Environmental factors determining growth of salamander larvae: A field study

摘要: Larval growth and survival of organisms are strongly influenced by abiotic biotic factors, as demonstrated ex- perimental studies performed under controlled laboratory or semi-natural conditions. Even if they have many advantages, periments cannot cover the full complexity natural conditions field needed for a better understanding how environmental variation determines development rate. Fire salamander Salamandra salamandra females give birth to larvae in variety habitats, both epigean subterranean. In caves, successfully grow metamorphose, but their is more than three times longer streams factors determining these differences require inves- tigation. We study understand related fire different envi- ronmental conditions, evaluating relationship between features larval caves spring habitats. Both grew. Capture-mark-recapture allowed individu- ally track individuals along whole development, measure performance. Growth rate was significantly affected variables: grew faster environments with abundant invertebrates few conspecifics. Taking into ac- count effect variables, lower caves. Food availability plays ef- fect two environments. positively sites only. The hypogeous populations salamanders slower because multiple parameters, play much stronger role ones (Current Zoology 61 (3): 421-427, 2015).