A comparison in Colorado of three methods to monitor breeding amphibians

Northwestern Naturalist
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Abstract

We surveyed amphibians at 4 montane and 2 plains lentic sites in northern Colorado using 3 techniques: standardized call surveys, automated recording devices (frog-loggers), and intensive surveys including capture-recapture techniques. Amphibians were observed at 5 sites. Species richness varied from 0 to 4 species at each site. Richness scores, the sums of species richness among sites, were similar among methods: 8 for call surveys, 10 for frog-loggers, and 11 for intensive surveys (9 if the non-vocal salamander Ambystoma tigrinum is excluded). The frog-logger at 1 site recorded Spea bombifrons which was not active during the times when call and intensive surveys were conducted. Relative abundance scores from call surveys failed to reflect a relatively large population of Bufo woodhousii at 1 site and only weakly differentiated among different-sized populations of Pseudacris maculata at 3 other sites. For extensive applications, call surveys have the lowest costs and fewest requirements for highly trained personnel. However, for a variety of reasons, call surveys cannot be used with equal effectiveness in all parts of North America.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title A comparison in Colorado of three methods to monitor breeding amphibians
Series title Northwestern Naturalist
DOI 10.2307/3536896
Volume 81
Issue 1
Year Published 2000
Language English
Publisher Society for Northwestern Vertebrate Biology
Contributing office(s) Fort Collins Science Center
Description 9 p.
First page 22
Last page 30
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