{"title":"The Rocky Road to Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis) Recovery in Ohio: An Evaluation of Habitat in Ohio's Streams","authors":"Nicholas A. Smeenk, Gregory J. Lipps, R. Waters","doi":"10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.201","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Determining habitat characteristics that influence the contemporary distribution of species is imperative for effective conservation planning. The Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis) reaches its Midwestern northern range limit in Ohio, U.S.A.Most previous studies have focused on habitat within the mountainous core of the species' range. We assessed physical and chemical habitat characteristics across the extant range of the Hellbender in Ohio. Physical habitat characteristics were similar to habitat across the range. Hellbenders occupied stream segments typically in contact with steep hillsides that are the source of large shelter rocks. Stream substrate consisted of large boulders and cobble and contained moderate proportions of gravel and sand. Both water temperature (max = 29.4–33.0 C) and conductivity (range = 284–1323 µS/cm) were elevated in Ohio streams. Historic alterations to streams in combination with distinct hydrologic regimes and geology have resulted in habitat characteristics not commonly reported elsewhere. This may have contributed to Hellbender populations being dominated by large adults. Developing an understanding of the role habitat structure and perturbations play in egg and larval survival is critical for the implementation of effective conservation strategies.","PeriodicalId":50802,"journal":{"name":"American Midland Naturalist","volume":"185 1","pages":"201 - 217"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6000,"publicationDate":"2021-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"American Midland Naturalist","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.201","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"Agricultural and Biological Sciences","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1
Abstract
Abstract. Determining habitat characteristics that influence the contemporary distribution of species is imperative for effective conservation planning. The Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis) reaches its Midwestern northern range limit in Ohio, U.S.A.Most previous studies have focused on habitat within the mountainous core of the species' range. We assessed physical and chemical habitat characteristics across the extant range of the Hellbender in Ohio. Physical habitat characteristics were similar to habitat across the range. Hellbenders occupied stream segments typically in contact with steep hillsides that are the source of large shelter rocks. Stream substrate consisted of large boulders and cobble and contained moderate proportions of gravel and sand. Both water temperature (max = 29.4–33.0 C) and conductivity (range = 284–1323 µS/cm) were elevated in Ohio streams. Historic alterations to streams in combination with distinct hydrologic regimes and geology have resulted in habitat characteristics not commonly reported elsewhere. This may have contributed to Hellbender populations being dominated by large adults. Developing an understanding of the role habitat structure and perturbations play in egg and larval survival is critical for the implementation of effective conservation strategies.
期刊介绍:
The American Midland Naturalist has been published for 90 years by the University of Notre Dame. The connotations of Midland and Naturalist have broadened and its geographic coverage now includes North America with occasional articles from other continents. The old image of naturalist has changed and the journal publishes what Charles Elton aptly termed "scientific natural history" including field and experimental biology. Its significance and breadth of coverage are evident in that the American Midland Naturalist is among the most frequently cited journals in publications on ecology, mammalogy, herpetology, ornithology, ichthyology, parasitology, aquatic and invertebrate biology and other biological disciplines.