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1290 record(s) found.

Data Release Chloride in water, metals in sediment and amphibian tissues and amphibian capture information from wetlands in the Williston Basin of Montana and North Dakota, 2015-2017: U.S. Geological Survey data release

Authors: Kelly L Smalling; Blake R Hossack; R K Honeycutt; Chauncey W Anderson; I M Cozzarelli,

Date: 2018

Data release for data collected from Prairie Pothole wetlands.

Data Release Data release for manuscript IP-083575, Robert Fire Montana Tailed Frog Data_2001-2015

Authors: Blake R Hossack

Date: 2015

Data release for manuscript summarizing responses of Rocky Mountain Tailed Frogs to the 2003 Robert Fire in Glacier National Park.

Data Release Amphibian acoustic data from the Arizona 1, Pinenut, and Canyon breccia pipe uranium mines in Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey data release

Authors: J E Hink,; Blake R Hossack; R K Honeycutt

Date: 2017

Data release for acoustic monitoring of amphibians at 3 mine sites.

Papers & Reports Survival estimates for the invasive American Bullfrog

Authors: P E Howell; Erin Muths; Brent H Sigafus; Blake R Hossack

Outlet: Amphibia-Reptilia

We used five years of capture mark-recapture data to estimate annual apparent survival of post-metamorphic bullfrogs in a population on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in their invaded range in Arizona, U.S.A.

News & Stories Race to save rare California frog beats coronavirus lockdown

Authors: Dam Nguyen

April 09, 2020

This week in the Los Angeles Times, ARMI biologists and Mexican biologists are highlighted in their effort to translocate eggmasses of the endangered California Red-legged Frog from San Pedro Martir range to the Santa Rosa Plateau and Santa Ana Mountains. Full article is available here: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-04-09/scientists-beat-coronavirus-lockdown-to-save-rare-california-frog

The official press release by the The San Diego Natural History Museum also covers this project (in which they play an important role): https://www.sdnhm.org/pressroom/pressroom_details/california-red-legged-frogs-returned-to-historic-range-in-southern-california/37/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_term=035dad5c-1a08-40c5-b9af-94bd2ecc5a17&utm_content=&utm_campaign=usgs

We also earned a spot on the USGS Facebook page which can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/USGeologicalSurvey/posts/3034689379910358

Papers & Reports Estimating inundation of small waterbodies with sub-pixel analysis of Landsat imagery: long-term trends in surface water area and evaluation of common drought indices

Authors: I Sall; Christopher J Jarchow; Brent H Sigafus; Lisa A Eby; M J Forzley; Blake R Hossack

Outlet: Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation

Small waterbodies are numerically dominant in many landscapes and provide several important ecosystem services, but automated measurement of waterbodies smaller than a standard Landsat pixel (https://0.09 ha) remains challenging. To further evaluate sub-Landsat pixel techniques for estimating inundation extent of small waterbodies (basin area: https://0.06 – https://1.79 ha), we used a partial spectral unmixing method with matched filtering applied to September 1985–2018 Landsat 5 and 8 imagery from southern Arizona, USA. We estimated trends in modeled surface water area each September and evaluated the ability of several common drought indices to explain variation in mean water area. Our methods accurately classified waterbodies as dry or inundated (Landsat 5: 91.3%; Landsat 8: 98.9%) and modeled and digitized surface water areas were strongly correlated (R2 = https://0.70 – https://0.92; bias = -https://0.024 – -https://0.015 ha). Estimated surface water area was best explained by the 3-month seasonal standardized precipitation index (SPI03; July?September) and. We found a wide range of estimated relationships between drought indices (e.g., SPI vs. Palmer Drought Severity Index) and estimated water area, even for different durations of the same drought index (e. g., SPI01 vs SPI12). Mean surface area of waterbodies decreased by ~14% from September 1985 to September 2018, which matched declines in annual precipitation in the area and is consistent with broader trends of reduced inundation extent based on larger waterbodies. Estimated of surface water area and trends over time were also consistent when we limited analyses to waterbodies ? https://0.04 ha or those that varied most in size (based on CV). These results emphasize the importance of understanding local systems when relying on drought indices to infer variation in past or future surface water dynamics. Several challenges remain before widespread application of sub-pixel methods is feasible, but our results provide further evidence that partial spectral unmixing with matched filtering provides reliable measures of inundation extent of small waterbodies.

News & Stories Annotated bibliography of grazing effects on amphibians and their habitats

Authors: Jennifer C Rowe

March 20, 2020

Livestock grazing is one of the most common land uses in the western United States, where multiple amphibians of conservation concern use habitats that are grazed. Despite the common intersection of grazing and sensitive amphibian species, there are very few reviews of research related to the issue. USGS researchers compiled and summarized literature pertaining to livestock grazing effects on amphibians and their habitats, with an emphasis on wetland-breeding species in the western United States. Users of the annotated bibliography can utilize an integrated search tool with user-defined criteria to query records and output results. This tool aids users in synthesizing research related to a range of specific questions and should assist land managers in evaluating and implementing grazing while maintaining habitat for wetland amphibians.

You can find the search tool here: https://doi.org/10.5066/P9GGPPF7

News & Stories Honoring the late Gary Fellers

Authors: Dam Nguyen

March 19, 2020

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Dr. Gary Fellers, researcher emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey, passed away last month after a 40-year career as an ecologist with the USGS Western Ecological Science Center and the National Park Service. He was a pioneer in herpetology – the study of amphibians and reptiles – and helped bring to light the worldwide decline of amphibians. Dr. Fellers was one of the Principal Investigators for ARMI. To download his obituary that was published in Herpetological Review, please visit: https://armi.usgs.gov/docs/Gary_Fellers_obit_in_HR.pdf

Data Release Annotated bibliography of grazing effects on amphibians and their habitats (ver. 2.0, February 2022)

Authors: Jennifer C Rowe; Christopher A Pearl; Michael J Adams; Brome McCreary

Date: 2022-02-10 | Outlet: Science Base

Papers & Reports A Synthesis of Evidence of Drivers of Amphibian Decline

Authors: Evan HC Grant; David AW Miller; Erin Muths

Outlet: Herpetologica

ABSTRACT:—Early calls for robust long-term time series of amphibian population data are now being realized after 25 years of focused research. Inference from individual studies and locations have contributed to a basic consensus on drivers of these declines. Until recently there were no large-scale syntheses of long-term time series to test hypotheses about the generality of factors driving population dynamics at broad spatial scales. Through the U.S. Geological Survey Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis, we brought together a group of scientists to elucidate mechanisms underlying amphibian declines in North America and Europe. We used time series of field data collected across dozens of study areas to make inferences with these combined data using hierarchical and spatial models. We bring together results from four syntheses of these data to summarize our state of knowledge of amphibian declines, identify commonalities among the results that suggest further avenues of study, and suggest a way forward in addressing amphibian declines – by looking beyond specific drivers to how to achieve stability in remaining populations. The common thread of these syntheses is that declines are real but not ubiquitous, and that multiple factors drive declines but the relative importance of each factor varies among species, populations and regions. We also found that climate is an important driver of amphibian population dynamics. However, the sensitivity to change varies among species in ways unlikely to explain overall rates of decline. Thirty years after the initial identification of a major catastrophe for global biodiversity, the scientific community has empirically demonstrated the reality of the problem, identified putative causes, provided evidence of their impacts, invested in broader scale actions, and attempted meta-analyses to search out global drivers. We suggest an approach that focuses on key demographic rates that may improve amphibian population trends at multiple sites across the landscape.

Papers & Reports A Synthesis of Evidence of Drivers of Amphibian Declines

Authors: Evan HC Grant; David AW Miller; Erin Muths

Outlet: Herpetologica xx: xxx-xxx

ABSTRACT: Early calls for robust long-term time series of amphibian population data, stemming from discussion following the first World Congress of Herpetology, are now being realized after 25 yr of focused research. Inference from individual studies and locations have contributed to a basic consensus on drivers of amphibian declines. Until recently there were no large-scale syntheses of long-term time series data to test hypotheses about the generality of factors driving population dynamics at broad spatial scales. Through the U.S. Geological Survey’s Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis, we brought together a group of scientists to elucidate mechanisms underlying amphibian declines in North America and Europe. We used time series of field data collected across dozens of study areas to make inferences with these combined data using hierarchical and spatial models. We bring together results from four syntheses of these data to summarize our state of knowledge of amphibian declines, identify commonalities that suggest further avenues of study, and suggest a way forward in addressing amphibian declines—by looking beyond specific drivers to how to achieve stability in remaining populations. The common thread of the syntheses is that declines are real but not ubiquitous, and that multiple factors drive declines but the relative importance of each factor varies among species, populations and regions. We also found that climate is an important driver of amphibian population dynamics. However, the direction and magnitude of sensitivity to change vary among species in ways unlikely to explain overall rates of decline. Thirty years after the initial identification of a major catastrophe for global biodiversity, the scientific community has empirically demonstrated the reality of the problem, identified putative causes, provided evidence of their impacts, invested in broader scale actions, and attempted meta-analyses to search out global drivers. We suggest an approach that focuses on key demographic rates that may improve amphibian population trends at multiple sites across the landscape.

Papers & Reports Effects of Snowpack, Temperature, and Disease on Demography in a Wild Population of Amphibians

Authors: Erin Muths; Blake R Hossack; Evan HC Grant; David S Pilliod; Brittany A Mosher

Date: 2020-06 | Outlet: Herpetologica

Understanding the demographic consequences of interactions among pathogens, hosts, and weather conditions is critical in determining how amphibian populations respond to disease and in identifying site-specific conservation actions that can be developed to bolster persistence of amphibian populations. We investigated population dynamics in Boreal Toads relative to abiotic (fall temperatures and snowpack) and biotic (the abundance of another anuran host and disease) characteristics of the local environment in Wyoming, USA. We used capture-recapture data and a multi-state model where state is treated as a hidden Markov process to incorporate disease state uncertainty and assess our a priori hypotheses. Our results indicate that snowpack during the coldest week of the winter is more influential to toad survival, disease transition probabilities, and the population-level prevalence of the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) in the spring, than temperatures in the fall or the presence of another host. As hypothesized, apparent survival at low (i.e., <25 cm) snowpack (https://0.22 [CI: 0.15–0.31]) was lower than apparent survival at high snowpack (https://90.65 [CI: 0.50–0.78]). Our findings highlight the potential for local environmental factors, like snowpack, to influence disease and host persistence, and demonstrate the ecological complexity of disease effects on population demography in natural environments. This work further emphasizes the need for improved understanding of how climate change may influence the relationships among pathogens, hosts, and their environment for wild animal populations challenged by disease.

Data Release Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) historical site surveys in the Oregon Cascade Range, 2018-2019

Authors: Michael J Adams; Christopher A Pearl; Brome McCreary; Jennifer C Rowe

Date: 2019-10-11 | Outlet: Science Base

We used visual surveys to document the presence of all life stages of Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) at historically occupied sites. We surveyed 67 sites 1-2 times between May and August of 2018 and 2019. This effort was a continuation of 2001-2004 surveys conducted at the same site pool. This dataset includes counts of amphibians, reptiles, and fish observed during each site survey, as well as habitat covariates.

Data Release Foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) surveys in Oregon 2019

Authors: Michael J Adams; Christopher A Pearl; Jennifer C Rowe; Brome McCreary; Matthew B Laramie; David S Pilliod

Date: 2019-11-01 | Outlet: Science Base

We used visual surveys and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling to document the presence of all life stages of foothill yellow-legged frogs (Rana boylii) at historically occupied sites. We visited 52 stream reaches (sites) on federal and private lands between June and September of 2019. This dataset includes counts of amphibians, crayfish, and fish observed during each site survey, as well as habitat and water sampling covariates.

Data Release Oregon spotted frog (Rana pretiosa) telemetry and habitat use at Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, USA

Authors: Christopher A Pearl; Jennifer C Rowe; Brome McCreary; Michael J Adams

Date: 2019-12-13 | Outlet: Science Base

We used radio-telemetry to study late-season movement and habitat use by Oregon spotted frogs (Rana pretiosa) at Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. This data release includes frog location and habitat use data, as well as visualizations of telemetry data. Tracking events occurred roughly weekly between August and December of 2017.

Data Release Nutrients, estrogenicity, and fecal indicators in surface water collected from wetlands in the Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon, 2017-2018

Authors: Jennifer C Rowe; Kelly L Smalling; Christopher A Pearl; C E Givens; A J Sperry; Michael J Adams

Date: 2019-12-13 | Outlet: Science Base

The data was gathered to determine the effects of cattle grazing on wetland water quality in the Klamath National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Surface water samples from sites representing a range of grazing histories were collected between June and October in 2017 and 2018. Samples were analyzed for nutrients (ammonia, nitrate plus nitrite, nitrite and orthophosphate), total coliforms, E. coli, enterococci and estrogenicity by US Geological Survey laboratories. Basic water quality parameters such as temperature, pH, turbidity and specific conductance were also collected in the field during each site visit. Quality assurance samples (blanks and replicates) as well as method information is also included in the data release.

Data Release Telemetry and habitat data for Oregon spotted frogs (Rana pretiosa) in Oregon, USA

Authors: Christopher A Pearl; Brome McCreary; Jennifer C Rowe; Michael J Adams

Date: 2018-09-27 | Outlet: Science Base

We used radio-telemetry to study late-season movement and habitat use by the Oregon spotted frog (Rana pretiosa) at 9 sites from 4 populations along the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. This dataset includes individual frog morphometrics, location data, and habitat use during each tracking event that occurred roughly weekly between September and January of 2011, 2012, and 2016.

Papers & Reports Editorial: Contributions of Behavior and Physiology to Conservation Biology

Authors: C R Gabor; Susan C Walls

Outlet: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

Conservation biology is a rapidly evolving discipline, with its synthetic, multidisciplinary framework expanding extensively in recent years. Seemingly disparate disciplines, such as behavior and physiology, are being integrated into this discipline’s growing portfolio, resulting in diverse tools that can help develop conservation solutions. Behavior and physiology have traditionally been considered separate fields, yet their integration can provide a more comprehensive approach to developing solutions to conservation and management problems. However, demonstrations are needed of how behavior and physiology—either separately or combined—have contributed to conservation success. Examining species’ vulnerabilities to extinction through the lenses of behavior and physiology can provide insight into the mechanisms that drive population declines and extirpations. Our goal is to increase awareness of the benefit of combining behavioral and physiological tools to improve conservation management decisions. Such studies can also help strengthen the basis for evidence-based conservation which, in some cases, has been previously lacking. The diverse studies in our Research Topic illustrate key examples of ways that behavior and physiology can be incorporated into conservation biology. Three main themes emerged from the invited papers with respect to their relevance to conservation: Stress physiology, (2) indicators of health and disease dynamics, (3) and movement ecology. But these themes were also intertwined, thus showing the importance of integrating multiple fields of research to successfully address questions about conservation biology.

News & Stories ARMI scientist Michael Adams receives 2020 PARC honor

Authors: R J McClymont

February 07, 2020

Dr. Michael Adams, Lead for the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) and Supervisory Research Ecologist at the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, has been selected to receive the 2020 Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) Alison Haskell Award for Excellence in Herpetofaunal Conservation.

This award recognizes individuals in North America who exemplify extraordinary commitment to herpetofaunal conservation. The PARC Joint National Steering Committee (JNSC) was impressed with the multitude of examples that spanned local to global partnerships affecting international conservation efforts, such as serving as the Surveillance/Monitoring lead on the Bsal Task Force.

“Your ability to connect people and science at multiple levels and to facilitate key partnerships while providing rigorous science to meet local, regional, national, and international management needs in the field of amphibian ecology and conservation is indeed striking,” the JNSC letter stated.

In addition, Mike’s leadership and behind the scenes work as National Coordinator for the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative has been recognized as the sustaining force behind the national program, a program of excellence in science and conservation that is unparalleled by any other federal government effort and is a model for other nations.

Mike’s outstanding passion for, and dedication to, conservation of amphibians and reptiles was recognized by the JNSC through, “...your leadership, science, and collaborations. Your contributions to herpetofaunal conservation exemplifies all of our Core Values: Collaboration; Proactive Approaches; Scientific Integrity; Value in All Biodiversity; and Maintaining Optimism and fits our desire to acknowledge "unsung heroes" in herpetofaunal conservation.”

Mike will receive the award on March 20, 2020 at the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Omaha, Nebraska.

Papers & Reports Amphibian responses in the aftermath of extreme climate events

Authors: Gary Bucciarelli; M Clark; Katy S Delaney; Seth PD Riley; H B Shaffer; Robert N Fisher; R L Honeycutt; Lee B Kats

Date: 2020-02-25 | Outlet: Scientific Reports 10:3409

Climate change-induced extinctions are estimated to eliminate one in six known species by the end
of the century. One major factor that will contribute to these extinctions is extreme climatic events.
Here, we show the ecological impacts of recent record warm air temperatures and simultaneous peak
drought conditions in California. From 2008–2016, the southern populations of a wide-ranging endemic
amphibian (the California newt, Taricha torosa) showed a 20% reduction to mean body condition and
significant losses to variation in body condition linked with extreme climate deviations. However,
body condition in northern populations remained relatively unaffected during this period. Range-wide
population estimates of change to body condition under future climate change scenarios within the
next 50 years suggest that northern populations will mirror the loss of body condition recently observed
in southern populations. This change is predicated on latter 21st century climate deviations that
resemble recent conditions in Southern California. Thus, the ecological consequences of climate change
have already occurred across the warmer, drier regions of Southern California, and our results suggest
that predicted climate vulnerable regions in the more mesic northern range likely will not provide
climate refuge for numerous amphibian communities.