Re: [vernalpool] cause of spotted salamander mass mortality?

Sarah Turtle, a prof. at Plymouth State in Plymouth NH, did her thesis on
salt impacts in breeding pools. I suspect her literature review would have
turned up any references along these lines. Haven't talked with her in
years, and don't have a copy of the thesis to point you to, but a quick web
search turns up an email for her at P.S.

Let us know what you find out!

Matt

On Fri, May 4, 2012 at 1:28 PM, Brett Amy Thelen <thelen@harriscenter.org>wrote:

> **
>
>
> Hello Vernal Pool listservers --
>
> I just received the following email from a knowledgeable vernal pool
> enthusiast in my area:
>
> I received some troubling news yesterday. Spoke with a friend who lives on
> a dirt road in our town. Her neighbor who lives near a wetlands right on
> the road found about 30 dead spotted salamanders by the side of the
> wetlands. I haven't spoken to the neighbor yet, but these weren't run over.
> Something else killed them, and she hypothesized that it was the calcium
> chloride that the town has put down on the road to keep the dust down. Not
> something that is usually done this time of year--more likely in the
> summer.
> I will try to get more information and hopefully, she took some pictures,
> but it's a sad thing and if the calcium chloride is the culprit, I will
> talk
> with the road agent and see if they can avoid further treatments by
> wetlands
> in town.
>
> Does anyone have any thoughts (or can you point me in the direction of any
> papers) on the potential cause of this mortality? Have you heard anything
> about the impacts of calcium chloride on adult Ambystomids? I found one
> literature review of road impacts on reptiles & amphibians (Jochimsen et
> al.
> 2004), which included a brief reference to unpublished data about mortality
> of hundreds of blue-spotted salamanders along forest roads in Minnesota;
> those salamander deaths were attributed to desiccation from calcium
> chloride. Still, I'd be interested to read more, if any of you know about
> research related to this, or have alternate theories.
>
> Thanks for any leads!
>
> Best,
> Brett
>
> -----
>
> Brett Amy Thelen, M.S.
> Program Director, Ashuelot Valley Environmental Observatory
> Harris Center for Conservation Education
> (603) 358-2065
> thelen@harriscenter.org
> www.aveo.org
>
> mailing address
> 83 King's Highway
> Hancock, NH 03449
>
> physical address
> Carroll House, Room 303
> Keene State College
> Keene, NH 03435
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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