Checking the Status of Green Salamanders in the Georgia Blue Ridge
Disciplines
Animal Studies | Laboratory and Basic Science Research | Other Animal Sciences | Population Biology | Zoology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Green Salamanders (Aneides aeneus) are considered a “species of greatest concern” in Georgia due to habitat fragmentation, climate change, overcollection, and disease. Information about the distribution and genetic diversity within A. aeneus populations is outdated. To aid the Georgia Departmental of Natural Resources in evaluating the status of this species, we will resurvey known sites in the Georgia Blue Ridge, as well as seek out new sites using LiDAR data. We will collect non-lethal tissue samples from each population to conduct population genomic analyses to estimate divergence, gene flow, and genetic diversity.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Todd Pierson
Checking the Status of Green Salamanders in the Georgia Blue Ridge
Green Salamanders (Aneides aeneus) are considered a “species of greatest concern” in Georgia due to habitat fragmentation, climate change, overcollection, and disease. Information about the distribution and genetic diversity within A. aeneus populations is outdated. To aid the Georgia Departmental of Natural Resources in evaluating the status of this species, we will resurvey known sites in the Georgia Blue Ridge, as well as seek out new sites using LiDAR data. We will collect non-lethal tissue samples from each population to conduct population genomic analyses to estimate divergence, gene flow, and genetic diversity.