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TECHNOLOGY CORNER
By Elizabeth Shadle, The Longleaf Alliance
Tools of the Trade – Saving Reticulated Flatwoods Salamanders, One Egg at a Time Drift fence checks. Photo by Samantha Dillon.
Upon entering a longleaf pine ecosystem, many are drawn upward to take in the large, elegant pine canopies sprawled against the blue sky. However, if one stops to take in the whole ecosystem, they may be surprised to find numerous small but crucial animals specializing in these ecosystems. Wildlife species specializing in longleaf habitats provide biodiversity and beauty to the landscape. The Longleaf Alliance is dedicated to supporting conservation and restoration efforts that support and aid in the recovery of endemic (native and not found anywhere else!) longleaf species under threat. One key species of interest is the reticulated flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma bishopi or RFS for short), an imperiled species in need of restoration of fire-maintained pine flatwoods for continued survival. These salamanders rely on terrestrial and aquatic habitats to support their complex life cycles (egg hatched out to aquatic larvae metamorphosed to terrestrial salamander). These salamanders spend their time developing in seasonal wetlands and climb out of the water onto longleaf pine stands as newly developed adults. As RFS populations continue to decline, a team of wildlife biologists emerged to aid their recovery, supported through a collaboration between The Longleaf Alliance and partners in the Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership Landscape, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and federal agencies. The AMBBIS Team (short for Ambystoma bishopi), first established in 2018, has grown to
include a lead wildlife biologist, two wildlife technicians, and a crew of four seasonal restoration technicians. To better depict what is involved in the restoration and conservation of an endangered species, this article will walk you through a field season and highlight the work of TLA’s AMMBIS Team. These tasks aid in our ability to monitor, conserve, and protect this unique salamander and its beautiful home in longleaf flatwood wetlands.
As a biologist, you quickly learn there is no typical day-to-day schedule because it varies on numerous factors. Most are out of your control, such as weather and seasons.
Life as a Wildlife Biologist
It is vital to understand rare species’ life history habits and gather population estimates to assist conservation. There are a few remaining populations of the rare, reticulated flatwoods salamander. RFS breed during the winter months, and our schedule primarily works around their breeding cycle. We perform various tasks, including drift fence monitoring, egg searching, dip-netting, cattle tank rearing (head-start), and releasing (see timeline graphic). Monitoring The salamanders move from upland longleaf pine forests to seasonal wetlands where they deposit their eggs during the breeding season. So each fall through spring, we set up and run drift fences to capture this migration. Drift fences are long durable sheets of thin galvanized aluminum flashing. Two fences divide the uplands from two wetlands. Along each side of the fence, we have three wire funnel traps with an opening
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