Managing the Future Status of the Shenandoah Salamander
The Shenandoah salamander is listed as an endangered salamander that is at risk of extinction due to its small, high-elevation range, competition with the co-occurring red-backed salamander, and the predicted habitat changes in the Appalachian mountain range. We are working with multiple partners to understand the current status of the species, predict future status, and continually engage stakeholders in a structured decision making process to identify management actions that will meet agency goals for the species in the future.
In many National Parks, organisms at high elevation are sensitive to changes in temperature and moisture gradients. Many species are specifically adapted to the unusual conditions typical of high elevation sites, and risk of extirpation increases if conditions change. Compounding the risk is the extraordinarily small range of many high elevation species; such is the case with the endangered Shenandoah salamander. We have surveyed the high-elevation habitat where the Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon shenandoah) occurs, described habitat, temperature, and moisture variables which relate to its distribution, and conducted experiments and observational studies to understand the role of competition and habitat change on the future distribution of the species. Along with the National Park Service, Virginia Dept of Fish and Game, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Smithsonian Institution, and the University of Virginia, the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center has conducted Structured Decision Making workshops to identify possible management strategies for the Shenandoah Salamander. To plan for any future population changes, we are using a structured decision making approach to natural resource management. This approach results in clearly defined objectives, management activities linked to these objectives, and a monitoring program designed to better predict the Shenandoah salamander’s response to environmental variation, competition with the red-backed salamander, and the response to management activities. We continue to revisit the decision over time to identify optimal management actions and decision thresholds, given projected climate forecasts. In spring 2024, National Park Service convened a panel of scientific experts to assess the current state of science for the Shenandoah salamander and establish goals and recommendations for management of this species in the next few decades. This work supports priority partners to meet agency goals of multiple uses for resources under their jurisdiction.
The Shenandoah salamander is listed as an endangered salamander that is at risk of extinction due to its small, high-elevation range, competition with the co-occurring red-backed salamander, and the predicted habitat changes in the Appalachian mountain range. We are working with multiple partners to understand the current status of the species, predict future status, and continually engage stakeholders in a structured decision making process to identify management actions that will meet agency goals for the species in the future.
In many National Parks, organisms at high elevation are sensitive to changes in temperature and moisture gradients. Many species are specifically adapted to the unusual conditions typical of high elevation sites, and risk of extirpation increases if conditions change. Compounding the risk is the extraordinarily small range of many high elevation species; such is the case with the endangered Shenandoah salamander. We have surveyed the high-elevation habitat where the Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon shenandoah) occurs, described habitat, temperature, and moisture variables which relate to its distribution, and conducted experiments and observational studies to understand the role of competition and habitat change on the future distribution of the species. Along with the National Park Service, Virginia Dept of Fish and Game, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Smithsonian Institution, and the University of Virginia, the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center has conducted Structured Decision Making workshops to identify possible management strategies for the Shenandoah Salamander. To plan for any future population changes, we are using a structured decision making approach to natural resource management. This approach results in clearly defined objectives, management activities linked to these objectives, and a monitoring program designed to better predict the Shenandoah salamander’s response to environmental variation, competition with the red-backed salamander, and the response to management activities. We continue to revisit the decision over time to identify optimal management actions and decision thresholds, given projected climate forecasts. In spring 2024, National Park Service convened a panel of scientific experts to assess the current state of science for the Shenandoah salamander and establish goals and recommendations for management of this species in the next few decades. This work supports priority partners to meet agency goals of multiple uses for resources under their jurisdiction.