes in plant communities associated with the nonnative plant invasions, and whether these changes correspond to changes in invertebrate distribution or abundance and salamander diets. We also are developing future projects that target specific relationships or mechanisms identified in this study.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
bioindicators, invasive species, salamander, forest, nonnative earthworms., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Geographic Area, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, amphibians, State, Ecological Risk Assessment, Biology, Exp. Research/future, Futures, emerging environmental problems, bioindicator, biodiversity, forest, biopollution, vegetation, amphibian, salamanders, invasvie species, exploratory research, invasive species, ecological dynamics, invasive plants, amphibian bioindicator, futures researchRelevant Websites:
http://www.invasiveplants.net/ Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.