Use of Amphibian Communities as Indicators of Restoration Success

Project Investigators: Kenneth G. Rice, Frank J. Mazzotti Project Personnel: Jeff Beauchamp, Hardin Waddle Project Start Date: 2004 End Date: 2008 Recent Funding: (FY07) ENP CESI, USGS GE PES, (FY05) USACE CERP/MAP, USGS GE PES Work Plans Project Summaries Metadata Publications

Summary

We will investigate survival, movement, and density, develop new methods for sampling across hydroperiod gradients, and use newly developed statistical techniques to estimate the proportion of area occupied by and to define amphibian communities.

Amphibians are present in all habitats and under all hydrologic regimes in the Everglades. The species present and the occupancy rate of a given species differ greatly across those gradients. These differences are due to hydropattern, vegetation, and other environmental factors. The combination of species composition and proportion of each habitat occupied at a given time form unique communities defined by those environmental factors. Therefore, if these communities can be reliably defined and measured, Everglades restoration success can be evaluated. This project will develop methodologies for defining and measuring the membership and area occupancy of amphibian communities. Further, we will investigate the relationship of occupancy, survival, movement probability, and density of amphibians with hydroperiod and other environmental factors. Finally, we will provide a method for measuring restoration success based on these communities.

Work Plans

• 2003
• 2004
• 2005

Project Summaries

• 2003
• 2004
• 2005
• 2006
• 2007

Metadata

• Use of Amphibian Communities as Indicators of Restoration Success (project metadata)

Publications

Abstracts

• Abundance and Diet of Rana grylio Across South Florida Wetlands (from the GEER Conference, April 2003)
• Amphibian Communities as Indicators of Restoration Success in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem (from the GEER Conference, June 2006)
• Habitat Selection and Home Range of American Alligators in the Greater Everglades (from the GEER Conference, April 2003)
• Impacts of Off-Road Vehicle Use on Wildlife in the Prairie Ecosystem of Big Cypress National Preserve (from the GEER Conference, April 2003)
• Inventory and Monitoring of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Biscayne National Park (from the GEER Conference, April 2003)
• Northern Everglades Canals: Alligator Population Sources or Sinks? (from the GEER Conference, April 2003)
• The Effects of the Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) on Native Treefrog Populations within Everglades National Park (from the GEER Conference, April 2003)
• Using Proportion of Area Occupied to Estimate Abundance of Amphibians in Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve (from the GEER Conference, April 2003)

Fact Sheets

• Use of Amphibians as Indicators of Ecosystem Restoration Success (FS-2004-3106, available from the U.S. Geological Survey website)

Posters

• Herpetofaunal Surveys of Biscayne National Park (Poster presented at the GEER Conference, April 2003)