Herpetofaunal Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Forested Wetlands of Southern Illinois

Andrew R. Kuhns, John A. Crawford, Christopher A. Phillips, Miles Corcoran, Michael J. Dreslik

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Amphibians and semi-aquatic reptiles depend on wetlands for all or part of their life cycle, meaning their survival is linked to wetland presence, health, and function. More than 90% of original wetlands in Illinois have been lost through various land use changes, and most remaining wetlands have been degraded. Illinois amphibians and reptiles reach their highest diversities in the wooded wetlands of southern Illinois and serve as important ecological indicators of overall wooded wetland health and function. However, the distribution, abundance, and population trends of most amphibian and reptiles are poorly understood. Thus, data are lacking to quantify any potential declines in Illinois, and rigorous and repeatable sampling methods have not been developed for most amphibian and reptiles. The objective of our project is to provide updated assessments of abundances and habitat quality for the 9 amphibian and reptile Species in Greatest Need of Conservation (SGNC) occupying southern Illinois bottomland forests.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationMidwest Fish and Wildlife Conference 2020
StatePublished - 2020

Keywords

  • INHS

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