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Climate change is expected to systematically alter the distribution and
population dynamics of species around the world. The effects are expected
to be particularly strong at high latitudes and elevations, and for
ectothermic species with small ranges and limited movement potential, such
as salamanders in the southern Appalachian Mountains. In this study, we
sought to establish baseline abundance estimates for plethodontid
salamanders (family: Plethodontidae) over an elevational gradient in Great
Smoky Mountains National Park. In addition to generating these baseline
data for multiple species, we describe methods for surveying salamanders
that allow for meaningful comparisons over time by separating observation
and ecological processes generating the data. We found that Plethodon
jordani had a mid-elevation peak (1500 m) in abundance and Desmognathus
wrighti increased in abundance with elevation up to the highest areas of
the park (2025 m), whereas Eurycea wilderae increased in abundance up to
1600 m and then plateaued with increasing uncertainty. Litter depth,
herbaceous ground cover, and proximity to stream were also important
predictors of abundance (dependent upon species), whereas daily
temperature, precipitation, ground cover, and humidity influenced
detection rates. Our data provide some of the first minimally biased
information for future studies to assess changes in the abundance and
distribution of salamanders in this region. Understanding abundance
patterns along with detailed baseline distributions will be critical for
comparisons with future surveys to understand the population and
community-level effects of climate change on montane salamanders.
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