Coarse outcomes of prescribed fires are well-understood, but fine scale impacts on many assemblages are still unknown. When fire approaches, animals escape to unburned areas, hide in place, or are killed by fire. These represent testable hypotheses that I explore for a common treefrog species. Treefrogs are unique in their reliance on uplands and three-dimensional landscape composition, making them a great model to study prescribed fire impacts. I assessed responses of an upland flatwoods specialist, the pinewoods treefrog Dryophytes femoralis, to prescribed fire using two separate before-after-control-impact replicated field experiments in a Central Florida pine flatwoods landscape.
In Study I, I assessed fire impacts on survival and vertical movement in canopies over six months using mark-recapture, climbing equipment, and PVC pipes as treefrog refugia (76 frogs, 198 recaptures). Study II evaluated upland population responses to prescribed fires across 27 months using mark-recapture and 240 pipe refugia (1805 frogs, 1790 recaptures). Using mark-recapture analyses and mixed generalized linear models with Bayesian framework, I modeled survival, and population size. I found the prevailing mechanism for resiliency to fire for pinewoods treefrogs was refugia up pines. This finding substantiates other research that suggests structural integrity of the community is key to sustaining native biodiversity.
Outline of Studies:
Major: Conservation Biology
Educational Career:
B.S. in Biology, Rutgers University, 2012
B.S. in Mathematics, Rutgers University, 2012
Committee in Charge:
Dr. Pedro F. Quintana-Ascencio (Chair)
Dr. John Weishampel
Dr. David Jenkins
Dr. Brean Duncan (External Committee Member)
Approved for distribution by Dr. Pedro F. Quintana-Ascencio, Committee Chair, on March 22, 2023.
The public is welcome to attend.
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