Community occupancy of herpetofauna in roadside ditches in a managed pine landscape

摘要: Abstract Aquatic habitat types embedded in managed forest can contribute ecological services and suitable conditions for numerous species despite departing from historical baselines. Although prevalent the Atlantic Coastal Plain, roadside ditches adjacent to pine plantations have had few surveys of vertebrate diversity little is known about local landscape level effects silvicultural activities on assemblages. Our goal was investigate richness occupancy amphibians reptiles an intensively with a history alterations aquatic types, including ditching, draining, periodic maintenance optimizing loblolly (Pinus taeda) growth. We selected 15 that were maintained 3–17 years earlier matrix eastern North Carolina, USA. conducted repeated, visual encounter during 2012–2013 detected 25 447 times five statewide conservation concern. used Bayesian, hierarchical, community model group-specific hyper-parameters estimate probabilities while accounting imperfect detection. With our model, we examined time since ditch maintenance, amount nearby mature forest, wetlands occupancy. predicted would respond positively intermediate period covariates related wetlands. estimated anurans 0.9 7.4 species/ditch segment, snakes lizards 0.8 9.0 turtles 5.1 segment. Contrary predictions, herpetofauna showed no evidence relationship metrics only influenced one turtle species. Detection by season several anurans, snakes, lizards, but not turtles. results indicate forests hydrologically structurally altered silviculture support relatively diverse herpetofaunal temporal proximity effect or richness.