Effects of seven silvicultural treatments on terrestrial salamanders

We compared the relative abundance of terrestrial salamanders before and after application of seven regeneration treatments in a low-elevation, southern Appalachian hardwood forest in southwest Virginia. Treatments included understory removal, group selection, two shelterwoods, leave-tree, clearcut, and a control. Salamander relative abundance was significantly lower after harvest on the group selection (p=0.005), shelterwoods (p=0.007 and p=0.015), leave-tree (p=0.001), and clearcut treatments (p=0.001). There was no significant difference in relative abundance during the same period on the control (p=0.788) or understory removal (p=0.862) treatments. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.