Influence of landscape and vegetation characteristics on herpetofaunal assemblages in Gulf Coastal Plain pine forests

Abstract

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savanna characterized by opencanopy, diverse herbaceous vegetation, and high amounts of bare soil once covered much of the southeastern United States Coastal Plain. The unique structural and vegetative conditions of this ecosystem support endemic reptiles and amphibians that have declined as longleaf pine forests have been lost or degraded. Private working pine (Pinus spp.) forests managed for timber production now occur throughout the southeastern United States and have replaced much of the historical longleaf pine savanna. The examination of herpetofaunal (reptile, amphibian) communities in private working loblolly pine (P. taeda) landscapes, particularly in the western Gulf Coastal Plain is lacking. Using repeated field surveys and hierarchical community occupancy models, we examined occupancy and species richness of herpetofauna across 81 sites spanning gradients of management practices, vegetative conditions, and soil composition in northwestern Louisiana, USA, 2017-2019. Young pine stands (<6 yr) exhibited structural characteristics most similar to mature longleaf pine reference sites (>30 yr), while mid-aged stands (13-26 yr) often featured closed canopy and dense midstory. Vegetation conditions varied widely depending on landscape characteristics and site-specific disturbance regimes. We documented 43 species of herpetofauna, including 9 open-pine-associated species. Occupancy of openpine-associated herpetofauna was positively associated with open-canopy and understory conditions, and sandy soil area.

Assessment of Biological and Environmental Factors Influence on Fire Hazard in Pine Forests: A Case Study in Central Forest-Steppe of the East European Plain

“…Also, consideration of environmental factors is of great importance in understanding the state, stability, and ecological role of forest stands [56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63]. It is especially important for protection and restoration of forest ecosystems [64][65][66] as well as in their management [67][68][69]. Accounting for the data obtained on the bioecological features of forest stands and environmental conditions are of paramount importance in managing the resource qualities of forest ecosystems, their stability and protection in forest-steppe and other landscapes.…”