PARENT SESSION
Oral Session # 97: Restoration Ecology II: Rivers and Forests.
Presiding: J Weishampel
Friday, August 8. 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM, SITCC Meeting Room 203.
Genetic variation among Ambystoma populations associated with restored wetlands.
Kinkead, Karen*,1, Otis, David2, Abbott, Albert1, 1 Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA2 Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
ABSTRACT- Several degraded Carolina bay wetlands on the Savannah River Site have been subjected to experimental management in an effort to functionally restore these valuable habitats. This project evaluates responses of salamander populations to this restoration effort. Carolina bays are important breeding habitat for two species of pond breeding salamanders: Ambystoma talpoideum (mole salamanders) and A. opacum (marbled salamanders). Sixteen bays have been monitored: three reference bays (functionally intact), three control bays (with active drainage ditches), six treatment bays, and four intact bays near two of the treatment bays (in effect creating two meta-populations). Distances between these bays range from less than 200 meters to greater than 20 kilometers. The first year of the study was a pre-restoration year, the bays were then restored during 2001, and 2002 was a post-restoration year. Each bay is partially encircled with drift fences and pitfall traps. Salamanders at each bay were captured, batch marked, and released between January and July, 2000-2002. Individuals were given visible implanted elastomer batch marks that designated the year and bay of capture, the age (adult or juvenile), and whether it was captured entering or leaving the wetland. Of the more than 4000 mole and marbled salamander captures, fewer than 35 have been captured at more than one bay. Although traditional capture-recapture methodology can provide breeding population size estimates and apparent survival rates, estimation of dispersal between bays is more problematic. Therefore, in addition we are experimenting with the use of amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) to estimate relatedness among and within populations of mole salamanders and also of marbled salamanders.
Key words: Ambystoma opacum, meta-population, Ambystoma talpoideum, AFLP