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AMPHIBIAN SAMPLING TECHNIQUES

WFS 433/533

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1. Discuss common techniques for monitoring and marking adult amphibians

2 Discuss common techniques for monitoring and marking

GOAL OF THE LECTURE

2. Discuss common techniques for monitoring and marking larval amphibians

3. Discussion of supplies needed and suggested sampling designs

4. By no means exhaustive l ist, but good starting point

Amphibian Sampling

I. What is your Objective?

LECTURE STRUCTURE

II. Sampling Methods

III. Sampling Designs

IV. Measuring & Marking

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(1) Species Occurrence

Post-metamorphs:

Call Surveys

Cover Boards

PVC Tubes

WHAT IS YOUR OBJECTIVE?

Larvae: Minnow Traps Dip Netting

-Seines, etc.PVC Tubes

Area Searches

(2) Relative Abundance, Recruitment, Movement

Post-metamorphs:

Above PLUS

Pitfall Sampling

Larvae: Above PLUS Seine Netting Enclosure Sampling

CALL SURVEYSHTTP://WWW.STATE .TN .US/T WRA/TAMP/FRPROTOC.HTML

Begin: > 30 minutes after sunset End: 1:00 am

Duration: 5 minutes

Abundance (by species): 0 = none heard1 = individuals can be counted2 = calls overlap but individuals can be

distinguished3 = calls overlap and individuals cannot be

distinguished (full chorus)

CALL SURVEY DURATIONBURTON ET AL . (2007)

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COVER BOARDS

COVERBOARDS

PVC TUBES

6.4-cm diameter

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AREA SEARCHES

RecordersTreefrog tubesCover boardsArea search

Area or Time Constrained SearchStandardize Effort

Transect vs. quadrat based

• Pros and cons for both

AREA SEARCHES

• Transects cover greater area

• Quadrats more intensive

• What may be reasons behind these designs?

PITFALL TRAPPING

Movement Interception

Redirected Movement

Capture

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DRIFT FENCE AND PITFALL DESIGNSSTRAIGHT-LINE ARRAYS

3-Fence 4-Fence

5 m 5 m

Y-Array

5 m 5 m

X -A r ra y

PITFALL TRAPSX-ARRAY

DRIFT FENCE AND TRAP DESIGNSCONTINUOUS AND PARTIAL DRIFT FENCES

Complete

Distance-SpecificMovement

Partial

Immigration/Emigration& Diel Movements

Goals: Estimate Population Size and Composition

Estimate Directional Movement

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DRIFT FENCE AND PITFALLSMATERIALS AND COSTS

•Fence ($0.35-$1.50 per meter) Aluminum Flashing Hardware Cloth Plastic/Cloth Erosion Fence

•Pitfalls ($2.50-$5.00 per bucket) Plastic Buckets (8- or 19-liter) w/ Lids #10 Tin Cans (2 fastened = 8-liter)

•Shade Covers/Sponges ($0.25-$1.50 per bucket)Wood or Pegboard Planks with Legs Synthetic Foam or Sponges

24” stakes

Fence Placement: Stratified Random or 5 m above anticipated HWL

Pitfall Placement: Every 10 m and Adjacent to Fence

DRIFT FENCE AND PITFALLSINSTALLATION

Hoe, Mattock, or Ditch Witch ($150/day) 12-inch Auger ($75/day) 12-inch Auger ($75/day) Shovels, 3-5 lb Sledges, Tape Measure, Flags ($100) Personnel (4 people: 300 m/1-2days [$250/day])

DRIFT FENCE AND PITFALLSINSTALLATION

STEP 1: Measure and Distribute Materials

STEP 2: Dig Holes and Install Buckets (top flush w/ground)

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STEP 3: Remove Vegetation and Dig Trench (3-5 inches)

DRIFT FENCE AND PITFALLSINSTALLATION

STEP 4: Install Fence STEP 5: Bury Fence

CONTINUOUS DRIFT FENCECOMPLETELY SET UP

5 m Leads

BOX TRAPSY-ARRAY

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DRIFT FENCE AND PITFALLSMAINTENANCE

Weather

Precipitation

Wind

Sun

Animals Livestock Rodents Rednecks

DRIFT FENCE AND PITFALLSOPERATION

Pitfal ls should be checked daily (before 1200 hrs)

Reduce predation, desiccation, drowning, or toxicity

Processing t ime is capture frequency dependent

15 minutes (0 captures) to 15 hours (14K) for 350 m

Processing should be continuous

Reduce Probability of Density-Induced Movement

Handling can enhance desiccation

Rehydrate prior to release (ziploc bags)

Closing Buckets (sample al ternate days)

Reduce immediate recapture

Increases temporal independence

Pitfalls: Yes or No?

Research Question (Are pitfalls necessary?)

System/Terrain (Is it realistic?)

Funding (What are the costs & benefits?)

DRIFT FENCE AND PITFALLSCONSIDERATIONS

Species-specific Biases

Differential Capture Rates

Climbing, Jumping, Digging Ability

Differential Trespass

Can be quantified

Location of Fence and Pitfalls

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General Biological Information

•Species, Age, and Gender • Snout-vent Length (SVL)• Weight• Abnormalities• Malformations, Tumors, Sores, Parasites•Batch or individual mark

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AMPHIBIAN MARKING TECHNIQUES

• Florescent Elastomers Injectable Liquid Elastomer (4 colors) $1000 Kit (1000 individuals)

• Florescent Dyes

MASS MARKING TECHNIQUESBATCH

Water resistant Dyes Poweder and Shake-and-Bake Ultraviolet Light Sensitive $12/lb (1lb/100 individuals)

• Toe-Clipping Mass-mark or uniquely ca. 2,000 individuals Rapid and Inexpensive

TOE CLIPPING PROTOCOLSTEPS

STEP 1: Sterilization 0.01 % Chlorhexidine diacetate

STEP 2: Clip First Joint of Toe

STEP 3: Stop Bleeding Silver Nitrate Sticks

STEP 4: Store DNA Ice Bath Store <-70C

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Passive Integrative Transponder (PIT) Tags

AMPHIBIAN MARKING METHODS

• Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) Tags

• $4.00 - $6.00 per tag

• Readers $500+

MS-222

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• New Antennae Technology

• Transmitters

• $160 each• Limited batteries life

Different methods Seining

Dip netting

Kick netting

Trapping

TADPOLE SAMPLING

Enclosure sampling Core (stove pipes)

Boxes

Dr. William E. MagnussonUniversity of Amazonas, Brazil

Hypsiboas geographicus

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DIP NETTING

Dip Nets

KICK NETTING

SEINE SAMPLING

Mesh size and width

1.5 to 7 mm and 1 to 1.5 m wide

Larger and small sizes can be used

Seine parallel to shore (2 m)

Quarter-haul into shore

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BOXES

CORE SAMPLING

ACTIVE SEARCH

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LARVAL SAMPLING SCHEMATIC

NATURAL HISTORY AND ECOLOGY

Monitoring

Energetics Diversity and abundance

Population size, mark recapture

DISEASES MONITORING

Chytrid fungus Ranavirus

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Additional References