Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for October–December 2025
Studying Timber Harvest Effects on Green Salamanders and Their Micro-climate by Lori Williams, Western Region Amphibian Biologist
S ince 2021, staff and partners with the U.S. Forest Service (Nantahala National Forest) and more recently with Tangled Bank Conservation, have conducted research in Jackson County on effects of timber harvest on state threatened Green Salamanders ( Aneides aeneus ) and their rock outcrop habi- tats. It is well known that Green Salamanders thrive in mature forests and require rock outcrops that are shaded, cool, humid, and have trees and shrubs nearby that maintain this microclimate and that they can climb for shelter, foraging, and dispersal. A timber harvest that does not protect, or buffer, Green Salamander sites could have detrimental effects on those habitats by extreme shifts in environmental conditions and loss of surrounding woody stems. Thus, the main goal of this long-term study is to investigate potential buffer widths, or unharvested forest patches surrounding rock outcrops, needed to maintain microclimate and other habitat conditions so the local Green Salamander population can persist over time, especially in the early years after a mature forest is cut. For our research, examples of field methods we have used include: moni- toring salamander presence in multiple searches of rock outcrops per spring and fall season; recording microclimate conditions at rock habitats; and, deploying Maxim Hygrochron™ iButton® data loggers affixed to leave trees (i.e., unharvested, mature trees that will provide seedlings for regeneration). These data logger stations are placed at various intervals and proceed in a transect from outside of the timber cuts, running toward the center of the units, to simulate different buffer sizes for Green Salamander habitats. The stations start at known Green Salamander rock outcrops, and data loggers are programmed to record ambient conditions hourly, such as air temperature (ºC) and air relative humidity (%). Staff were unable to visit the study sites in late 2024 and early 2025 due to the timber harvest occurring, along with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. However, in November 2025, the first fall season post-harvest, staff and part- ners resumed repeated monitoring of Green Salamanders, data collection, and maintenance of the data loggers. Partners with Tangled Bank Conserva- tion documented 5 new Green Salamander rock outcrops in or on the edge of the timber units and a sixth site nearby. One of the new sites was a very small rock outcrop, likely a temporary or transitory habitat for a Green Salamander, and a site that will be interesting to monitor over time. It was near the middle of one of the timber units, in full sun, and buried in downed slash. Currently in the post-harvest phase of the project, staff and partners will continue to monitor these new sites and all the, now, 28 known rock outcrops where Green Salamanders have been found in or around these timber units. Before 2021 and during planning for this project, we only knew of 5 Green Salamander sites there. Documenting all these new sites in recent years has already made one aspect of this project a success.
LORI WILLIAMS/NCWRC
LORI WILLIAMS/NCWRC
AIDEN PHILLIPS AND RIAN BURRIS/TANGLED BANK CONSERVATION
Top: A new Maxim™ Hygrochron iButton® data log- ger (silver disc in black fob) inside homemade, plas- tic housing and attached to trees; it is programmed to record air temperature ( º C) and relative humidity (%) hourly. Middle: Downloading air temperature ( º C) and relative humidity (%) data from an iButton®. Bot- tom: An adult Green Salamander ( Aneides aeneus ), state threatened species, out on rock ledge; found during fall 2025 monitoring.
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