Effects of Prescribed Fire on the Herpetofauna of a Southern Mississippi Pine Savanna..docVIP

Herpetological Conservation and Biology 2(2):135-143. Submitted: 1 February 2007; Accepted: 27 April 2007. EFFECTS OF PRESCRIBED FIRE ON THE HERPETOFAUNA OF A SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI PINE SAVANNA GABRIEL J. LANGFORD , JOEL A. BORDEN , C. SMOOT MAJOR AND DAVID H. NELSON1 1,2 1 1 1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama 36688, USA 2 Corresponding author/current address:,School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, USA, e-mail: glangfo1@bigred.unl.edu Abstract.—Despite the recent popularity of prescribed burns in the southeast USA, little research is available on the effects of prescribed fire on herpetofauna in the western coastal plain (Gulf Coast, USA). We assessed the effects of a restoration prescribed burn on herpetofauna and composed an inventory of amphibians and reptiles on the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GBNERR) and surrounding Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge (GBNWR), Jackson County, Mississippi. herpetofauna. We used visual encounter surveys (VES), minnow traps, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubes to sample We recorded 429 individuals and 29 species from January-June, 2004. We found greater numbers of herpetofauna in burned than unburned stands, while species diversity indices were equal between burn treatments. Our results provide the first herpetological survey of the reserve, providing a baseline for monitoring herpetofauna population and community trends. Key Words.—Bufo quercicus; herpetofauna; Kinosternun subrubrum; Mississippi; Mud Turtle; Oak Toad; pine savanna; prescribed fire INTRODUCTION substantial negative impacts (e.g., fire exclusion, urbanization, farming) (Means 2005), the effects of local In some terrestrial habitats, fire exclusion is one of the forest management practices on native fauna are relevant greatest threats to biodiver