Effects of a Clearcut on the Herpetofauna of a 

 South Carolina Bottomland Swamp 



Joseph P. Phelps 1 



North Carolina State University 



Hardwood Research Cooperative 



Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8008 



AND 



Richard A. Lancia 



Department of Forestry 



North Carolina State University 



Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8002 



ABSTRACT — Amphibians and reptiles were trapped during summer 

 in a South Carolina bottomland swamp to assess the impacts 

 of clearcut timber harvesting. Animals were captured using drift 

 fences with pitfall traps, coverboards, and polyvinyl chloride 

 pipes which simulated treefrog habitat. Twenty-nine species (10 

 amphibians and 19 reptiles) were detected on the site. Some 

 were captured frequently enough to infer microhabitat preferences. 

 Salamanders were much more frequent in the control area than 

 in the clearcut. Other species showing preferences for the control 

 were bronze frogs (Rana clamitans), gray treefrogs (Hyla chrysoscelis), 

 and box turtles (Terrapene Carolina). Reptiles generally preferred 

 the clearcut. This was especially true of lizards and large snakes. 

 Diversities showed no significant differences between the control 

 and clearcut. Small clearcuts done on long rotations are recommended. 

 Machinery impact should be kept to a minimum, and down 

 wood and snags should be left on the site. 



Bottomland hardwood forests have been recognized for their 

 importance in floodwater and sediment retention, water quality protection, 

 timber production, and wildlife habitat (Brinson et al. 1981, Clark 

 and Benforado 1981, Harris and Gosselink 1986). At the same time, 

 these ecosystems are being lost and degraded rapidly (Turner et al. 

 1981, Rudis 1993) due in large part to fragmentation. In the South- 

 east, 75,000 acres of forested wetlands have been lost since 1982 

 (Cubbage and Flather 1993), not including acreage that was logged 

 and regenerated. These logged wetlands may temporarily lose some 

 functional value, and they contribute to fragmentation. 



1 Present address: Weyerhaeuser Company, Southern Forest Research, P.O. Box 1060, 

 Hot Springs, Arkansas 71902. 



Brimleyana 22:31-45, June 1995 31 



