Life-History Complementarity in the Miniaturized Salamanders Desmognathus aeneus and Desmognathus wrighti

This report compares life histories and population ecologies of the miniaturized, terrestrial salamanders Desmognathus aeneus and Desmognathus wrighti in the southern Nantahala Mountains of southwestern North Carolina. The evaluation is a revision and extension of earlier studies of the species. The earlier field studies were carried out mainly from 1998 to 2001, with additional data collection through 2017. Growth curves and static life tables have been constructed from the earlier datasets. The life tables are snapshots of the population status of the two species during the sampling interval. I have included in the life tables columns that are based on parental and offspring body mass, in addition to the traditional columns based on number of individuals. It is assumed that the populations were in steady state during the sampling phases, under the premise of the equal fitness paradigm (EFP). The presence of a third species of Desmognathus, D. ocoee, in the forest habitats of the Nantahalas is seen as a complicating factor influencing the interaction of D. aeneus and D. wrighti. The results are discussed in the context of complementarity wherein two or more similar species having similar resource requirements reduce competition and persist together through differences in life-history strategies.