PM01 Amphibian Research and Monitoring
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Monday, 10 November 2003
(PM025) The Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative in the Upper Mississippi Region.
Sadinski, W1, Roth, M1, Monson, L1, Bloom, D1, Yahn, J1, Miracle, D2, Fanta, T2, Bourassa, S2, 1 U. S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, WI, USA2 University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, WI, USA
ABSTRACT- The Upper Mississippi Region of USGS's Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative includes 13 states in the Upper Midwest. Since 2002, we have been surveying for amphibians primarily in three areas managed by the Department of Interior: the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge Complex (Refuge), the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (Riverway), and Voyageurs National Park (Voyageurs). Our efforts in the latter two areas are part of a joint effort with the National Park Service's Inventory and Monitoring Program that also includes inventories of reptiles. We survey for amphibians in 25-ha blocks of habitat selected randomly in each management area with known areas of inference. We conduct standardized visual and call surveys in all three areas and also survey via cover boards in the Riverway and Voyageurs. As of 2003, we have located breeding sites for 9, 13, and 11 species of amphibians in the Refuge, Riverway, and Voyageurs, respectively. We have observed relatively low frequencies of mortality, deformities, and disease thus far. We are also surveying for Blanchard's cricket frog, reportedly declining in northern parts of their range, in the Refuge and other areas and began screening breeding sites for atrazine in 2003.
Key words: Upper Midwest, Amphibian Research, reptiles