Influence of urban land use on herpetofaunal diversity and distribution within the Rouge River Watershed, southeast Michigan, USA

Abstract

Past and present land use practices are known to affect the ecology of wetlands and their reptile and amphibian inhabitants. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of urban land use practices on herpetological diversity and species distribution within 122 wetlands along 13.0 km of the highly urbanized Rouge River watershed, located within Southeast Michigan. Adjacent land use includes residential, commercial, golf courses, and parkland. Wetland communities were characterized and mapped using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. Herpetofaunal distribution and diversity were measured using calling, visual surveys, and traps. In total, 8 amphibian and 11 reptile species were recorded during the survey period. Hydroperiod, physical barriers, habitat availability, and invasive species colonization appear to be the major limiting factors for species diversity, distribution, and abundance along this portion of the Rouge River watershed. In addition, amphibian and reptile diversity were positively correlated to greater wetland vegetative diversity. Water quality was not found to be a major contributing factor in amphibian and reptile diversity or distribution within the study area.