I examined the effects of fire frequency on reptile and amphibian community composition in a periodically burned sandhill habitat in west-central Florida. Plots burned in 2003 had lower species richness, diversity, and evenness indices than plots that had not been burned during the previous six years. Community composition was different among plots burned at different times and followed a gradient of change that corresponded to the time since the last fire. Aspidoscelis sexlineata were the most abundant lizards in recently burned plots, while Scincella lateralis and Plestiodon inexpectatus were relatively more abundant in unburned plots. Gopherus polyphemus were least abundant in unburned plots. Community composition among plots was correlated with mean leaf litter cover and herbaceous ground cover. Mean percent cover of leaf litter and herbaceous vegetation responded to the time since the last fire. Fire indirectly affects community composition through changes in environmental variables, such as percent coverage of leaf litter and herbaceous vegetation.Additionally, I examined annual variation in reptile and amphibian community composition over a period of four years in the mid 1980s and again in 2004. Differences existed in number of individuals captured, diversity, and evenness among years. Community composition was different between all consecutive years except 1986 and 1987. Number of individuals captured per year and annual differences in community composition were correlated with summer rainfall. The annual pattern of variation in community composition over time was no different in unburned experimental plots than in experimentally burned treatments. The power to detect such a difference is low, however, because of low replication. No apparent loss of species occurred between the 1980s and 2004, but the abundances of two non-native species were significantly higher in 2004 than in the 1980s. A third exotic species was documented at the site for the first time in 2004. Because of the increasing number of exotic reptiles and amphibians in Florida, the site is at risk of invasions of other species.

The Bachman’s sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis) is a ground-dwelling, pine-obligate species experiencing range-wide population declines due to land development and fire exclusion. We explored the effects of fire seasonality on wintering Bachman’s sparrow abundance in Southern Mississippi from 2021-2022. We used generalized linear mixed models to investigate differences in sparrow abundance and vegetation characteristics following dormant and growing season fire. We explored the effects of growing season fire on breeding territory vegetation characteristics. Our results indicate that burn type (dormant vs. growing season), native grass groundcover, and shrubs over 1m were the most significant predictors for wintering Bachman’s sparrow abundance. Additionally, native grass groundcover increased in growing season breeding territories post-fire while grass standing crop and shrubs over 1m decreased. We recommend a combination of dormant and growing season fire when feasible to promote a matrix of conditions suitable for Bachman’s sparrows throughout their life cycle in the Southeastern United States.

Cavity-nesting communities are structured by the creation of and competition for cavities as nest-sites. Viewing these communities as interconnected webs can help identify species interactions that influence community structure. This study examines cavity-nesting bird community interactions within the fire-maintained longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. In chapter 1, I provide a background review of the ecology of my study system. In chapter 2, I use nest webs to depict the flow of cavity-creation and use at Eglin. I identified 2 webs into which most species could be placed. One web contained 6 species associated with pines. The second web contained 5 species associated with hardwoods. Red-cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) and northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) created most cavities used by other species within this community. In chapter 3, I describe snag densities and nest-site selection of the cavity-nesting bird community at Eglin. Large, mature pine snags were abundant, exceeding other reported densities for southern pine forests. Pine snags were heavily-used, despite the abundance of available red-cockaded woodpecker cavities in living pine. Hardwood snags accounted for 10% of nests found, and were used by 12 of 14 species. Diameters of nest-trees and available snags were below the range of optimal nest-snag diameters reported in other studies, indicating the need for site-specific snag management guidelines. In chapter 4, I combine a study of basic ecological principles with endangered species management to examine interactions within the cavity-nesting bird community at Eglin. I used a nest web to identify a potential indirect interaction between the red-cockaded woodpecker and large secondary cavity-nesters, mediated by the northern flicker. I used structural equation modeling to test a path model of this interaction. By experimentally manipulating cavity availability, I blocked links described in the model, confirming cavity creation and enlargement as mechanisms that influence this indirect relationship. I demonstrated that a red-cockaded woodpecker cavity-management technique could disrupt this indirect relationship by affecting northern flicker behavior, and provided an empirical example of how, in interactive ecological communities, single-species management can have indirect effects on non-target species. / Ph. D.