The 2-year study used enclosures in a Northern California forest to monitor the impact of salamanders on the leaf litter that can be found on the forest floor. At the end of the experiment, the salamander enclosures contained roughly 13% more leaf litter on average than those in enclosures without salamanders. The invertebrate samples show that the salamanders suppressed numbers of beetle and fly larvae, and beetle, ant, and springtail adults.
So what does this mean? This is over 170 pounds of extra carbon sequestered thanks to salamanders per forest acre over the course of a single rainy season - which is a lot! All in all, this research highlights the need to protect amphibians better. They are most likely facing numerous challenges and pressures, ranging from habitat destruction to climate change itself.
Photo Credit: ENN.com