Relictual Amphibians and Old‐Growth Forests

Terrestrial and aquatic herpetofauna were sam- pled by pitfall traps, time-constrained searches, and area- constrained searches (stream sites only) over a three-year period to examine the importance of forest age to amphibi- ans and reptiles. Fifty-four terrestrial and 39 aquatic sites in Douglas-fir-dominated, mixed evergreen forests were lo- cated in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California Mean age of trees on sites ranged in age from 30 to 560 years. Thirty-one species of amphibians and reptiles were detected from the 93 localities. Only three species were found prima- rily on older forest sites: the Del Norte salamander (Ple- thodon elongatus), the Olympic salamander (Rhyacotriton olympicus), and the tailed frog (Ascaphus truei). Paleoeco- logic evidence indicates an historical association between these three amphibians and the extant elements of ancient primeval coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest. The life histories and habitat requirements of these species suggest that these forms are scarce in younger forests because the microclimatic and microhabitat conditions they require generally exist only in older forests. The long-term viability of these species in northern California and southern Oregon may depend upon developing forestry practices that protect these critical microclimates and microhabitats.