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HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES for AMPHIBIANS and REPTILES of the NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES Technical Publication HMG-3 HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES Technical Publication HMG-3 PARTNERS IN AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE CONSERVATION This publication was made possible by the support of the following agencies and organizations. The authors are pleased to acknowledge the generous support of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and USDA Forest Service (Eastern Region). Through the contributions of the NRCS, as well as the FS Herpetofauna Conservation Initiative, funds were used to develop this and the other regional guides. We also thank the USDI Fish and Wildlife Service (Northeast Region), State Wildlife Agencies, and all other contributors, both for their generous support to PARC, and their commitment to amphibian and reptile conservation. Front cover photos by James Gibbs (background) and Lynda Richardson (Spotted Salamander), Mark Bailey created the front cover illustration. Back cover by Joe Mitchell HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES Technical Publication HMG-3 PURPOSE AND INTENDED USE OF THIS DOCUMENT The Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles series (hereafter Guidelines) is intended to provide private landowners, state and federal land agencies, and other interested stakeholders with regional information on the habitat associations and requirements of amphibians and reptiles, possible threats to these habitats, and recommendations for managing lands in ways compatible with or beneficial to amphibians and reptiles. The general information and specific management guidelines presented are based on best available science, peer-reviewed l l expert opinion, and published literature. The “Maxi- e h c t mizing Compatibility” and “Ideal” management guide- i M lines are recommendations made and reviewed by e o groups of professionally trained herpetologists and J wildlife biologists from private, state, and federal The Box Turtle is a well-known species to most people in the North- east. They live for several decades and occur in hardwood forests, organizations. Because of the taxonomic and ecologi- grasslands, and agricultural areas. cal diversity of amphibians and reptiles, some recom- mendations may not apply to every species in every situation. The authors and editors of the Guidelines suggest consulting a local herpetologist before signifi- cant land-use changes are implemented. These ISBN 0-9667402-3-8 Guidelines are not legally binding, regulatory, or in ©2006 Partners in Amphibian and Reptile any way an attempt to limit landowner rights. They Conservation can be regarded simply as recommendations from the Printed in the United States of America PARC community for landowners and managers to consider the needs of amphibians and reptiles in the Suggested citation: Mitchell, J.C., A.R. Breisch, and course of their land management activities. K.A. Buhlmann. 2006. Habitat Management Guide- Amphibian and reptile populations are declining in the lines for Amphibians and Reptiles of the Northeastern United States and will continue to do so as long as United States. Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Con- human populations and associated developments servation, Technical Publication HMG-3, Montgomery, expand. When applied on the ground as general man- Alabama. 108 pp. agement principles, these Guidelines will promote conservation of amphibians and reptiles by: • keeping common species common, Additional copies may be obtained through PARC. • stemming the decline of imperiled species, Visit www.parcplace.org for more information about • guiding the restoration of amphibian and reptile placing orders. Donations to PARC help defray the habitats while benefiting many other wildlife costs of development, printing, postage, and han- species, and dling, and can be made by check, credit card, or • reducing the likelihood that additional species money order. will be added to endangered species lists. HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE NORTHEASTERN U.S. i TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface......................................................................iii Permanent Wetlands...............................................39 Introduction ...............................................................1 Small Streams, Springs, and Seepages .................45 Amphibians and Reptiles of the Northeast ..............2 Rivers ......................................................................49 Ecoregions of the Northeast ....................................4 Estuarine and Coastal.............................................54 Habitats Important to Amphibians and Hardwood Forests...................................................60 Reptiles in the Northeast ..........................................4 Spruce and Fir Forests............................................65 How to Use These Guidelines .................................5 Xeric Upland and Pine Forests ...............................69 Developing a Management Plan ..............................6 Grasslands and Old Fields......................................73 Conservation Challenges ..........................................8 Rock Outcrops and Talus........................................77 The Basics: Management Guidelines for All Habitat Types ....................................................18 Caves and Karst......................................................81 Management Guidelines by Habitat Type ..............25 Agricultural Lands....................................................84 Seasonal Isolated Wetlands....................................26 Urban and Residential Systems..............................88 Wet Meadows, Bogs, and Fens ..............................33 Appendix A: Amphibians and Reptiles of the Northeast ......................................................94 Appendix B: Conservation Options ......................100 Appendix C: References ......................................102 Acknowledgments ................................................105 American Toads are the amphibian comics. Males arrive first at breeding ponds in early spring and call for females. Once there, females are often mobbed by males seeking a mating posi- tion, a phenomenon called a toad orgy. Kurt Weiskotten ii WWW.PARCPLACE.ORG PREFACE Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Erin Clark, Robert Fisher, Whit Gibbons, Randy Gray, Reptiles of the Northeastern United States is a pro- John Jensen, Bruce Kingsbury, Laura Mazanti, Joe duction of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conser- Mitchell, Earl Possardt, Klaus Richter, and Monica vation (PARC). PARC’s mission is “to conserve Schwalbach. This group conceptualized the need for amphibians, reptiles, and their habitats as integral Habitat Management Guidelines as a PARC product parts of our ecosystem and culture through proactive and agreed that at least five regional documents and coordinated public/private partnerships.” The would be needed for the United States, including the emphasis is on partnerships, as we are seeking to Midwest, Southeast, Northeast, Southwest, and work with everyone to find solutions to common Northwest. Kurt Buhlmann, Joe Mitchell, and Whit issues. PARC is not a funding or government agency. Gibbons drafted a model document using the Savan- It does not create or dictate policy. Rather, it provides nah River Site in South Carolina as “the region.” The recommendations and guidelines based on sound sci- Technical Working Group, chaired by Monica Schwal- ence. It is intended to increase communication and bach, organized a workshop in Chicago that was held cooperation with many diverse groups who have a in February 2001. At that meeting, 85 individuals rep- common interest in amphibians, reptiles, and their resenting the five regions worked for three days on habitats. Through documents such as this, PARC will concepts, habitats, and early drafts of the documents give individuals a better idea of how they or their agen- for each region. Subsequently, the Midwest document cies, companies, or organizations can contribute to was the first to be completed, followed by the South- the conservation and management of habitats on the east document in 2006. Habitat Management Guide- landscape. The diversity of partners makes PARC the lines for the Northeast is the third in the series. most comprehensive conservation effort ever under- taken for these two groups of wildlife. At the core of PARC is the philosophy that we all must work togeth- er. There is no “us versus them.” It is all “us.” This pub- lication is the product of extensive efforts of many peo- ple and contains the contributions of many individuals from academic, private, government, and industrial backgrounds. Development of the PARC Habitat Management Guidelines began shortly following the organization of PARC in 1999. The initial PARC Habitat Management Technical Working Group consisted of Kurt Buhlmann, l l e h c t i M e o J The Wood Turtle is a large semi-aquatic species of rivers and flood- plains in the Northeast. It is declining in many areas due to habitat loss and fragmentation, and road mortality. Wood Turtles, like Box Turtles, are long-lived, reaching 50+ years. s a r u m e N Lead writers for this book were Joseph C. Mitchell, Alvin n e K R. Breisch, and Kurt A. Buhlmann. Mitchell is founder of Mitchell Ecological Research, LLC, Chair of the PARC Spotted Salamanders have become well-recognized by Northeast resi- dents because of their association with woodland vernal pools. Spot- Habitat Management
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