Habitat Management For Amphibians and Reptiles

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Habitat ManagementFor Amphibians and Reptiles
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Why Manage for Herps?

• Population Declines
• High biomass and protein sources
• Bioindicators

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Who Cares?

• Private Land owners
• Wildlife Managers
• PARC
• You!

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PARC
www.parcplace.org
Northeastern U.S.
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Where to Start?

• Identify and understand the area and species of
  concern.
• What is the Issue(s)?
• Justify and implement management options.
• Monitor

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Goals and Guidelines for Landowners and Land
Managers

• Maximizing Compatibility goal is to contribute
  to the conservation of these animals while
  primarily managing their land for other uses.
• Ideal desire to make amphibian and reptile
  conservation a primary objective.

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Landscape Scale and Connectivity

• Connectivity is important, why?
• Landscape Matrix with herps is complex, but
  necessary.

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Habitats Important to Amphibians and Reptiles

• Aquatic
• Terrestrial

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Aquatic Habitat Types

• Seasonal Isolated Wetlands
• Life Zone (1-2 months)
• Buffer Zone management (450 feet)
• Maintain naturally
• Occasional fires

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Aquatic Habitat Types

• Met Meadows, Bogs, and Fens
• No to Draining/ditching/damming
• Mow grasslands around meadows at high blade and
  limit livestock grazing
• Control encroachment

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Aquatic Habitat Types

• Permanent Wetlands
• Watch your water levels!
• Pollution in the watershed
• Buffers and roads -Mitigation

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Aquatic Habitat Types

• Small Streams, Springs, and Seepages
• Sensitive microhabitats
• Dump sites?
• Exceed state forestry BMP www.forestbmp.net
• Upland forest buffer (gt 2 tree hts._at_ 100-150
  meters)

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Aquatic Habitat Types

• Rivers
• Floodplain management 1
• Avoid exotics
• Decrease/restrict public use

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Aquatic Habitat Types

• Estuarine and Coastal
• Extremely versatile and complex systems
• Avoid disturbing during nesting (Summer)

Diamondback Terrapins
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Terrestrial Habitat Types

• Hardwood Forests
• Biomass!!!!
• Dry season timber harvest
• Fragmentation a big issue
• Leave debris
• Maintain/restore native forest cover
• Watch small openings and
  ephemeral
• pool areas

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Terrestrial Habitat Types

• Spruce and Fir Forests
• Connectivity of suitable habitats (Cheat Mtn.)
• Leave small openings
• Maintain deer populations (understory)

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Terrestrial Habitat Types

• Xeric Upland and Pine Forests
• Aquatic habitats within critical
• Minimize soil disturbance
• Fire important
• Many Reptiles

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Terrestrial Habitat Types

• Grasslands and Old Fields
• Fire!!!
• Grazing important in historical times
• Watch mowing times
• Nov. Feb.
• (ht. 12 inches)
• Native plants (NRCS)

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Terrestrial Habitat Types

• Rock Outcrops and Talus
• Fire is necessary
• Landuse monitoring
• Monitor closely
• Den site fidelity

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Terrestrial Habitat Types

• Caves and Karst
• Extremely sensitive to species specific
• Limit human activity
• Protect subterranean systems
• Buffer zones around sinkholes

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Terrestrial Habitat Types

• Agricultural Lands
• Buffer natural areas as much as possible
• All of the above
• Chemical and waste control big issue
• Fencing streams/ponds (several hundred feet)

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Terrestrial Habitat Types

• Urban and Residential
• Do the best you can
• Point source pollution
• Recognize the many concrete barriers
• Educate!!
• All of the above

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Developing a Management Plan

• Know what you have..
• Use maps and aerial photos
• Find compatibility with other wildlife and land
  management goals.
• Collaborate with experts and landowner
• Measure your success..

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The Basics Management Guidelines for all Habitat
Types

• Fence water bodies
• Mimic natural fire tendency
• Minimize chemical application
• Protect special habitat components
• Minimize soil disturbance
• Exceed state BMPs

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The Basics Management Guidelines for all Habitat
Types Continued

• Allow natural decomposition
• Wise forest management
• Minimize road construction
• Open up barriers and create connection
• Educate!!