Differential responses of amphibian and reptile assemblages to size of riparian buffers within managed forests

Streamside management zones (i.e., riparian buffers; SMZs) are commonly implemented within managed forests to protect water quality but may also provide habitat for riparian‐associated wildlife. Yet, little research has rigorously addressed the value of SMZs for wildlife, particularly for cryptic species such as amphibians and reptiles. Previous studies of herpetofauna within SMZs have focused on one or a few stream‐associated species, and questions remain regarding variation among species or guilds and what role SMZs serve toward conservation of herpetofaunal diversity in managed forests. However, recent statistical advances have improved our ability to analyze large multi‐species presence–absence data sets, accounting for low detection rates typical for some herpetofaunal species. Our study represents an extensive landscape‐scale examination of herpetofaunal communities within SMZs using a multi‐species occupancy approach. We conducted four replicate surveys at 102 headwater streams, spanning a gradient of SMZ widths and adjacent forest stand ages, within the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, USA. We used a hierarchical Bayesian community occupancy model to estimate species richness and species‐specific occupancy responses to SMZ and overstory characteristics, accounting for variation in occupancy and detection attributable to site and sampling covariates. We documented high richness (37 species) within SMZs. Across the herpetofaunal community, occupancy and species richness were consistently positively associated with SMZ width, with maximum predicted richness of 30 species occurring at sites with buffers extending 51 m on either side of the stream. However, we documented considerable variation among groups and species within groups, underscoring the potential for different responses to forest management among taxa. Reptile predicted richness increased more rapidly up to SMZs of ~35 m, whereas maximum salamander predicted richness was not seen until an SMZ width of 55 m. Estimated salamander richness was highest within SMZs embedded in mature managed pine stands and was higher in SMZs comprised of a deciduous or mixed overstory vs. a pine overstory. Compared to salamanders, more anuran species showed high mean estimated occupancy (>75%) at narrower SMZs (<30 m). Collectively, our results indicate that SMZs surrounding small first‐order streams in intensively managed forests not only protect water quality, but also can support diverse amphibian and reptile communities. Data are available from Figshare: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.9233633.v1 Please