Changes in an Amphibian Community at Powdermill Nature Reserve, Southwest Pennsylvania, Over a 37-Year Period

Abstract

Historical biodiversity datasets provide invaluable opportunities to examine changes in natural populations, especially with respect to land use and climate change. In 2020, we resurveyed the amphibian community at Powdermill Nature Reserve in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. using pitfall traps, replicating surveys that were conducted in 1982–1983. We compared species richness and abundance across the two time periods and examined the potential influence of temperature on capture rates. Species richness was relatively stable, but species composition varied across sampling periods. Most notably, the majority of captures (60.6%) in the 1980s were anurans, and the majority of captures (91.2%) in 2020 were salamanders. Anuran captures peaked earlier in 2020 compared to the 1980s, and salamander captures peaked later in the season, but capture rate was not significantly related to temperature for either group. Shifts in relative abundance should be examined further to determine if these represent temporary or permanent changes.