Effects of stream acidification on lotic salamander assemblages in a coal-mined watershed in the Cumberland Plateau

Abstract

We studied the effects of acid mine drainage (AMD) from abandoned coal mines on lotic salamanders and environmental conditions in the upper watershed (Cumberland Plateau) of North Chickamauga Creek (NCC; Tennessee River drainage) in southeastern Tennessee, USA, from 1996-97. Study sites (2 nd -or 3 rd -order reaches) were sampled in an AMD-influenced section (five sites) and in two reference streams (two minimally disturbed sites). A total of 212 plethodontids (premetamorphic larvae) representing four species were collected by kicknetting in riffles (n ¼ 99) and electrofishing in mixed habitats (n ¼ 113). The dusky salamander (Desmognathus fuscus) was the most abundant species in both AMD and reference reaches (> 80 -90% of total catches), successively followed by the southern two-lined salamander (Eurycea cirrigera), spring salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus), and red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber). Mining-influenced reaches were characterized by acidic flows (mean pH ¼ 3.8-5.6), zero to low alkalinity, and elevated conductivity, sulfate, hardness, aluminum, and manganese, as well as very low abundances of salamanders. Reference reaches were slightly acidic to circumneutral (mean pH ¼ 6.0-6.9) with low to moderate alkalinity, low levels of conductivity, hardness, sulfate, and metals, and high salamander abundances. Our findings document the impact of acid/metal pollution from past coal mining activities on lotic salamanders in a Cumberland Plateau stream.

Mountaintop removal mining reduces stream salamander occupancy and richness in southeastern Kentucky (USA)

“…Amphibians are poor osmoreg- ulators; high specific conductance has been shown to have a wide range of adverse effects (i.e., physical abnormalities, reduced survivorship, reduced activity, increased corticosterone levels) on larval stages of amphibians (Sanzo and Hecnar, 2006;Karraker et al, 2008;Chambers, 2011), perhaps resulting in population declines and species extirpations. Miller et al (2007) found that larval E. cirrigera abundance was negatively related to specific conductance levels in urban streams and Schorr et al (2013) found that occurrences of four salamander species of the Cumberland Plateau (D. fuscus, P. ruber, E. cirrigera, G. porphyriticus) were negatively correlated with elevated specific conductance levels (i.e., >100 lS/cm).…”

Terrestrial Ecosystem Impacts of Sulfide Mining: Scope of Issues for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota, USA

“…Noise and light pollution can impact songbirds at variable distances from road networks [41]. Amphibians such as salamanders and frogs that live in forests, especially swamp forests and wetlands, are sensitive to pH and could be negatively affected by acid dust from rock crushing areas as well as movement of polluted soil and surface water [42].…”

Evaluating the impacts of small impoundments on stream salamanders

“…A previous survey found that sites downstream of dams had impaired macroinvertebrate communities, iron concentrations that exceeded criteria recommended by EPA for aquatic life (1 mg L −1 ), elevated manganese concentrations, and greater variation in pH relative to unimpounded streams (Arnwine et al ., ). Earlier studies suggest that high concentrations of iron (20 mg L −1 ) can be lethal to anurans (Porter and Hakanson, ) and more acidic pH increases the damaging effects of metals on amphibians (Freda, ; Green and Peloquin, ; Schorr et al ., ). Iron concentrations have been used to assess the adverse impacts of small impoundments on the Cumberland Plateau (Arnwine et al , ; Knoll et al ., ), but impacts of environmentally relevant iron concentrations on amphibian populations have not yet been determined.…”