Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Southern Appalachian Mountains CESU

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The Wetland and Aquatic Research Center (WARC) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner to study the causes and effects of phenological changes in salamander life history events. This opportunity will provide an avenue for assisting the USGS-WARC with the development of models for simulating and predicting the effects of future climate conditions on salamander populations. Research being conducted by USGS-WARC scientists is being used to inform recovery efforts of the federally-listed flatwoods salamanders (2 species; Ambystoma cingulatum and A. bishopi). WARC scientists are monitoring populations of A. cingulatum at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge; their work has demonstrated the variation in timing of key life history events, such as breeding and metamorphosis, as well as their dependence on weather patterns. The largest remaining population of A. bishopi exists at Eglin Air Force Baseâ¿¿approximately 250 km west of St. Marks NWR. This opportunity is for collaboration with CESU partner scientists to evaluate spatial and temporal variation in phenological patterns of flatwoods salamanders. This collaboration would ensure that forecasts of salamander population viability account for a more complete range of future possibilities

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