title: Some water chemistry parameters of breeding habitats of the Caucasian salamander, Mertensiella caucasica in the Western Lesser Caucasus.
abstract: Selection of breeding habitat plays a fundamental role in the reproductive success of urodeles and anurans. We studied the influence of water chemistry variables on the selection of a specific water resource as breeding habitat in Mertensiella caucasica. To determine the influence of water chemistry parameters on their habitat selection, we surveyed a total of 45 small river, streams and brooks in the Western Lesser Caucasus (northeastern Turkey and southwestern Georgia). The water samples taken from these localities were analyzed for 14 chemical variables and the results submitted to multiple logistic regression analysis in order to evaluate the influence of these parameters on the presence or absence of the species in the localities. Of these parameters, chloride concentration influenced the breeding habitat selection of Mertensiella caucasica significantly.
authors.affiliation: Ege University, Department of Zoology, Bornova-Izmir, Turkey. ferah.sayim@ege.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ferah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sayim
authors.forename: Eyup
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Başkale
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tarkhnishvili
authors.forename: Uğur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kaya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D002712:Chlorides / Q000032:analysis; D017753:Ecosystem; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005846:Georgia (Republic); D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007814:Larva; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D012455:Salamandridae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D008903:Minerals; D010100:Oxygen