M. Kevin Hamed
Ph.D. Candidate
Research
Amphibians are suffering population
declines and extinctions worldwide.
Disease, climate change, habitat loss, and exotic species are potential
causes of these declines. My research will
focus on two categories of anthropogenic factors that could impact amphibian
populations: (1) effects of long-term climate change and heavy metal
deposition, and (2) seasonal maintenance of power line right-of-ways.
High elevation mountain peaks in the southern Appalachian Mountains are known for many species of unique flora and fauna. In particular, southern Appalachia is an epicenter of salamander evolution and a hotspot for plethodontid biodiversity. Long-term changes in climate and atmospheric deposition of heavy metals are potential threats to high-elevation salamanders. In addition, occurrence of these stressors could impact the likelihood of pathogen emergence. Information is needed on the effects of stressors on plethodontid salamanders and their impacts on prevalence of endemic pathogens.
My
study is being conducted on the Mount
Rogers National Recreation Area (NRA) in southwest Virginia. Whitetop Mountain and Mt. Rogers are the two
highest peaks in Virginia, each climbing over 5,500 feet. Three salamander species listed as “special
concern” (Weller’s, Pygmy, and Yohanlossee) reach the northern extent of their
range on these mountains. From 1958 –
1991, Dr.
James Organ (retired professor and chair, City College, New York) studied
the distribution of salamanders in this region (Ecological Monographs
31:189-220). His data set included
salamander distributions along elevational transects at 100-ft intervals. In addition, thousands of museum specimens
were collected.
The objectives of this study are:
1. Quantify
changes in the elevational distributions of salamanders along the same
transects surveyed by Dr. Organ.
2. Quantify
current mercury and lead concentrations in salamanders and compare levels with
those collected in the 1950s from the same locations.
3. Quantify the
current and historic prevalence of the emerging pathogen Ranavirus in Mount Rogers NRA salamander populations.
In addition, regional high school students will assist
in data collection to provide a unique case-based learning project.
Collaborators: U.S.
Forest Service (Mount Rogers National Recreation Area) and Virginia Department of Game and Inland
Fisheries
Funding: National Science Foundation and Virginia Tech
Prep Consortium
The distribution of four-toed
salamanders throughout the eastern United States is patchy with many disjunct
populations. The Tennessee Wildlife
Resource Agency considers the four-toed salamander as a species “in need of
management.” This species breeds in
forested wetlands, which have decreased in availability due to conversion to
agriculture and river channelization.
Power line right-of-ways (ROW) frequently traverse four-toed salamander
habitat. Natural depressions in power
line ROWs may function as ecological sinks.
Different ROW maintenance techniques (e.g., annual versus less frequent
mowing) also may impact salamanders differently. Information is needed on the nesting success
and recruitment of four-toad salamanders in power line ROWs, and the effects of
different maintenance techniques.
This
study will be conducted on land owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority
associated with the South
Holston Dam. Power lines leaving the
dam cross four-toed salamander nesting habitat.
The power line ROW has been mowed historically every 5 years to maintain
vegetation height yet annual mowing is common in other areas. My research will determine the effects of
mowing frequency on the quality of four-toed salamander nesting habitat, and
will establish best management practices for ROW management for salamanders.
The objectives of this study are:
1. Quantify
fecundity and nest success between nests laid in the power line ROW and
adjacent forested habitat.
2. Quantify
differences in larval success in annual, 5-year, and forested treatment plots
using experimental mesocosms.
3. Determine if
differences exist in the prevalence of Ranavirus
in four-toed salamanders nesting in forested versus power line habitats.
Collaborators: Tennessee Wildlife Resource
Agency and Tennessee Valley Authority
Funding: Tennessee
Wildlife Resource Agency
Personal
Hello!
I was born and raised in Bristol,
Tennessee, known for NASCAR
Short-track Racing. I graduated from
Tennessee Technological University
with a B.S. in Biology in 1995. From
1995 to 2003, I was the Nature Center Manager for Steele Creek Park. During my employment, I received a M.S. in
Biology from East Tennessee
State University. My research
focused on the life history of the Tennessee Dace (Phoxinus tennesseensis), and was conducted under Dr. Fred Alsop and
Dr. Tom Laughlin. For the past
5 years, I have instructed General Biology I & II and Coastal Ecology at Virginia Highlands Community College
(VHCC). In an interest to further my
education and improve research and teaching skills, I started my Ph.D. in
summer 2008. My professional interests
include Southern Appalachian amphibians, shrews, and fish. My wife (Misty) and I reside in Bristol, and
I continue to instruct at VHCC while pursuing my doctorate.
Contact Information
Email: khamed@vhcc.edu
Phone: (276) 739-2431
UT Department of
Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries