Short-term effect of forest liming on eastern red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus)

Abstract

Liming, the application of calcitic materials to soil, is increasingly used in acidic, base-poor sugar maple stands of eastern North America to restore nutritional status and vigor of sugar maple trees. However, few studies have evaluated the effect of base cation addition on other components of these ecosystems. The eastern red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is one of the most abundant vertebrates in forests of eastern North America, and is commonly used as an indicator of forest disturbances. So, it is important to know how it might be affected by soil liming. This is the first study dealing with the potential direct and short-term effect of liming on amphibians of North America.Lime, in the form of CaCO3 (3Mgha−1), was added at the surface of microcosms containing a low buffered soil and forest floor from a sugar maple stand to evaluate the short-term effect of this treatment on this amphibian species. Two grades of lime were used in this study: finely ground and sandy CaCO3. Finely powdered lime was included to verify if it could clog salamander skin pores, since this could negatively affect health and growth, and consequently induce mortality. The results suggest that, even when applied in finely ground form, direct contact with lime had no short-term effect on the species’ health and survival rate. Given this, and the fact that it can be found in a wide range of soil pH conditions, the red-backed salamander is thus unlikely to be affected by the use of liming to restore acidic, base-poor sugar maple bushes. Some old liming trials carried out in forests of eastern North America could be used in the next years to verify the long-term effects of liming on this species. This should help foresters decide whether or not liming treatments are compatible with conservation, ecological and management objectives.