De Vuursalamander in het Zoniënwoud: een populatieschatting en toekomstperspectief.

A six year long mark recapture study based on adult female Fire Salamanders during the larval deposition period resulted in a popula-tion estimate for two brooks in the Sonian Forest. An estimated 2,000 adults live in a relatively small and isolated pocket of suitable habitat within the larger forest. Larval habitat is restricted to no more than two small rivulets and this appears to be the Achilles heel of the population. Recent droughts have caused substantial die-offs of larval cohorts due to the early drying out of the rivulets, despite small dams to retain water. Without additional management actions the future outlook is worriso-me for this population. Potential management options are discussed to increase robustness of the population. Reintroduction into other suitable areas within the forest might prove to be a suitable action if habitat and policy requirements are met.