Effects of prescribed fire on the herpetofauna of a southern Mississippi pine savanna

January 23, 2021

Despite the recent popularity of prescribed burns in the southeast USA, little research is available on the effects of prescribed fire on herpetofauna in the western coastal plain (Gulf Coast, USA). We assessed the effects of a restoration prescribed burn on herpetofauna and composed an inventory of amphibians and reptiles on the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GBNERR) and surrounding Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge (GBNWR), Jackson County, Mississippi. We used visual encounter surveys (VES), minnow traps, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubes to sample herpetofauna. We recorded 429 individuals and 29 species from January-June, 2004. We found greater numbers of herpetofauna in burned than unburned stands, while species diversity indices were equal between burn treatments. Our results provide the first herpetological survey of the reserve, providing a baseline for monitoring herpetofauna population and community trends.