Two students, both seeking master’s degrees in environmental science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, have spent the past couple of months researching green salamanders in the eastern part of the state.
Nicole Cobb is seeing whether popular hiking trails have a negative impact—or any impact at all—on the number of salamanders when compared to trails with fewer hikers.
Erin Gaylord created a computer model to predict where green salamanders live in Eastern Tennessee and what factors influence their habitat. She is researching how accurate that model is by heading into the woods.
In both cases, finding the critters is critical.
“When we’re out in the field, we can pick ’em up. We can’t obviously hurt them or anything. And it’s not a bring-home. It’s a release,” Cobb said.
Along with her research project, Cobb is evaluating any salamander she finds for the disease chytrid, a fungus infection that can be carried into the woods on boots and backpacks. The disease is decimating amphibians worldwide.
In Gaylord’s research, she said that her predictive computer model and real-world numbers are lining up very well. Checking at multiple locations, she said, the computer accurately predicted where more salamanders should be and where less should be.
“I’m taking various measurements at these points of the habitat,” she said. “I’m looking to see if they’re there or if they’re not there.”