Date of Award
2024
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Biological and Environmental Sciences (MSBES)
Department
Natural Resources Science
First Advisor
Nancy Karraker
Abstract
Wildfire is a natural disturbance in the Southwest United States that is projected to become more frequent and severe with climate change. For montane plethodontid salamanders in the American Southwest, like the New Mexico state Threatened Sacramento Mountain salamander (Aneides hardii), these changes to the historical fire regime could impact population persistence. This study examined the impacts of wildfire burn severity on A. hardii occupancy while accounting for site-level variables related to occupancy including elevation, slope, and heat load index, and survey-level variables related to detection probability including year, Julian date, start time, and cumulative precipitation two days prior to survey. We conducted surveys at historically occupied unburned sites and historically occupied sites that burned at different severities during 21st century wildfire events. Sites that burned at moderate/high severity had a significantly lower probability of being occupied than unburned sites or sites that burned at low severity. Elevation also had a positive influence on A. hardii site occupancy. Detection probabilities varied across survey years, and precipitation two days prior to survey was positively correlated with detection probabilities. These findings highlight the role of climate change in altering fire regimes across montane forests of the Southwest United States, and the impacts on A. hardii population persistence.
Recommended Citation
Ardovino, Marissa, "OCCUPANCY OF A NEW MEXICO ENDEMIC SALAMANDER ACROSS A WILDFIRE BURN SEVERITY GRADIENT" (2024). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 2559.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/2559
