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Herpetological Habitat Relations in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Abstract - We studied habitat relationships of the herpetofauna inhabiting managed pine-oak woodlands of the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas. We used drift fence arrays with pitfall and double-ended funnel traps to sample two replications each of three treatments: young clearcuts, selectively harvested stands, and late-rotation untreated controls. Our objectives were to compare herpetofaunal communities among these treatments and to quantify habitat relationships. Ninety-one days of trapping over two field seasons yielded 633 captures representing 35 species. Canonical correspon-dence analysis indicated that species composition differed significantly among treatments. The most distinct separation of species groups was between reptiles and amphibians; reptiles were far more abundant in the young, xeric clearcuts, while amphibians were most abundant in the other two treatments. Four habitat parameters (canopy coverage, litter depth, woody plant cover, and large, woody debris) explained much of the variation in species composition among sample sites. Several species showed clear preferences for particular habitats.

Parent Publication

Citation

Crosswhite, Doyle L.; Fox, Stanley F; Thill, Ronald E. 2004. Herpetological Habitat Relations in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-74. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. pp. 273-282
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/6477