Based out of the Wildlife Research Station, amphibian research has occurred periodically in Algonquin Park since the mid-1980s.  In 2008, Glenn Tattersall from Brock University initiated a continuous study of the salamander population. Still very active today, this research has generated an extensive body of knowledge, which may be showing us that salamanders could be key ‘canaries in the coal mine’ as it relates to the impacts of climate change on the Algonquin ecosystem.

This is the first of two episodes where I am sitting down with Patrick Moldowan from the University of Toronto’s School of the Environment and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology to share his research insights into the world of the Spotted Salamander. Patrick has just successfully defended his PHd thesis on Ecology and Sensitivity to Environmental Change of a Northern Population of Spotted Salamander. Patrick is a devoted lifelong interpretive naturalist with a special interest in herpetology and biogeography especially salamanders and turtles.  In 2015, he was named Canada’s 26th ‘New Noah’ by Wildlife Preservation Canada.  Patrick is also the Board Chair for Algonquin’s Wildlife Research Station.  For those interested in learning more about the Algonquin’s Wildlife Research Station check out www.algonquinwrs.ca.

This musical interlude is called Marshlands and comes from Dan Gibson’s Solitudes Algonquin Suite CD.   It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found where ever you get your music streaming.

Key Research References of Interest

Favot, E. J., Rühland, K. M., DeSellas, A. M., Ingram, R., Paterson, A. M., & Smol, J. P. (2019). Climate variability promotes unprecedented cyanobacterial blooms in a remote oligotrophic Ontario Lake: evidence from paleolimnology. Journal of Paleolimnology, 62(1), 31-52.  (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10933-019-00074-4?muraadminpreview&error=cookies_not_supported&code=5bff1736-2082-4895-b515-fb960cbdf5d8)

Lemieux, C. J., Scott, D. J., Gray, P. A., & Davis, R. G. 2007. Climate change and Ontario’s Provincial Parks. Towards an adaptation strategy. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Applied Research and Development Branch. Climate change research report CCRR-06. (https://files.cvc.ca/cvc/uploads/2011/02/climate-change-and-ontarios-provincial-parks-adaptation-strategy.pdf)

Moldowan, P. D., Tattersall, G. J., & Rollinson, N. (2022) Climate-associated Decline of Body Condition in a Fossorial Salamander. Global Change Biology, 28(5), 1725-1739. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.15766?casa_token=axFcXV7OJx4AAAAA%3A6geU4RawXjNJHlG8LgX12YTE9wd3s0ZP2Hio3F5w9PsWYS7wfHEoiRjP171nGvZnkOB_TrRWslNOtNgQ)

Ridgway, M., Smith, D., & Middel, T. 2018. Climate warming projections for Algonquin Provincial Park. Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Science and Research Branch. Science and research information report IR-14. (https://www.harkness.ca/wp_harkness/wp-content/uploads/SRB-IR-14-Ridgway-ClimateWarmingProjectionAPP.pdf)