Distribution, Abundance, and Contaminant Levels in Redback Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) Along an Atmospheric Deposition Gradient in Acadia National Park, Maine

Jung, Robin; Droege, Sam; Chalmers, Rebecca

Following taken from portions of summary in report. 'In 1999, our objectives were to determine the distribution and abundance of terrestrial salamanders at sites throughout Acadia National Park. The sites were concurrently being assessed for sulfate flux in throughfall and lead content in surface soils by Drs. Kathie Weathers, Gary Lovett, and Steven Lindberg. In 2000, our objective was to measure metal and organochlorine levels in Plethodon cinereus at a subset of these sites representing an elevational gradient and/or extremes in sulfate flux in throughfall and/or lead deposition.' 'Three hundred (300) throughfall sampling stations were constructed and placed mid-summer of 1999 by Dr. Kathie Weathers' technicians Sam Simpkin, M.S. and Dave Lewis. Of these, twenty-three were surveyed for redback salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) by Dr. Sam Droege's and Dr. Robin Jung's technician Rebecca Chalmers. All of the sites could not be sampled because by the time the sampling stations were in place dry weather caused the salamanders to move deeper into the ground resulting in very few salamanders found under rocks and logs and research effort was therefore switched to other amphibian monitoring projects. The benefits of surveying 23 of the 300 throughfall stations were that some data on redback salamander relative abundance in Acadia National Park and the improvement of survey procedures so that they may be carried out more efficiently in another year. Correlations of salamander populations with atmospheric or soil data could not be made after this field season.' /STUDY LOCATIONS:/ /MOUNT DESERT ISLAND/