Temporal Variation in Leaf Litter Invertebrates Available to - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Temporal Variation in Leaf Litter Invertebrates Available to Plethodon cinereus Zachary Barker Dr. Tanya Matlaga & Dr. Carlos Iudica

Plethodon cinereus  Slender woodland salamander  Lungless salamander  Ash color with red/orange stripe middorsal (can exhibit a lead phase)  Males  42.3mm SVL and 83mm ToL (average)  Females  44mm SVL and 83mm ToL (average) (Hulse et al. 2001)

Life History  Activity  Live under rocks, logs, leaf litter, small burrows (Frisbie and Wyman, 1991)  10% active on surface (Taub, 1961)  Approx. 1 animal/m 2 (Heatwole, 1962)  Development  Terrestrial  Direct Development (Burger, 1935)  Lifespan  Plethodontid salamanders- 32 years (Hairston, 1983)  P. jordani- 9.8 years (Hairston, 1983)

Laura Blackburn, Priya Nanjappa, and Michael J. Lannoo (2001) US Amphibian Dist. Maps (http://home.bsu.edu/home/00mjlannoo/)

Why Study P. cinereus?  Important components to the trophic structure in some forests (Burton and Likens,1975)  High efficiency in converting consumed energy to biomass (60%) (Burton and Likens,1975)  May equal the amount of biomass of mice and shrews (Burton and Likens,1975)  Common species, easy to find and study  They can be marked to identify individuals

Why Study Invertebrates?  P. cinereus prey on several different types of invertebrates:  Termites, flies, earthworms, spiders, springtails and more (Cockran, 1911)  Give insight to P. cinereus activity  General knowledge of species to species relationships

Questions to be Answered  Does diversity of leaf litter invertebrates available to P. cinereus differ temporally though the year?  What is the phenology of invertebrate diversity?  Does moisture content play a role in activity?  Does the abundance of invertebrates have a relationship with abundance of salamanders?

Hypothesis  When P. cinereus are more active, the invertebrate diversity will be lower  Predictions  Invertebrate diversity will fluctuate due to phenology  Depending on leaf litter moisture content, we expect to see a difference in the number of invertebrates

Site Description  Camp Karoondinha  Eastern deciduous forest  3 Sites with 3 plots each  Each plot, 50 cover boards councils.scouting.org

Image from Google Maps

Methodology: P. cinereus  Collect salamanders  Determine if it has been marked  If so: recapture  If not: new capture  Measure SVL & ToL  Determine sex  Count eggs  Mark with VIE (visible implant elastomer) under each limb  Abiotic Measurements  Air and soil temp

Methodology: Invertebrates  Field Sampling  Random sampling  20cm x 20cm samples  3 samples per plot (n=27)  Collect down to organic layer of soil 20cm 20cm

Methodology: Invertebrates  Berlese Funnel Methods  Weigh samples  3 times (Wet, Dry 1, Dry 2)  In funnel for one week  Collect invertebrate samples in alcohol

Methodology: Invertebrates  Analysis and Quantification of Invertebrates  Using a dissecting scope  Identify to taxonomic order  Quantity

Analysis- Summary of Data  9 plots (3 in each of 3 sites)  Multiple sampling dates:  6 in spring, 6 in fall  Biotic measures:  salamander activity (number found/plot)  Invertebrate diversity (per plot)  Abiotic measures:  Leaf litter moisture, air temperature, soil temperature

Analysis- Summary of Data  9 plots (3 in each of 3 sites)  Multiple sampling dates:  6 in spring, 6 in fall  Biotic measures:  salamander activity (number found/plot)  Invertebrate diversity (per plot)  Abiotic measures:  Leaf litter moisture, air temperature, soil temperature Shannon – Wiener Index of Diversity: species richness and the proportion of each species

Analysis- Summary of Data  9 plots (3 in each of 3 sites)  Multiple sampling dates:  6 in spring, 6 in fall  Biotic measures:  salamander activity (number found/plot)  Invertebrate diversity (per plot)  Abiotic measures:  Leaf litter moisture, air temperature, soil temperature Shannon – Wiener Index Correlation Coefficients: of Diversity: species strength of the richness and the relationship between proportion of each invertebrates and P. species cinereus activity

Analysis- Summary of Data  9 plots (3 in each of 3 sites)  Multiple sampling dates:  6 in spring, 6 in fall  Biotic measures:  salamander activity (number found/plot)  Invertebrate diversity (per plot)  Abiotic measures:  Leaf litter moisture, air temperature, soil temperature Shannon – Wiener Index Correlation Coefficients: Analysis of Variance of Diversity: species strength of the (ANOVA): how richness and the relationship between invertebrate diversity proportion of each invertebrates and P. varies by site and species cinereus activity sampling date

Preliminary Results Diversity and Abundances of Invertebrates http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/image/152315738 http://people.stfx.ca/btaylor/Biology%20 474/Images/Animals/mesostigmatid%2 0mites%20good%202.jpg Oribatida (mites) Collembola (springtials) Mesostigmatida (mites) Trombidiformes (mites) Opilioacarida (mites) Araneida (spiders) Diplopoda (millipedes) Chilopoda (centipede) Hymenoptera Diptera (flies) Pseudoscorpionida Larvae Unidentified

Sample Site 3,000.00 CH CO ECO Mean Number of Invertebrates 2,000.00 1,000.00 0.00 4/2 4/17 5/7 9/12 9/24 10/7 Sampling Date

Sample Site Number of Invertebrates Number of Salamanders

Average Number of Invertebrates per g of Dry Leaf Litter 4/2 4/17 Sampling Date 5/7 9/12 9/24 10/7 Sample Site

Mean Number of Invertebrates Sampling Date Sample Site

Sample Site Estimated Marginal Means 4/2 4/17 5/7 9/12 9/24 10/7 Sampling Date

ECO April 2, 2014 Acari (mites) Collembola Pseudoscorpionida Araneae Hemiptera 0% 2% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1% Hymenoptera Coleoptera Diptera Class Diplopoda 51% 47% Class Chilopoda Opilioacarida Larvae Snail Unidentifiable Thysanoptera (thrip) Class Pauropoda Psocoptera (psocids) Blattodea Haplotaxida Orthoptera

ECO May 7, 2014 Acari (mites) Collembola Pseudoscorpionida Araneae Hemiptera 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 12% Hymenoptera Coleoptera Diptera Class Diplopoda Class Chilopoda Opilioacarida Larvae 87% Snail Unidentifiable Thysanoptera (thrip) Class Pauropoda Psocoptera (psocids) Blattodea Haplotaxida Orthoptera

ECO September 24, 2014 Acari (mites) Collembola Pseudoscorpionida Araneae Hemiptera 9% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% Hymenoptera Coleoptera Diptera Class Diplopoda Class Chilopoda Opilioacarida Larvae 90% Snail Unidentifiable Thysanoptera (thrip) Class Pauropoda Psocoptera (psocids) Blattodea Haplotaxida Orthoptera

Questions and Acknowledgments  Penn State University  Dr. David Miller  David Munez  Susquehanna University Biology Department and Facilities  Camp Karoondinha