The UTC Graduate School is pleased to announce that Erin Gaylord will present Master’s research titled, DEVELOPING A PREDICTIVE GEOSPATIAL HABITAT MODEL FOR A RARE SPECIES OF SALAMANDER IN TENNESSEE: A CASE STUDY FOR THE GREEN SALAMANDER (ANEIDES AENEUS) on 05/19/2023 at 2:00pm-4:00pm in Holt 225. Everyone is invited to attend.
Environmental Science
Chair: Thomas P. Wilson
Co-Chair:
Abstract:
Green Salamanders (Aneides aeneus; Cope and Packard 1881) are a secretive and cryptic species of salamander that can be relatively difficult to detect, due to their occupation of arboreal habitats. The incorporation of geospatial tools is critical in developing models that can be used to predict undocumented locations in Tennessee and elsewhere. The objectives of this study were to: (1) Analyze whether Maxent is an appropriate tool for creating a predictive habitat model. (2) Locate potential populations of A. aeneus in Tennessee, to better understand and recognize the landscape metrics for the species to be present. (3) To evaluate suitable habitats that may facilitate occupancy and to gain insight for future studies on their distribution. Sites deemed to have high habitat specificity and increased probability of occupancy were assessed and a habitat structure analysis was conducted using various data sets to evaluate model performance in the real-world.