Plethodontid salamander response to silvicultural practices in Missouri Ozark forests

There is little information on the effects of tree harvest on salamander po pulations in the midwestern United States. We present data on plethodontid salamander densities in replicated stands of three forest age classes in th e southeastern Ozarks of Missouri. Forest age classes consisted of regenera tion-cut sites <5 years old second-growth sires 70-80 years old, and old-gr owth sites >120 years old Salamander abundance on 21, 144-m(2) plots tons d etermined by area- and time-constrained searches. We also compared age-clas s habitat characteristics, including detuned woody debris, canopy cover, gr ound area cover; herbaceous vegetation, and woody vegetation. Salamander de nsity was lowest in newly regenerated forests and highest in forests >120 y ears old. Comparisons of recently regenerated forests with mature forests > 70 years old indicated that terrestrial salamanders were reduced to very lo w numbers when mature forests had been intensively harvested. This reductio n may result from a decrease in microhabitat availability. Forest age-class comparisons further indicated that salamander abundance slowly increased o ver time after forests had regenerated Management decisions that take into account plethodontid salamander abundance and their response to forest stru ctural diversity are important components in sustaining ecosystem integrity while maximizing economic yield.