USGS OFR 2007-1057 --- Rice

2007

Herpetofaunal Inventories of the National Parks of South Florida and the Caribbean: Volume IV. Biscayne National Park

By Kenneth G. Rice¹, J. Hardin Waddle¹, Marquette E. Crockett², Christopher D. Bugbee², Brian M. Jeffery², and H. Franklin Percival³

¹U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center
²University of Florida, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
³Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

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CONTENTS
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
      Site Selection
      Visual Encounter Surveys
      Anuran Vocalization Surveys
      Additional Sampling
      Data Analysis
      Results
            Acris gryllus
            Bufo marinus
            Bufo terrestris
            Eleutherodactylus planirostris
            Gastrophryne carolinensis
            Hyla cinerea
            Hyla squirella
            Osteopilus septentrionalis
            Rana grylio
            Rana sphenocephala
      Reptiles
Conclusions
Acknowledgments
References
Appendix I. Best models of proportion area occupied by species
Appendix II. Biscayne National Park website list of reptiles present in the park

Abstract

      Amphibian declines and extinctions have been documented around the world, often in protected natural areas. Concern for this alarming trend has prompted the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service to document all species of amphibians that occur within U.S. National Parks and to search for any signs that amphibians may be declining. This study, an inventory of amphibian species in Biscayne National Park, was conducted during 2002 and 2003. The goals of the project were to create a georeferenced inventory of amphibian species, use new analytical techniques to estimate proportion of sites occupied by each species, look for evidence of known stressors or problems that may lead to amphibian population decline (invasive species, disease, die-offs, and so forth), and to establish a baseline and methodology that could be used for future monitoring efforts.
      Four sampling methods were used to accomplish these goals. Visual encounter surveys and anuran vocalization surveys were conducted during 236 visits to 37 sites in all habitats throughout Biscayne National Park to estimate the proportion of sites or proportion of area occupied (PAO) by each amphibian species in each habitat. More than 100 individuals of 7 amphibian species were detected during standard sampling, and 24 individuals of 6 species of amphibians and 37 individuals of 12 species of reptiles were encountered during opportunistic collections and nighttime road surveys used to augment the visual encounter methods for more rare or cryptic species. The software PRESENCE was used to provide PAO estimates for each of the anuran species based on the visual encounter surveys and anuran vocalization data.
      Amphibian species (six native and three non-native) were documented in Biscayne National Park during this project. The PAO estimates obtained for the six most common amphibians will serve as a comparative baseline for future monitoring efforts. Although 14 non-marine reptile species were detected during this study, PAO for reptile species was not estimated because there were too few encounters during this study. The methods used in this study are adequate to produce reliable estimates of the proportion of sites occupied by most anuran species. Therefore, future sampling at regular intervals could be a cost-effective way of following amphibian occupancy trends.
      This study identified some threats to amphibians in Biscayne National Park, especially introduced species, such as the Cuban treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis), the marine or cane toad (Bufo marinus), and the greenhouse frog (Eleutherodactylus planirostris planirostris) that were collectively detected nearly three times as often as native species.

Suggested Citation:

Rice, K.G., Waddle, J.H., Crockett, M.E., Bugbee, C.D., Jeffery, B.M., and Percival, H.F., 2007, Herpetofaunal Inventories of the National Parks of South Florida and the Caribbean: Volume IV. Biscayne National Park: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1057, 65 p.

For additional information, contact:

U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
Florida Integrated Science Center
3110 SW 9th Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315
954-377-5900

Dr. Kenneth G. Rice

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