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Reptile and Amphibian Abundance and Distribution Survey Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park 2007–2009

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Reptile and Amphibian Abundance and Distribution Survey Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park 2007–2009 DOCUMENT AVAILABILITY Reports produced after January 1, 1996, are generally available free via the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Information Bridge. Web site http://www.osti.gov/bridge Reports produced before January 1, 1996, may be purchased by members of the public from the following source. National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 Telephone 703-605-6000 (1-800-553-6847) TDD 703-487-4639 Fax 703-605-6900 E-mail [email protected] Web site http://www.ntis.gov/support/ordernowabout.htm Reports are available to DOE employees, DOE contractors, Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDE) representatives, and International Nuclear Information System (INIS) representatives from the following source. Office of Scientific and Technical Information P.O. Box 62 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 Telephone 865-576-8401 Fax 865-576-5728 E-mail [email protected] Web site http://www.osti.gov/contact.html This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Background photo of cave salamanders courtesy of Sarah Brown ORNL/TM-2009/296 Environmental Survey Report for ORNL: Reptile and Amphibian Abundance and Distribution Survey Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park 2007–2009 Neil R. Giffen Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory R. Scott Reasor ORISE Brittany L. Petersen ORISE Claire A. Campbell ORISE Date Published: December 2009 Prepared for OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6283 managed by UT-BATTELLE, LLC for the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................... vii ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................................................ ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................................................................... xi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................. xiii ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................... xv 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 2. METHODS AND MATERIALS ................................................................................................... 1 3. SUPPLEMENTAL STUDIES ........................................................................................................ 3 4. RESULTS ....................................................................................................................................... 3 5. DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................................. 4 6. CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................. 6 7. REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................... 7 Appendix A. Life Histories of the Reptiles and Amphibians of the Oak Ridge Reservation ............. A-1 Appendix B. Description of Sampling Methods ................................................................................. B-1 Appendix C. Acoustic Anuran Survey Data ....................................................................................... C-1 Appendix D. Species Abundance Inventory Data .............................................................................. D-1 Appendix E Clinch River Environmental Studies Organization Results .......................................... E-1 Appendix F. Reptiles and Amphibians of the Oak Ridge Reservation .............................................. F-1 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Map of sites on the Oak Ridge Reservation sampled during the 2007–2009 reptile and amphibian abundance and distribution survey. ............................................................................ 2 2. Comparison of method effort and specimen occurrence. Left: 2008; right: 2009. ......................... 4 3. Significant survey locations. Top: Bearden Creek, middle: mesophytic forest, bottom: Amphibian Site 5. ............................................................................................................ 6 v LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Reptile and amphibian species recorded (2007–2009) ................................................................... 5 vii ACRONYMS CRESO Clinch River Environmental Studies Organization ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory ORR Oak Ridge Reservation ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors of this study would like to thank Patricia D. Parr, Facilities and Operations Directorate, for facultative and administrative support throughout the study. We would also like to extend special thank to David Page of the Department of Energy for his support during this project. For mapping and graphics we appreciate the help of Harry Quarles, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Environmental Sciences Division, and Sherri Cotter, Facilities Development Division. Data collaboration on turtles in Solway Bend provided by John G. Byrd and his students, Clinch River Environmental Studies Organization, was a great contribution to the study. Jim Evans and Sam Young, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, provided great technical support throughout the entire study. Also, thanks to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Department of Energy for allowing the study to be conducted on the Oak Ridge Reservation. xi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This document summarizes the results of a 3 year Oak Ridge Reservation–wide reptile and amphibian survey. The survey was conducted in the spring and summer of 2007, 2008, and 2009. It was accomplished with the services of interns in the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Higher Education Research Experiences Program. The survey was designed to sample locations that had been sampled in previous surveys as well as certain new locations of interest. Two supplemental studies were carried out concurrently with the abundance survey. A ranavirus study was conducted in cooperation with the University of Tennessee’s Wetlands Diseases Laboratory. The project involved the collection of small samples clipped from the tails of a number of salamanders collected during the ongoing abundance and distribution survey. Supplemental studies were also conducted by the Clinch River Environmental Studies Organization during the 2007–2009 time frame. In a program funded by the Department of Energy, middle and high school students collected data from turtles trapped in hoop nets at the two Solway Bend ponds that were also sampled during the overall study. Certain sampling sites in the study area are particularly notable for either high capture rates or suitability of habitat for target species. Of those, Amphibian Site 5, Bearden Creek, the mesophytic forest, and Hembree Marsh in particular, should be highlighted as significant locations for the management of reptile and amphibian populations. xiii ABSTRACT As a follow-up to a 1996 abundance and diversity study, we conducted reptile and amphibian abundance and diversity surveys during May through July in 2007, 2008, and 2009. The surveys were conducted in the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park, located on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), in Tennessee. The area encompasses 33,654 acres. Our survey incorporated 20 separate sites on the ORR. The habitats covered during this study ranged from upland forested areas to low bottom wetland and stream areas. Several of the sites included native warm-season grass and old field locations. During the survey all captured reptiles and amphibians were released at the point of capture after identification and recording of measurements. The measurements were taken for future growth data analysis and included the specimen’s weight, total length, and snout-to-vent length; for turtles we recorded just the length of carapace (top of the shell), the length of the plastron (bottom of the shell), and the depth of the shell. During the survey we used seven methods of capture: visual encounter surveys, artificial cover objects (wood and metal), pitfall traps with drift fence lines, minnow traps, dip nets, hoop nets, and acoustic surveys. In total, 360 specimens of 35 species were recorded
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