Embedded Files
Is prescribed fire an appropriate land management tool for California coastal prairie sites with populations of the endangered San Francisco Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) and other reptiles in syntopy?
The five-year review of the recovery plan for Federally endangered San Francisco Gartersnake recommends prescribed fire to improve the habitat of this species by reducing the encroachment of woody vegetation, but no information on the effects of prescribed fire on San Francisco gartersnakes previously existed.
We found that reduced apparent survival of San Francisco gartersnakes from prescribed fire was offset by increases in movement into burned areas from unburned areas and post-fire increases in recruitment. Low-intensity prescribed fire appears to be a viable management tool for maintaining open habitats where robust populations of San Francisco gartersnakes occur.
Relevant articles:
Halstead, B. J., M. E. Thompson, M. Amarello, J. J. Smith, G. D. Wylie, E. J. Routman, M. L. Casazza. 2019. Effects of Prescribed Fire on San Francisco Gartersnake Demography. Journal of Wildlife Management 83:231-240 PDF
Thompson, M. E., B. J. Halstead, G. D. Wylie, M. Amarello, J. J. Smith, M. L. Casazza, and E. J. Routman. 2013. Effects of prescribed fire on Coluber constrictor mormon in coastal San Mateo County, California. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 8:602-615. PDF
Halstead, B. J., G. D. Wylie, M. Amarello, J. J. Smith, M. E. Thompson, E. J. Routman, and M.L. Casazza. 2011. Demography of the San Francisco Gartersnake in Coastal San Mateo County, California. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 2:41-48. PDF
How do amphibian and reptile communities recover during secondary forest succession?
More secondary forest (white) than primary forest (black) remains. Figure adapted from Thompson and Donnelly (2018).
Secondary forests now comprise over 60% of the Earth's global forest cover. There is strong support for differences in species composition among human-modified landscapes, secondary forest, and old-growth forest as well as species-specific responses to successional forest change. Secondary forest generally has higher species richness and abundance than human-modified landscapes, but lower species richness and abundance than old-growth forests. This trend is more pronounced in amphibians than reptiles. However, the value of secondary forests to fauna is poorly understood. There is an especially large gap of knowledge in the mechanisms of community response.
Relevant articles:
Thompson, M. E. and M. A. Donnelly. 2018. Effects of Secondary Forest Succession on Amphibians and Reptiles: A Review and Meta-analysis. Copeia 106:10-19. PDF
Thompson, M. E., B. J. Halstead, and M. A. Donnelly. 2018. Thermal quality affects habitat use of two anole species. Journal of Thermal Biology 75:54−61.
Google Sites
Report abuse