Spotted Salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum, are a widely distributed pond-breeding amphibian that spends an estimated 95% of its life in woodlands surrounding breeding ponds. Their terrestrial ecology remains poorly understood. Few studies have tracked the movement patterns of Spotted Salamanders, and they have given limited information on fine scale patterns. Studies of distribution around vernal pool environments have brought increased attention to their terrestrial ecology. To this end I tracked a sample of Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tagged animals with a Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID). Quadrat-variance methods and a Poisson distribution were used to analyze spatial distribution patterns over 2 years. The home range size of 10 Spotted Salamanders was calculated using the revised minimum area method. A clumped distribution was found at larger spatial scales, except in the first year of the study. Home range size was shown to be limited and highly variable among 10 individuals (Mean=4.29m2, Standard Deviation=6.25).
","abstract_html":"<p>Spotted Salamanders, <em>Ambystoma maculatum</em>, are a widely distributed pond-breeding amphibian that spends an estimated 95% of its life in woodlands surrounding breeding ponds. Their terrestrial ecology remains poorly understood. Few studies have tracked the movement patterns of Spotted Salamanders, and they have given limited information on fine scale patterns. Studies of distribution around vernal pool environments have brought increased attention to their terrestrial ecology. To this end I tracked a sample of Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tagged animals with a Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID). Quadrat-variance methods and a Poisson distribution were used to analyze spatial distribution patterns over 2 years. The home range size of 10 Spotted Salamanders was calculated using the revised minimum area method. A clumped distribution was found at larger spatial scales, except in the first year of the study. Home range size was shown to be limited and highly variable among 10 individuals (Mean=4.29m<sup>2</sup>, Standard Deviation=6.25).</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ledford, Dale Patrick"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS (Master of Science)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:14Z","subjects":["Ambystoma","Spatial Distribution","RFID","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Life Sciences","Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1310","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ledford, Dale Patrick"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["1990-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2011-05-01T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS (Master of Science)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Ambystoma","Spatial Distribution","RFID","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Life Sciences","Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2501/viewcontent/LedfordD021611f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1310"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Spotted Salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum, are a widely distributed pond-breeding amphibian that spends an estimated 95% of its life in woodlands surrounding breeding ponds. Their terrestrial ecology remains poorly understood. Few studies have tracked the movement patterns of Spotted Salamanders, and they have given limited information on fine scale patterns. Studies of distribution around vernal pool environments have brought increased attention to their terrestrial ecology. To this end I tracked a sample of Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tagged animals with a Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID). Quadrat-variance methods and a Poisson distribution were used to analyze spatial distribution patterns over 2 years. The home range size of 10 Spotted Salamanders was calculated using the revised minimum area method. A clumped distribution was found at larger spatial scales, except in the first year of the study. Home range size was shown to be limited and highly variable among 10 individuals (Mean=4.29m2, Standard Deviation=6.25).
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Spatial Ecology of the Spotted Salamander Ambystoma maculatum During the Nonbreeding Season."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Ledford, Dale Patrick"],"dc:date.available":["1990-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2011-05-01T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Spotted Salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum, are a widely distributed pond-breeding amphibian that spends an estimated 95% of its life in woodlands surrounding breeding ponds. Their terrestrial ecology remains poorly understood. Few studies have tracked the movement patterns of Spotted Salamanders, and they have given limited information on fine scale patterns. Studies of distribution around vernal pool environments have brought increased attention to their terrestrial ecology. To this end I tracked a sample of Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tagged animals with a Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID). Quadrat-variance methods and a Poisson distribution were used to analyze spatial distribution patterns over 2 years. The home range size of 10 Spotted Salamanders was calculated using the revised minimum area method. A clumped distribution was found at larger spatial scales, except in the first year of the study. Home range size was shown to be limited and highly variable among 10 individuals (Mean=4.29m2, Standard Deviation=6.25).
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2501/viewcontent/LedfordD021611f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1310"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["Ambystoma","Spatial Distribution","RFID","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Life Sciences","Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology"],"dc:title":["Spatial Ecology of the Spotted Salamander Ambystoma maculatum During the Nonbreeding Season."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS (Master of Science)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:14Z"}