Herpetofaunal Diversity of the Four Holes Swamp, South Carolina PDF Download

Author: Russell J. Hall
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Amphibians
Languages : en
Pages : 51

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Book Description
A survey of the amphibians and reptiles in a sanctuary in the Four Holes Swamp, South Carolina, in 1976 revealed 62 species. An additional 27 species may have been residents. Species diversity and abundance were greatest in upland areas around the swamp and lowest on the oak flats that are often regarded as the most valuable swamp habitats. A few species were restricted to cypress creeks. Springs on the bluffs that border the swamp favor several species, including some species that are more common in cooler regions. The results of the survey were evaluated based on 50-year trends in population sizes of amphibian and reptilian species at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland and on 40-year trends in population sizes of amphibian and reptilian species on the University of Kansas Fitch Natural History Reservation to predict the possible consequences of different kinds of management. On the Fitch Reservation, where natural landscape patterns are mixed woodlands and prairies, all kinds of active management were discouraged, and succession produced an almost unbroken forest. By the late 1980s, 21 of the 31 herpetofaunal resident species had disappeared or declined significantly Changes at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, where management sought to maintain existing landscape patterns, included nearly equal losses and gains. As many as half of the amphibian and reptilian species of the Four Holes Swamp may decline or be extirpated if all habitats proceed to climax communities, and even management to maintain present habitats may affect as many as 10% of the species. But natural disturbances may help to maintain habitat diversity and species richness. Conservation goals for the Four Holes Swamp should be based on the role of the swamp in the broader landscape.