Amphibian community monitoring at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, 2011
Smrekar BD, Byrne MW, Moore MN, Presnell AT. 2013. Amphibian community monitoring at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, 2011. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/SECN/NRDS—2013/529. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
This report summarizes amphibian community vital signs monitoring data collected at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in 2011. During 2011, visual encounter surveys (VESs) and automated recording devices (ARDs) were used to collect data at 30 spatially balanced random locations within Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield. Auditory recordings were collected from 3/14/2011 through 6/8/2011 and visual surveys were conducted from 7/9/2011 through 7/25/2011. We detected 18 amphibian species during 2011 monitoring activities. We detected anuran vocalization from eight species using the ARDs. We detected 101 post-metamorphic amphibians in 18 identifiable taxa (species or order) and 77 larval stage amphibians in four taxa during the VESs. A total of 117 vocal detections were made using the ARD recordings, where each detection represents an identifiable observation of a species or species group during one night of monitoring at a sampling location. We detected 80 reptiles and reptile signs in 15 identifiable taxa during the VESs. Spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) and Cope’s gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) had the highest frequency of occurrence at KEMO in 2011. Spring peeper had the highest relative frequency of detection of anuran vocalizations during the 77-day ARD recording period. The spotted or Northern dusky salamander (Desmognathus conanti or fuscus) had the highest relative abundance among amphibians during visual surveys. Cope’s gray treefrog was the most widely distributed amphibian, found throughout the north-south expanse of the park. Four sampling locations (SL) in the park were found to have the highest species diversity at eight (SL 8, 17, 18) or nine (SL 2) species present. The green treefrog (Hyla cinerea) and the spotted dusky salamander (Desmognathus conanti) were added to the amphibian species list at Kennesaw Mountain. Three reptiles were detected for the first time in the park and were added to the species list; smooth earth snake (Virginia valeriae), red-bellied water snake (Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster), and broad-headed skink (Eumeces laticeps). No non-native species were found.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Smrekar, Briana; Byrne, Michael; Moore, Marylou; Presnell, Aaron
- Date of Issue
- 2013-08
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- KEMO , NRSS , SECN
- Keywords
- Amphibian Monitoring