Embryonic survivorship of the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) in roadside and woodland vernal pools in southeastern New Hampshire

Roadside wetlands are often contaminated by highway runoff; however, little is known about the impact of pollution on the organisms that use these wetlands. Most amphibians use wetlands as breeding habitats and are therefore vulnerable to aquatic pollutants. In 1995 and 1996, I conducted transplant experiments to compare the embryonic survivorship of Ambystoma maculatum in temporary woodland pools to that in roadside pools. Chemical parameters were monitored to identify differences between roadside and woodland pool environments. Failure time analysis was used to compare embryonic survival probabilities for transplant: experiments in both years. The results indicate that deicing salts heavily contaminate roadside vernal pools, Ambystoma maculatum survivorship was significantly lower in roadside pools for four of five transplants in 1995 and all transplants in 1996; Deicing salts used for highway maintenance contaminated roadside vernal pools, and are a possible factor in the reduced embryonic survival observed in these pools.