Title: 
Data from: Liming and spring salamander abundance

Authors: 
Elise M. Edwards, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA, https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3974-6372 (corresponding author: eme42@cornell.edu)
Brittany A. Mosher, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
Thomas Pauley, Department of Biology, Marshall University, 1 John Marshall Drive, Huntington, WV 25755, USA
Shane Welch, Department of Biology, Marshall University, 1 John Marshall Drive, Huntington, WV 25755, USA
Jayme L. Waldron, Department of Biology, Marshall University, 1 John Marshall Drive, Huntington, WV 25755, USA


Abstract:
Environmental acidification is affecting ecosystems around the globe, and as a result, managers are using limestone applications to mitigate the effects of acid rain and acid mine drainage. Limestone applications attempt to reverse acidification by increasing stream pH, however, studies assessing how liming affects species have shown mixed results. We examined the effects of liming on Gyrinophilus porphyriticus (the spring salamander) abundance. From June 10th to September 1st, 2013, we used multiple methods (i.e., leaf litterbags, visual encounter surveys, and area constrained flip and search methods) to sample spring salamanders within 11 different streams in the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia. Using N-mixture models, which allow for estimation of abundance from count data and account for imperfect detection probabilities, we examined the effects of direct application liming (DAL) on spring salamander abundance and found that DAL and lime frequency had unexpected associations with spring salamander abundance. We found that salamanders were smaller in size when closer to DAL sites, but that DAL activities did not have any impact on spring salamander abundance. These results have and will continue to inform managers to the possible negative effects of liming on salamander communities and other stream organisms as well as inform adjustments that can be made to mitigate these impacts as a result of lime management. 


Please cite as: 
Elise Edwards, Brittany Mosher, Thomas Pauley, Shane Welch, Jayme L. Waldron. (2023) Data from: Liming and spring salamander abundance [Dataset] Cornell University eCommons Repository. https://doi.org/10.7298/0e1s-mm78


Links to related publications: 
Edwards, E., Pauley, T.K., and Waldron, J.L. 2016. Estimating spring salamander detection probability using multiple methods. Journal of Herpetology 50: 126–129, https://doi.org/10.1670/15-041
Subject Keywords:Abundance, detection probability, direct application liming, Gyrinophilus porphyriticus, N-Mixture, West Virginia 


List of Files: 
EdwardsEtsl_JWM2023_Readme.txt
EdwardsEtal_JWM2023_abundancedatawithcovariates.csv
EdwardsEtal_JWM2023_abundancedatawithcovariatesDataDictionary.txt
EdwardsEtal_JWM2023_Code.R