Article Summary
In southern California, adult California newts (Taricha torosa)have been found to frequently cannibalize both larvae and egg masses. In turn, for those adult newts that remain in the stream pools after breeding, conspecifics have become one of their main sources of prey in the chaparral stream pools of the Santa Monica Mountains. This study was undertaken to examine whether wildfire-induced sedimentation would provide an alternative prey, such as earthworms, and modify interactions between life stages of T. torosa.A diet analysis, field surveys, and a laboratory experiment provided observations and data for this study. For the diet analysis and field surveys, three sites were studied: Cold Creek Canyon, which was burned in 1993, and Newton Creek Canyon and Trancas Creek Canyon, which were unburned sites and served as controls. Adult newts were collected during the spring and summe
r of 1992-1996 from Cold Creek and during 1995 from Trancas Creek for diet analysis. A water lavage was used to collect the stomach contents, which were then examined by microscope. In addition, both burned and unburned sites were surveyed and monitored for the availability of both earthworms and conspecifics. In the laboratory experiment, a gravitational flow-through system was used to examine the behavioral responses of larval newts to chemical cues of both adult newts and earthworms. Previous studies had determined that larval newts hid from chemical cues of the adult newts. Kerby, L.J. and L.B. Kats. 1998. Modified interactions between salamander life stages caused by wildfire-induced sedimentation. Ecology, 79:740-745. Through diet analysis, it was found that most of the stomach samples of the adult newts contained conspecifics, earthworms, beetles, and mayflies. Stomach sam
Some common words found in the essay are:
Trancas Creek, Cold Creek, Monica Mountains, , Creek Canyon, LB Kats, adult newts, diet analysis, cold creek, larvae egg masses, larvae egg, creek canyon, trancas creek, unburned sites, egg masses, analysis field surveys, cues adult newts, laboratory experiment, stomach samples, diet analysis field, larvae attempt hide,
Approximate Word count = 601
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)
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