Thermal gradient schematic. Salamanders are placed inside and allowed to explore the arena and find their preferred temperature. The gradient will be created using warm and cold water that will transfer their temperatures to the copper base through the copper piping fused to the bottom of the gradient on either side. Schematic by Joshua Christiansen.
The Riley Integrative Ecology Lab at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick is currently exploring the thermal ecophysiology of urban and natural populations of eastern red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) to study whether the environmental changes associated with urbanization are changing forest ecosystems and the wildlife within them in Atlantic Canada. In particular, urbanization can cause the urban ‘heat island’ effect where ambient, soil, and water temperatures increase due to increases in paved surface areas and reduced vegetation and water surfaces that are characteristic of urban areas.
For our research, a total of 72 salamanders were collected from three urban and three natural sites and are being temporarily housed in a temperature- and humidity-controlled lab space at Mount Allison University. To assess the thermal preferences of these salamanders, researchers have built an annular (or donut shaped) enclosure with a temperature gradient along the bottom that will allow salamanders to explore the thermal environment and select the temperature they most prefer. The researchers are aiming to determine whether urban and natural salamanders prefer different temperatures, perhaps as a result of the urban heat island effect, or if there are no differences in their thermal preferences. Understanding how these salamanders react to different temperatures can reveal whether Atlantic Canada amphibians have the capacity to adapt to climate change and urbanization or if increases in temperature and urbanization may threaten the persistence of these animals in our changing world.
At the end of the experiment, the salamanders will be released at their original capture locations, and they might just tell all their salamander friends that they were simply on vacation for a while!
WPC is supporting this research by providing salary support for Jaden Sellen, a field and lab technician in the Riley Integrative Ecology Lab.
