To test the effects of habitat disturbance within small watersheds on the aquatic biota in these streams I sampled for relative abundance of salamanders in eight streams around Davidson, North Carolina. Stream salamanders provide a good model organism for this study because they constitute much of the animal biomass of stream-side habitats in this area and play an important role in trophic transfer and energy flow in these ecosystems (Petranka and Murray, 2001). In addition, because they have permeable skin and utilize both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, salamanders are particularly susceptible to disturbance (Vitt et al. 1990).

Salamanders were sampled as follows:

Two one-week sessions of funnel trapping per stream

During each session, 12 funnel traps were set in the stream and were checked every other day.

Two 30-minute dipnetting sessions per stream

Species Captured:

Desmognathus fuscus - Northern Dusky Salamander

Adults		Larvae

Eurycea cirrigera - Southern Two-Lined Salamander

Adults		Larvae

Pseudotriton ruber - Red Salamander

Larvae

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