Effects Of Sedimentation On Aquatic Salamander Larvae In Small Streams In The Southern Appalachian Mountains

Sediment is a common water pollutant in the United States and has negative effects on macroinvertebrates, fish, and stream-dwelling amphibians. However, the effect of sedimentation on lotic salamanders in the southern Appalachian Mountains has received little study, and few studies have evaluated how sedimentation produces declines in the abundance of salamanders. Between 2003 and 2004 I conducted a study in headwater streams of northwestern North Carolina to determine the effect of sedimentation on the abundance of salamander larvae . . . The evaluation of how sedimentation causes declines in larvae salamander abundance deserves further attention . . . The prevalence of sediment pollution in headwater streams of northwestern North Carolina poses a threat to populations of salamander species with aquatic life stages.