Short-term response of herpetofauna and small mammal populations to the season of prescribed burning in a southern Appalachian upland hardwood forest

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dc.contributor.advisorBush, Janis K.
dc.contributor.authorSeiboldt, Tyler J.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberGreenberg, Cathryn H.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberMartinez, Fernando A.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberGdovin, Matthew J.
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-12T20:02:18Z
dc.date.available2024-02-12T20:02:18Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.descriptionThis item is available only to currently enrolled UTSA students, faculty or staff. To download, navigate to Log In in the top right-hand corner of this screen, then select Log in with my UTSA ID.
dc.description.abstractPrescribed fire has long been used to restore disturbance dependent ecosystems, and has primarily been conducted in the dormant season due to more predictable environmental conditions. Short-term response of herpetofauna and small mammals to single dormant season burns in the southern Appalachians have been studied, and few effects were detected. However, response to growing season burns has not been studied. From late-May to early-August 2013 and 2014, drift fences with pitfall and funnel traps were used to capture herpetofauna, and Sherman traps were used to capture small mammals in a replicated study comparing controls (unburned) and two prescribed fire treatments (n=3 each): 1) growing season burn (burned April 2013; trapped in 2013 and 2014), and 2) dormant season burn (burned March 2014; trapped in 2014 only). A total of 280 amphibians of 11 species, 100 reptiles of 11 species, and 101 small mammals of 4 species were captured. Reptile relative abundance was found to be significantly higher in growing season burn treatments compared with control in 2013. However, results indicate no difference in reptile, amphibian, or small mammal relative abundance in 2014, after both treatments had been implemented. This study suggests that the season of prescribed burning in the southern Appalachian upland hardwood forest will does not negatively affect herpetofauna and small mammal abundance, at least in the short term. Nevertheless, region specific studies are needed to fully understand the impacts of season of prescribed burn on these wildlife communities and populations.
dc.description.departmentGeosciences
dc.format.extent75 pages
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.isbn9781321736526
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12588/5319
dc.languageen
dc.subjectEcology
dc.subjectFire
dc.subjectForestry
dc.subjectHerpetology
dc.subjectMammalogy
dc.subjectWildlife
dc.subject.classificationWildlife management
dc.subject.classificationEcology
dc.subject.classificationEnvironmental science
dc.subject.lcshPrescribed burning -- North Carolina, Western
dc.subject.lcshAmphibians -- Effect of fires on -- North Carolina, Western
dc.subject.lcshReptiles -- Effect of fires on -- North Carolina, Western
dc.subject.lcshMammals -- Effect of fires on -- North Carolina, Western
dc.subject.lcshForest ecology -- Appalachian Region, Southern
dc.subject.lcshHerpetological surveys -- Appalachian Region, Southern
dc.titleShort-term response of herpetofauna and small mammal populations to the season of prescribed burning in a southern Appalachian upland hardwood forest
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.dcmiText
dcterms.accessRightspq_closed
thesis.degree.departmentGeosciences
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Texas at San Antonio
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science

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