I've got newts on the brain!

Every so often, a Reed biology senior is lured into the Canyon for an ecology thesis. Perhaps it is the desire to discover some secret Reed knowledge, or the appealing shimmer of stickleback fish in a minnow trap. Perhaps it is the convenient location. For me, it is the need to know where the frogs, salamanders, and snakes make their homes, how they get along, and how they feel about the restoration efforts. Reed Biology showed me the fascination of herpetology, community and restoration ecology. And after being told by many seniors last year to “study something you like — you have to do it for a year!”, I knew the Canyon would make an excellent laboratory playground.

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(submission from Mathilde Mouw, Biology Senior 2012)

So, How Are Those Newts?

Every so often, a Reed biology senior is lured into the Canyon for an ecology thesis. Perhaps it is the desire to discover some secret Reed knowledge, or the appealing shimmer of stickleback fish in a minnow trap. Perhaps it is the convenient location. For me, it is the need to know where the frogs, salamanders, and snakes make their homes, how they get along, and how they feel about the restoration efforts. Reed Biology showed me the fascination of herpetology, community and restoration ecology. And after being told by many seniors last year to “study something you like — you have to do it for a year!”, I knew the Canyon would make an excellent laboratory playground.

One semester into my thesis, I have narrowed down my study scope to the realized ecological niche of the local population of Taricha granulosa, the rough-skinned newt, that was discovered in the Canyon in 2005. I’ve crafted my methodology for a quadrat survey of adults and a dipnetting survey of aquatic larvae and I am starting to see some patterns in my data, mostly patterns that confirm that the characteristics of our local larvae fit a normal distribution. Uncovering where this species occurs in the Canyon in relation to moisture and temperature can answer a couple of important questions. If we know the requirements of the Taricha granulosa in the Canyon, we can better understand what restoration practices will create good habitat for them. Where they go once they leave their aquatic birthplace is also currently a mystery. Taricha granulosa have been known to travel a long way from their birthplace, up to 8 km, and are capable of navigating right back home. Luke Frishkoff’s 2008 thesis showed that there are migrants between Reed’s newt population and neighboring populations at Forest Park and Tualatin Park, which may provide our population with protection from local extinction. I hope to find the Taricha that remain in or return to the Canyon and help build up some scientific knowledge so we know how to keep the Canyon a healthy place for newts.

The first part of the Canyon Restoration focused on native vegetation, the second wave on fish passage. Perhaps the handful of thesis studies on amphibians will add up to evidence that focusing regular monitoring efforts on fish habitat leads to practices that benefit the whole ecosystem, terrestrial and aquatic. The theses already add up to a picture of increasing numbers of amphibian species and a positive response of Ensatina salamanders to native vegetation. They already characterize the phenology of our local Taricha granulosa, the phenology and home range of our Ensatina, and contain multiple suggestions for amphibian monitoring strategies. Using salmonids as an umbrella organism, an animal whose protection benefits all other species it in its ecosystem, may be a perfectly effective strategy for maintaining the health of the Reed College Canyon’s ecosystem. The only way to find out is to conduct scientific studies to quantify the benefits of our practices for non-salmonid species.

As a thesising Reedie ecologist my response is: challenge accepted.