Amphibian Monitoring Protocol: Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network

Casper, Gary; Beever, Erik

The National Park Service’s (NPS) Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network (GLKN) has developed a prioritized list of indicators, termed ‘Vital Signs,’ for monitoring long-term ecosystem health in nine NPS units in the Great Lakes ecoregion (Route 2004). This amphibian monitoring protocol is one of several protocols that GLKN intends to implement under the umbrella of an overall monitoring plan (Route and Elias 2007). Amphibians were initially considered for monitoring under a combined Amphibians and Reptiles Vital Sign. Because of differences in methods for monitoring both taxonomic groups and constrained funding and logistics, we decided to focus on amphibians initially with the intention of adding reptiles as the GLKN monitoring program matures. Implementation of a viable, long-term monitoring program will be improved by partnering with other agencies, NGOs and universities around the Great Lakes region. As much as possible, implementation of this amphibian monitoring protocol will be a collaborative effort between the GLKN, the Upper Mississippi Region (UMR) of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) Terrestrial Wetland Global Change Research Network (TWGCRN; Muths et al. 2006), and the proposed Lake Superior Basin Herpetological Monitoring Program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO). In addition, state departments of natural resources in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin use variations of the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program protocol (NAAMP; Weir and Mossman 2005). Similarly, the Marsh Monitoring Program is a joint Canada/USA effort to monitor amphibian populations around the Great Lakes (Crewe et al. 2006). The U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service use variations of the NAAMP protocol to monitor amphibian populations on national forests and wildlife refuges in the region. The sampling designs and methods described in this protocol are based upon our experiences surveying amphibians in the western Great Lakes region, and many fruitful discussions on practicality and statistical inference with Network staff. We have conducted surveys in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (APIS), Isle Royale National Park (ISRO), Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (PIRO), Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE), Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS), St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (SACN), Voyageurs National Park (VOYA), the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (Moquah Barrens, Bayfield County), Lake Superior Provincial Park (Ontario), the Thunder Bay region (Ontario), the Ottawa National Forest (western Upper Michigan) and throughout Wisconsin (Casper 2001a, 2001b, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010a, 2010b; Bowen and Beever 2008; Casper and Anton 2008; Casper and Graff 2009; Hecnar and Casper 2009; Sadinski and Roth 2009). Conducting those surveys enabled us to test the survey methods we recommend in this protocol in a variety of habitats and conditions. Guiding principles for survey method selection for this protocol were, a) maximizing detection probabilities, b) minimizing cost, c) practicality (in terms of non-experts being able to conduct surveys with minimal training, and practical logistics), and d) potential for partnering (in terms of using standard methods in widespread use to allow for data sharing) – all while meeting rigorous scientific standards for statistical power.

Amphibian Monitoring Protocol: Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network

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