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Growth and Space-use of Eastern Red-backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) in Mature and Regenerating Forests
  • +9
  • Meaghan Gade,
  • Philip Gould,
  • Andrew Wilk,
  • Kate Donlon,
  • Mackenzie Brown,
  • Marnie Behan,
  • Marissa Roseman,
  • Annalee Tutterow,
  • Evan Amber,
  • Ryan Wagner,
  • Andrew Hoffman,
  • William Peterman
Meaghan Gade
The Ohio State University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Philip Gould
The Ohio State University
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Andrew Wilk
The Ohio State University
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Kate Donlon
The Ohio State University
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Mackenzie Brown
The Ohio State University
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Marnie Behan
The Ohio State University
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Marissa Roseman
The Ohio State University
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Annalee Tutterow
The Ohio State University
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Evan Amber
The Ohio State University
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Ryan Wagner
The Ohio State University
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Andrew Hoffman
The Ohio State University
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William Peterman
The Ohio State University
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Abstract

Movement and demographic rates are critical to the persistence of populations in space and time. Despite their importance, estimates of these processes are often derived from a limited number of populations spanning broad habitat or environmental gradients. With increasing appreciation of the role fine-scale environmental variation in microgeographic adaptation, there is need and value to assessing within-site variation in movement, growth, and demographic rates. In this study, we analyze three years of spatial capture-recapture data collected from a mixed-use deciduous forest site in central Ohio, USA. Study plots were situated in mature forest on a slope and in successional forest on a ridge but were separated by less than 100-m distance. Our data showed that the density of salamanders was less on ridges, which corresponded with greater distance between nearest neighbors, less overlap in core use areas, greater space-use, and greater shifts in activity centers when compared to salamander occupying the slope habitat. However, these differences were moderate. In contrast, we estimated growth rates of salamanders occupying the ridge to be significantly greater than salamander on the slope. These differences result in ridge salamanders reaching maturity more than one year earlier than slope salamanders, increasing their lifetime fecundity by as much as 43%. The patterns we observed in space use and growth are likely the result of density-dependent processes, reflecting differences in resource availability or quality. Our study highlights how fine-scale, within-site, variation can shape population demographics. As research into the demographic and population consequences of climate change and habitat loss and alteration continue, future research should take care to acknowledge the role that fine-scale variation may play, especially for organisms with small home ranges or limited vagility.
30 Aug 2021Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
01 Sep 2021Submission Checks Completed
01 Sep 2021Assigned to Editor
06 Sep 2021Reviewer(s) Assigned
04 Oct 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
12 Nov 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
04 Feb 20221st Revision Received
07 Feb 2022Assigned to Editor
07 Feb 2022Submission Checks Completed
07 Feb 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
07 Feb 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
19 Apr 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
13 Jun 20222nd Revision Received
15 Jun 2022Assigned to Editor
15 Jun 2022Submission Checks Completed
15 Jun 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
26 Jun 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
28 Jul 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
07 Oct 20223rd Revision Received
08 Oct 2022Assigned to Editor
08 Oct 2022Submission Checks Completed
08 Oct 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
11 Oct 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
10 Nov 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
05 Dec 20224th Revision Received
06 Dec 2022Submission Checks Completed
06 Dec 2022Assigned to Editor
06 Dec 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
04 Jan 2023Editorial Decision: Accept