Impacts of Active Oil Pumps and Deer Feed Plots on Amphibian and Reptile Assemblages in a Floodplain

Abstract

Abstract Floodplain forests are among the most threatened habitats in North America. We used the richness, abundance and diversity of amphibians and reptiles to assess the effects of habitat modifications at the Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area (OSBWMA) in Smith County, Texas, USA. Amphibians and reptiles were surveyed using artificial cover objects and minnow traps at nine ephemeral pools: three in undisturbed bottomland forest, three in deer food plots and three near active oil pumps. A total of 627 amphibians and reptiles representing 31 species was captured. Undisturbed forest plots sustained a higher amphibian richness compared to food and oil pump plots. Amphibian abundance differed significantly among habitats with food plots having the highest and oil pump plots the lowest. Reptile abundance was not significantly different among habitat types neither was reptile richness following rarefaction correction. Overall, each habitat type had similar Simpson's diversity indices, ranging from 0.8...