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Abstract

Restoration of habitat is an important component of wildlife management. Surface coal mining has altered forest cover in the Central Appalachians, and most reclamation activities on previously mined lands result in non-native grasslands or shrub lands. The Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA), which emphasizes non-native vegetation removal, soil decompaction, planting of native trees and shrubs, and, in some cases, wetland creation represents an alternative to grassland-based reclamation that may promote forest-associated wildlife on legacy surface mines. We used automated recording units to evaluate the response of anurans to created wetlands and the FRA in Kentucky and West Virginia, USA. We used a Bayesian community occupancy model to compare species occupancy and richness across a range of wetland sizes (6.6–252 m2) and 3 site types: 1) younger FRA (1–6 yr), 2) older FRA (7–23 yr), and 3) unmined, mature forests (>100 yr). In addition, we evaluated factors influencing anuran detection probabilities. Mean occupancy and species richness in both states were highest in the younger FRA, suggesting anurans may rapidly colonize wetlands created on restored mines. In Kentucky, occupancy of several species (green frog [Lithobates clamitans], pickerel frog [L. palustris], and wood frog [L. sylvaticus]) was higher in larger created wetlands, but wetland size was not important in West Virginia. Daily minimum temperature positively influenced detection of anurans in both states, and time of day was also important for detection in West Virginia. Wetland creation and implementation of the FRA may be an important tool for wildlife managers aiming to improve anuran populations and diversity on legacy surface mines in the Central Appalachians.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Notes/Citation Information

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. © 2026 The Author(s). The Journal of Wildlife Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Wildlife Society.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70156

Funding Information

Funding for this project came from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Applied Science Grant Program (grant S21AC10048), the McIntire Stennis Capacity Grant Program (KY009040), and the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Kentucky. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the United States Government.

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