Long-toed salamanders in harvested and intact Douglas-fir forests of western Montana

There is little known about how timber harvest practices have affected terr estrial amphibians in the northern Rocky Mountains. Especially lacking is i nformation on the effects of revised harvest methods that fall within the f ramework of environmental or New Forestry. We estimated the relative abunda nce of a common forest amphibian, the long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macro dactylum) captured in pitfall arrays on intact, environmentally harvested, and overstory-removal harvested sites in mixed-conifer forests of western M ontana. Pitfall data from 1994 through 1996 showed that previously logged s ites contained significantly fewer long-toed salamanders regardless of harv est method used. The number of salamanders captured on intact sites (3.1 sa lamanders.[array](-1).[100 d](-1)) was nearly three times the number captur ed on logged sites (1.2 salamanders.[array](-1).[100 d](-1)). Habitat condi tions measured in conjunction with trapping efforts indicated that lower am phibian abundance was associated with decreased numbers of large live trees . Declines in amphibian abundance occurred in the absence of changes in und erstory vegetation that typically occur when forest canopy is reduced. Our findings suggest that long-toed salamanders responded to changes in the phy sical environment, probably increased temperatures and decreased moisture. That salamanders should respond so dramatically indicates that immediate ch anges in physical conditions may profoundly alter habitat quality even when other components of the habitat are unaffected.