Biologists in the US have discovered the number and physical condition of woodland salamanders can be linked to a forest’s ecosystem recovery.
The study demonstrated that when woodland salamanders are found in abundance, it indicates a healthy forest that has undergone ecological advancement and ecosystem recovery.
The researchers examined two species of woodland salamanders across four stages of tree development at Mill Creek, a disturbed old-growth redwood forest in northern California.
The world’s old-growth forests are rapidly diminishing, but are vital for sequestering carbon pollution and supporting diverse ecosystems.
Read more at USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station