Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Our primary audiences are land managers, private landowners, homeowners, conservation practitioners, and urban planners. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Kristine Hoffmann, Carly Eakin, and Mitchell Jones served as Ph.D. graduate students on the project along with 8 undergraduates. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Besides journal publications the main outlet has been our "Of Pools and People" Facebook page and blog site. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project is integral to two recent and one on-going NSF-supported projects: Land-use Effects on Amphibian Populations (LEAP), the Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI), Of Pools and People: Small Natural Features with Large Ecosystem Functions in Urbanizing Landscapes (CNH) at University of Maine. Land-use practices, such as forest harvesting, agriculture, and urbanization, reduce the quality of terrestrial habitat surrounding a pool and may threaten the persistence of a local amphibian population and disrupt dispersal. Our research in 2016 focused on the influence of different forested and nonforested cover types on the (1) ecology of an understudied Ambystomatid salamander complex; (2) health and survival of larval amphibians, and (3) fine scale movements of wood frogs leaving breeding pools. For our first objective, we explored the ecology of the blue spotted salamander complex (Ambystoma laterale and A. laterale x jeffersonianum) in the field. We worked with the University of Guelph to determine the genotype of sampled blue-spotted salamanders. We radio tracked salamanders to examine their terrestrial habitat selection and movements, captured them in aquatic funnel traps and drift fence arrays to collect data on recruitment and breeding site use, and conducted breeding experiments. For our second objective, we addressed how land development affects the likelihood of pool-breeding amphibian population persistence via examination of amphibian health, survival, and habitat parameters. We have completed three field seasons focusing on characterizing vernal pools and the health and survival of larval wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) and mole salamander (Ambystoma spp.) populations along a disturbance gradient. We conducted egg mass and larvae counts to estimate reproductive effort and the percent of eggs that survived to leave pools. We also conducted weekly health surveys, which consisted of recording body length, mass, developmental stage, injuries, malformations, and indications of disease. We collected blood to count white blood cells which is used as a proxy to measure baseline physiological condition. Throughout the season we quantified changes in within-pool vegetation and water characteristics, which likely affect larval amphibian health and survival. We conducted trail camera and visual detection surveys to describe vertebrate predator pressures on pool-breeding amphibians. We tested the assumption that differences in health and morphology were due to pool conditions, not background population traits. For our third objective, we examined fine scale movement of wood frogs leaving breeding pools. Adult wood frogs were captured in drift fences and followed via radio-telemetry through the summer into fall and hibernation.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Cline, B.B. and M. L. Hunter, Jr. 2016. Initial movements of a dispersing amphibian in response to partial harvesting in the Acadian forest of Maine, USA. Forest Science 62:333-342.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Hoffmann, K., A. Calhoun, and M. Hunter. 2016. A deep-water funnel trap for salamanders. Herpetological Review 47:205-206.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Cline, B.B. and M.L. Hunter, Jr. 2016. Movement in the matrix: Substrates and distance-to-forest edge affect the post-metamorphic movements of a forest amphibian. Ecosphere 7(2):e01202. 10.1002/ecs2.1202
|
Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:Our primary audiences are land managers, private landowners, homeowners, conservation practitioners, and urban planners. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Kristine Hoffmann, Carly Eakin, and Mitchell Jones served as Ph.D. graduate students on the project. Undergraduate Hope EyeMasters in Wildlife Conservation student Ryo Ogawa, and Masters in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology student Abdulai Barrie volunteered in spring 2015. Hallie Marshall, Samantha Poratti, Luara Bollert, Daya Hall-Stratton, Samantha McGarrigle, Lara Katz, Diane Dunham, Luke Wotton, and Tess Howard were undergraduate research assistants on the project. An intern in the Maine EPSCoR High School Research Internship Program, Annika Gallandt, also assisted with the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Carly Eakin regularly contributes to the"Of Pools and People"Facebook page and blog site. She facilitated field-experience volunteer opportunities for three individuals during field season. She has given presentations to undergraduate classes, been interviewed by the Portland Press Herald, presented a poster at the Maine Association of Wetland Scientists (MAWS) annual meeting, gave an oral presentation at the annual conference of the Northeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, and co-authored a presentation at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. She facilitated field-experience through a six-week EPSCoR internship for one student, a seven-day "mini-internship" for one student, and employed four students this spring and summer. Kristine Hoffmann also regularly contributes to the "Of Pools and People" social media sites, and has been interviewed by Ask magazine. She has given presentations and/or field trips to pre-school children, high school students, undergraduate classes, and adults and children in the community (listed below). She facilitated field-experience through week long "mini-internships" for six students and employed three students this spring and summer. Mitchell Jones has contributed to the "Of pools and People" social media websites and created his own personal website that is updated with research goals and findings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?To better understand the ecology of the blue-spotted salamander complex, we will thoroughly analyze the data collected over the past four springs. To advance our study of larval amphibian health and survival along a disturbance gradient, we will adjust site covariates based on the analysis of 2014 and 2015 data. This revised set of covariates will be those that explain the greatest variance in larval health and survival in collected data. We will conduct a third year ofegg mass and larvae counts, weekly healthsurveys, and within-pool vegetation and water characteristics assessments. We will conduct a ranavirus surveillance-study at five of our studied pools where ranavirus-caused tadpoles die-offs have been observed. This study will measure changes in ranavirus prevalence throughout the spring and summer and attempt to identify site covariates helpful in predicting prevalence and/or die-offs. To further study the movement ecology of wood frogs in modified environments additional experiments will be conducted. Adult wood frogs will be tracked throughout the year using radio tags. These frogs will be tagged during the breeding season at several pools in Bangor, Maine. Movement and habitat use vs availability will be recorded and analyzed. A mathematical model will be built using empirical data to predict likelihood of dispersal success of juvenile wood frogs. Further studies of newly emerging froglets will be conducted using Y-mazes to discern preference between cover types. A GIS layer will be created to map the varying degree of human modification in the landscape. This layer will be used as an independent explanatory factor throughout our work. Modification of this layer will be possible to reflect individual species preferences in the landscape based on cover type.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project is integral to two recent and one on-going NSF-supported projects: Land-use Effects on Amphibian Populations (LEAP), the Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI), Of Pools and People: Small Natural Features with Large Ecosystem Functions in Urbanizing Landscapes (CNH) at University of Maine. Land-use practices, such as forest harvesting, agriculture, and urbanization, reduce the quality of terrestrial habitat surrounding a pool and may threaten the persistence of a local amphibian population and disrupt dispersal. Our research in 2015 focused on the influence of different forested and non-forested cover types on the (1) ecology of an understudied Ambystomatid salamander complex; (2) health and survival of larval amphibians, and (3) fine scale movements of wood frogs leaving breeding pools. For our first objective, we explored the ecology of the blue spotted salamander complex (Ambystoma laterale and A. laterale x jeffersonianum) in the field. We worked with the University of Guelph to determine the genotype of sampled blue-spotted salamanders. We radio tracked salamanders to examine their terrestrial habitat selection and movements, captured them in aquatic funnel traps and drift fence arrays to collect data on recruitment and breeding site use, and conducted breeding experiments. We examined the effects of artificial night light on substrate selection of blue-spotted salamanders. For our second objective, we began aproject that addresses how land development affects the likelihood of pool-breeding amphibian population persistence via examination of amphibian health, survival, and habitat parameters. We have completed two field seasons focusing on characterizing vernal pools and the health and survival of larval wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) and mole salamander (Ambystoma spp.) populations along a disturbance gradient. We conducted egg mass and larvae counts to estimate reproductive effort and the percent of eggs that survived to leave pools. We also conducted weekly health surveys, which consisted of recording body length, mass, developmental stage, injuries, malformations, and indications of disease. We collected blood to count white blood cells which is used as a proxy to measure baseline physiological condition. Throughout the season we quantified changes in within-pool vegetation and water characteristics, which likely affect larval amphibian health and survival. We conducted trail camera and visual detection surveys to describe vertebrate predator pressures on pool-breeding amphibians. We tested the assumption that differences in health and morphology were due to pool conditions, not background population traits. Newly hatches tadpoles were taken from pools in areas with high and low disturbance and raised in equal densities in mesocosms. Our results suggest no background variation in morphology or health. In a related lab component, we measured the influence of pool conditions experienced by larvae on their growth and movement ability within one month of emergence. For our third objective, we examined fine scale movement of wood frogs leaving breeding pools. Adult wood frogs were captured in drift fences, dusted with a fluorescent powder, and released. The powder leaves a trail showing individual steps taken by the wood frog. Juveniles raised in mesocosms were released in a Y-maze with one arm containing leaf litter with scent of conspecifics and the other arm had unscented leaf litter to determine if newly emerged froglets are following each other. We examined the effects of artificial night light on substrate selection of wood frogs.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Ilseman,K. and K. Hoffmann. In press. Outsmarting Salamanders: Upward Bound Math Science high school students creative solutions impact amphibian ecology research. The Science Teacher.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Cline, B.B. and M.L. Hunter, Jr. In press. Movement in the matrix: Substrates and distance to forest edge affect the post-metamorphic movements of a forest amphibian. Ecosphere
|
Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: Our primary audiences are land managers, private landowners, homeowners, conservation practitioners, and urban planners, especially those who manage forests for timber and other values. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Brittany Cline, Kristine Hoffmann, and Carly Eakin served as Ph.D. graduate students on the project. Samantha Hutchinson, Thomas Hastings, Abigail Feuka, Samantha McGarrigle, and Diane Dunham were undergraduate research assistants on the project. Undergraduates Thomas Hastings, Hope Eye, and Abigail Feuka volunteered with juvenile wood frog movement trials in summer 2014. Undergraduates Hope Eye, Karla Boyd, Dan Bailey, Renee Dugal, Greg Palkin, and Anna Vanesse, volunteered at the drift fence in the spring, and Masters in Wildlife Conservation students Dana Barendt and Ryo Ogawa volunteered in the fall. Abigail Feuka pursued her undergraduate honors research through this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Carly Eakin regularly contributes to the"Of Pools and People"Facebook page and blog site. She facilitated field-experience volunteer opportunities for three individuals during field season. Britt Cline facilitated field-experience volunteer opportunities for three individuals during her postdoctoral field season (Jul – Aug 2014). She was awarded first place for the Graduate Deans’ Award for Mentoring Undergraduates in Research in April 2014 (student: Catherine Herr). Britt gave five talks to community groups and at professional conferences in 2013-14 (list below). Kristine Hoffmann also regularly contributes to the “Of Pools and People” social media sites, and has been interviewed by Ask magazine. She has given presentations and/or field trips to pre-school children, high school students, undergraduate classes, and adults and children in the community (listed below). She facilitated field-experience through week long “mini-internships” for six students and employed three students this spring and summer. Cline, B.B. 2014. Amphibians in complex landscapes: Quantifying habitat connectivity and permeability for juvenile movements. Graduate Student Exposition, 3 Apr, University of Maine, Orono, Maine. Cline, B.B. 2013. Amphibians in complex landscapes: Estimating habitat connectivity for juvenile movements. Maine Audubon Society, 10 Dec, Fields Pond Audubon Center, Holden, Maine. Cline, B.B. 2013. Juvenile amphibians in complex landscapes: Effects of forestry and urbanization on juvenile movements. Tin Mountain Conservation Center, L.L. Bean Nature Program Series. 29 Nov, Albany, New Hampshire. Cline, B.B., and M.L. Hunter, Jr. 2013. The leap from amphibian to avian ecology is more contemporary than fossils: What juvenile frogs can reveal about movement and dispersal. Oregon State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, 8 Nov, Corvallis, Oregon. Cline, B.B., and M.L. Hunter, Jr. 2013. Amphibians in complex landscapes: Quantifying habitat permeability and connectivity for juvenile movements. The Wildlife Society 20th Annual Meeting, 7 Oct, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Hoffmann, K., A. Calhoun and D. Morgan. 2014. Vernal Pool Ecology. Presentation for the Maine Master Naturalist Program. 2 April. Fields Pond Audubon Center, Holden, ME. Hoffmann, K., and A. Feuka. 2014. Vernal Pools and Blue-spotted Salamander Research. Guest lecture to EES 117 and WEFCB100. 9 Sep and 19 Sep. Orono, ME. Hoffmann, K. and T. Hastings. 2014. Vernal Pool Amphibians. Presentation and field trip for the Stillwater Montessori School. 8 May. Orono, ME. Hoffmann, K. and B. Cline. 2014. Wildlife Ecology. Presentation for the Piscataquis County High School STEM Program. 6 September. Orono, ME. Maddaus, J. and K. Hoffmann. 2014. Orono Vernal Pool Walk. Field trip for the public sponsored by the Orono Land Trust. 10 May. Orono, ME. Hunter,M. "Maintaining biodiversity in a period of uncertain climate change: Where are the trees and beetles going?" University of Maine Machias Oct 2 2013 Hunter, M. What is the importance of conserving old growth and old forests? Workshop on Permanent Land Conservation and Sustainable Timber Harvesting: The Role of Land Trusts and Current Best Science and Practices Feb 12 2014 Dedham Maine. Hunter, M. Assisted colonization of trees as an adaptation to climate change. Forestry Guild, Burlington Vermont June 20, 2014. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? To continue our investigation of the effects of different land-use practices on the post-metamorphic movements of juvenile amphibians, postdoctoral researcher Brittany Cline will analyze data and disseminate results to stakeholders and the scientific community through ongoing publication of her research in peer-reviewed journals and/or technical bulletins. To better understand the ecology of the blue-spotted salamander complex, we plan to trap salamanders at breeding sites and model breeding habitat selection and conduct breeding experiments. To advance our study of larval amphibian health and occupancy along a development gradient, we will adjust pool selection based on the first season's data. This revised set of pools will better represent the development gradient as defined by the development-related characteristics to which amphibian demographics and health appear to respond. We will conduct a second year ofegg mass and larvae counts, weekly healthsurveys, and within-pool vegetation and water characteristics assessments. Pendingsuccessfulresults of recently piloted blood collection techniques,we will collect blood to measure and compare baseline metabolic and immune function of larval amphibians among pools. Pending success of the piloted metabolic challenge techniques, we will conduct this challenge on individuals from a subset of pools along the development gradient.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project is integral to three NSF-supported projects: Land-use Effects on Amphibian Populations (LEAP), the Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI), Of Pools and People: Small Natural Features wth Large Ecosystem Functions in Urbanizing Landscapes (CNH) at University of Maine. Land-use practices, such as forest harvesting, agriculture, and urbanization, reduce the quality of terrestrial habitat surrounding a pool and may threaten the persistence of a local amphibian population and disrupt dispersal. Our research in 2014 focused on the influence of different forested and non-forested cover types on the (1) post-metamorphic movements of juvenile amphibians; (2) ecology of an understudied Ambystomatid salamander complex; and (3) health, occupancy, and abundance of larval amphibians. We relied primarily on mark-recapture, PIT tags, and fluorescent powder tracking to quantify fine-scale movement performance and habitat connectivity during descriptive and experimental trials. Taken together, these outputs build on our understanding of habitat connectivity in landscapes that span a gradient of forest cover and urbanization. For our first objective, the key question motivating our experiments was: Forest cover reduction may affect movements of emigrating juvenile wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus), but does it always lower functional habitat connectivity? Specifically, we tested if frogs responded similarly to the amount of forest cover (and oriented to forest) following experimental trials during the post-metamorphic period. We used a four-tiered approach, including: (1) ground substrate trials (movement within cover types); (2) landscape configuration trials (movement among cover types); (3) forest-island permeability trials in two open-cover types; and (4) individual-based simulations of frog dispersal (ongoing). We used fluorescent-powder tracking to estimate movement metrics (e.g., rates; path tortuosity; latency, etc.) for >565 juveniles during three experiments in forest, lawn, asphalt, hayfields, and cornfields. Outcomes include a better understanding of functional connectivity for conserving amphibian habitats. For our second objective, we explored the ecology of the blue spotted salamander complex (Ambystoma laterale and A. laterale x jeffersonianum) in the field. We monitored breeding at four vernal pools, and worked with the University of Guelph to determine the genotype of sampled blue-spotted salamanders. We radio tracked salamanders to examine their terrestrial habitat selection and movements. We captured salamanders in aquatic funnel traps and drift fence arrays to collect data on breeding adults and dispersing metamorph blue-spotted salamanders, as well as other species. We conducted experiments to examine the effects of artificial night light on substrate selection of blue-spotted salamanders and wood frogs. For our third objective, we began aproject that addresses how land development affects the likelihood of pool-breeding amphibian population persistence via examination of amphibian health, occupancy, and abundance and habitat parameters. We have completed one field season focusing on characterizing vernal pools and the health and survival of larval wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) and mole salamander (Ambystoma spp.) populations along a development gradient. We conducted egg mass and larvae counts to estimate reproductive effort and the percent of eggs that survived to leave pools. We also conducted weekly health surveys, which consisted of measuring body length, mass, and volume and noting developmental stage, injuries, malformations, and indications of disease. We collected blood to count white blood cells which is used as a proxy to measure baseline metabolic and immune function. Throughout the season we quantified changes in within-pool vegetation and water characteristics, which likely affect larval amphibian health and survival. We conducted trail camera and visual detection surveys to describe vertebrate predator pressures on pool-breeding amphibians. In a related lab component, we piloted methods to the measure the ability of larval amphibians to respond to a metabolic challenge (adrenalhormone) by quantifying their behavior.
Publications
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Saura, S, E. Martin-Queller, and M.L. Hunter, Jr. In press. Forest landscape change and biodiversity conservation. Chapter in J.C. Azevedo, A.H. Perera, and M.A. Pinto (eds). Forest Landscapes and Global Change. Springer-Verlag
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Wang, G., N.T. Hobbs, N. A. Slade, J. F. Merritt, L. L. Getz, M. L. Hunter, Jr., S. H. Vessey, J. W. Witham and A. Guillaumet. 2013. Comparative population dynamics of large and small mammals in the Northern Hemisphere: Deterministic and stochastic forces. Ecography 36:439-446.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Politi, N., L. Rivera, L. Liz�rraga, M. Hunter, Jr., and G.E. DeFosse. 2014. The dichotomy between protection and logging of an endangered and valuable timber species conservation of Amburana cearensis in northwestern Argentina. Oryx. doi:10.1017/S0030605313000501
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Cline, B.B., and M.L. Hunter, Jr. 2014. Different open-canopy vegetation types affect matrix permeability for a dispersing forest amphibian. Journal of Applied Ecology 51:319-329.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Hunter, M.L. Jr., K.H. Redford, and D.B. Lindenmayer. 2014. The complementary niches of anthropocentric and biocentric conservationists. Conservation Biology 28:641-645.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Colgan, C. M. L. Hunter, B. McGill, and A. Weiskittel. 2014. Managing the middle ground: Forests in the transition zone between cities and remote areas. Landscape Ecology 29:1133-1143
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Calhoun, A., J. Jansuwicz, M. Hunter, and K. Bell. 2014. Improving management of small natural features on private lands by negotiating the science-policy boundary of Maine vernal pools. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1323606111
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Calhoun, A.J.K., J. Arrigoni, R.P. Brooks, M.L. Hunter, S.C. Richter. 2014. Creating successful vernal pools: a literature review and advice for practitioners. Wetlands DOI 10.1007/s13157-014-0556-8
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Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: Our primary audiences are land managers, private landowners, homeowners, conservation practitioners, and urban planners, especially those who manage forests for timber and other values. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Brittany Cline and Kristine Hoffmann served as Ph.D. graduate students on the project. Eleanor D’Urso, Catherine Herr, Greg Innes, Abigail Feuka, and Ian Lookabaugh were undergraduate research assistants on the project. Evan Kus and Maggie Smith were undergraduate research assistants from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (Research Experience for Undergraduate, or NSF REU program). Undergraduates Anne McKelway, Briante Nejev, and Amanda Hayes volunteered at the drift fence in the spring. We also employed high school students on the project, including Leah Clement, Randi Jackson, Katie Sypher, Diana Tyutyunnyk and Abigail Wiegang. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Malcolm Hunter helped organized a symposium and workshop at the International Congress for Conservation Biology on the topic of conservation planning in the context of climate change. Durso, E, K. Hoffmann, A. Calhoun, M. Hunter. 2013. Variation in Direction of Immigrating Breeding Amphibians into Vernal Pools in Maine. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Northeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, July 24-26, Branchville, NJ Durso, E, K. Hoffmann, A. Calhoun, M. Hunter. 2013. Variation in Direction of Immigrating Breeding Amphibians into Vernal Pools in Maine. Poster presented at the Maine EPSCoR State Conference, 30 September, Orono, ME Hoffmann, K. 2013. Blue-spotted Salamanders and their Unisexual Kleptogens: Maine’s Amphibian Enigma. Presentation at Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative All Team Meeting, 10 Sept, Orono, ME Hoffmann, K., A. Calhoun, M. Hunter. 2013. Preliminary Migration Distances of Unisexual Salamanders in Maine. Poster presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Northeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, July 24-26, Branchville, NJ Hoffmann, K., A. Calhoun, M. Hunter. 2013. Migration Distances of Unisexual Salamanders in Maine. Poster presentation at the Maine EPSCoR State Conference, 30 September, Orono, ME Aumann, H.E., E. Kus, B. Cline, and N.W. Emanetoglu. 2013. “A low-cost harmonic radar for tracking tagged amphibians.” International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference (I2MTC). 6-9 May 2013, Minneapolis, MN. Aumann, H.E., E. Kus, B. Cline, and N.W. Emanetoglu. 2012. A 5.8 GHz Harmonic RF Tag for Tracking Amphibians.” IEEE International Conference on Wireless Information Technology and Systems (ICWITS) 11-16 Nov 2012, Maui, HI. Cline, B.B., and M.L. Hunter, Jr. 2012. “Amphibians in complex landscapes: Effects of forestry and urbanization on juvenile movements.” Tin Mountain Conservation Center, L.L. Bean Nature Program Series. 29 Nov 2012, Albany, NH. Hunter,M. "Maintaining biodiversity in a period of uncertain climate change: Where are the trees and beetles going?" University of Maine Machias Oct 2 2013 Hunter,M. "Of birds and beetles: biodiversity in a dynamic world." Sheepscot Well Spring Alliance, Freedom ME. Sept 15 What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? To continue our investigation of the effects of different land-use practices on the movements of dispersing juvenile amphibians, Ph.D. student Brittany Cline will analyze data and disseminate results to stakeholders and the scientific community through publication of her dissertation chapters in peer-reviewed journals and / or technical bulletins. To better understand the ecology of the blue-spotted salamander complex, we plan to trap salamanders at breeding sites and model breeding habitat selection, conduct breeding experiments, and radio track a larger sample of salamanders. We will continue to examine recruitment using drift fence arrays.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project is integral to two NSF-supported projects: Land-use Effects on Amphibian Populations (LEAP) and UMaine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI) at University of Maine, as part of the SSI subproject Protecting Natural Resources at the Community Scale: Using Population Persistence of Vernal Pool Fauna as a Model System to Study Urbanization, Climate Change and Forest Management. Land-use practices, such as forest harvesting, agriculture, and urbanization, that reduce the quality of terrestrial habitat surrounding a pond may threaten the persistence of a local amphibian population and disrupt dispersal. Our research in 2013 focused on the influence of different forested and non-forested cover types on the (1) movement of juvenile amphibians during dispersal; (2) ecology of an understudied Ambystomatid salamander complex; and (3) natural recruitment patterns of three vernal-pool indicator species utilizing breeding habitats in natural and developed areas. We made improvements in signal processing for our miniaturized harmonic direction finding system for tracking small-bodied life stages, but relied primarily on mark-recapture, PIT tags, and fluorescent powder tracking to quantify fine-scale movement performance and habitat connectivity during descriptive and experimental field trials. Taken together, these outputs build on our understanding of amphibian habitat connectivity in landscapes that span a gradient of forest cover and urbanization. For our first objective, the key question motivating our experiments was: Forest cover reduction may affect movements of emigrating juvenile wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus), but does it always lower functional habitat connectivity? Specifically, we tested if frogs responded similarly to the amount of forest cover (and oriented to forest) following experimental trials during the post-metamorphic period (Jul – Nov). We used a three-tiered approach to describe individual movements and estimate matrix permeability, including: (1) ground substrate trials (movement performance within cover types); (2) landscape configuration trials (movement and connectivity among cover types); and (3) movement costs to frogs simulated using individual-based and least-cost path models (ongoing). We used fluorescent-powder tracking to estimate movement metrics (e.g., rates; path tortuosity; latency, etc.) for >325 juveniles during three experiments in forest, lawn, pavement, hayfields, and cornfields. Outcomes include a better understanding of functional connectivity for conserving critical amphibian habitats. For our second and third objectives, we explored the ecology of the blue spotted salamander complex (Ambystoma laterale and A. laterale x jeffersonianum) in the field. We monitored breeding at four vernal pools, PIT tagging and collecting information on individual salamanders captured in our drift fence. We worked with the University of Guelph to determine the genotype of these blue spotted salamanders and determined the ratio of blue spotted salamanders to their polyploid unisexual kleptogens. We radio tracked a pilot sample of unisexual salamanders to examine their terrestrial habitat selection and movements. We conducted egg mass counts, and used the drift fence arrays to collect data on breeding adult and dispersing metamorph blue spotted salamanders, as well as spotted salamanders (A. maculatum) and wood frogs from natural and developed areas.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Politi, N., L. Rivera, L. Liz�rraga, M. Hunter, Jr., and G.E. DeFosse. In press. The dichotomy between protection and logging of an endangered and valuable timber species conservation of Amburana cearensis in northwestern Argentina. Oryx.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Cline, B.B. and M.L. Hunter. 2013. Different open-canopy vegetation types affect
matrix permeability for a dispersing forest amphibian. Journal of Applied Ecology (in press).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Emanetoglu, N.W., H.M. Aumann, E.M. Kus, and B.B. Cline. A low-cost harmonic
radar for tracking very small tagged amphibians. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Politi, N., M.L. Hunter, Jr., and L Rivera. 2012. Assessing the effects of selective logging on birds in Neotropical piedmont and cloud montane forest. Biodiversity and Conservation 21:31313155.
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Saura, S, E. Martin-Queller, and M.L. Hunter, Jr. In press. Forest landscape change and biodiversity conservation. Chapter in J.C. Azevedo, A.H. Perera, and M.A. Pinto (eds). Forest Landscapes and Global Change. Springer-Verlag
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Popescu, V.D. and M.L. Hunter. 2012. Assisted colonization of wildlife species at risk from climate change. Pages 347-368 in: J. Brodie and E. Post (eds.) Conserving wildlife populations in a changing climate. University of Chicago Press.
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Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project is integral to two NSF-supported projects: Land-use Effects on Amphibian Populations (LEAP) and the UMaine Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI) at University of Maine, as part of the SSI subproject Protecting Natural Resources at the Community Scale: Using Population Persistence of Vernal Pool Fauna as a Model System to Study Urbanization, Climate Change and Forest Management. Land-use practices, such as forest harvesting and urbanization, that reduce the quality of terrestrial habitat surrounding a pond may threaten the persistence of a local amphibian population and disrupt dispersal between local populations. Our research in 2012 focused on the influence of different forested and non-forested land-cover types on the (1) movement of juvenile amphibians during dispersal; (2) ecology of an understudied Ambystomatid salamander complex; and (3) natural recruitment patterns of three vernal-pool indicator species utilizing breeding habitats in natural and developed areas. We developed proof-of-concept for a miniaturized harmonic direction finding system (radar), as technological means for tracking cryptic and small-bodied life stages. Taken together, these research outputs build on our understanding of amphibian habitat connectivity in landscapes that span a gradient of forest cover and urbanization. For our first objective, we developed an optimally-sensitive harmonic transponder tag and limited-range radar (harmonic radar; HDF) for tracking juvenile wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) during the post-metamorphic period. In partnership with the Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, we performed a systematic evaluation of the effects of our lightweight, passive tag on the short-term fate and behavior of individual juvenile wood frogs and a surrogate species (Rana pipiens p.). We conducted a pilot assessment of this technology in situ, by experimentally releasing HDF-tagged juveniles in contiguous forest to examine the: (1) mechanisms that influence post-metamorphic behavior; and (2) efficacy of the HDF system for field studies. Specifically, we released 20 individuals (10 tagged, 10 untagged) along 400-m forest transects, and tracked individual frog movement paths using a combination of radar and fluorescent-powder monitoring techniques. For our second and third objectives, we explored the ecology of the blue spotted salamander complex (Ambystoma laterale and A. laterale x jeffersonianum) both in the lab and in the field, and monitored juvenile dispersal from four vernal pools. We worked with the University of Guelph to determine the genotype of local blue spotted salamanders and determined the ratio of blue spotted salamanders to their polyploid unisexual kleptogens. We developed a protocol to raise salamander eggs to metamorphosis both in the lab and in mesocosms, and examined variation in egg mass morphology. We conducted egg mass counts, and used the drift fence arrays to collect pilot data on dispersing metamorph blue spotted salamanders, as well as spotted salamanders (A. maculatum) and wood frogs from natural and developed areas. PARTICIPANTS: Brittany Cline and Kristine Hoffmann served as Ph.D. graduate students on the project. Philip Benoit, Avery Cole, Eleanor D Urso, Greg Innes, Nathaniel Parkhill, Evan Kus, and Matthew Krenik were undergraduate research assistants, and Heather Smith was a non-thesis graduate student on the project. We also employed high school students on the project, including Leah Clement, Chris Introne, and Ana Elisa Souza Cunha. The project is undertaken in collaboration with researchers from the University of Missouri, the State University of New York at Syracuse, and the University of Georgia, as well as the Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI) at University of Maine (National Science Foundation EPSCoR). TARGET AUDIENCES: Our primary audiences are land managers, private landowners, homeowners, conservation practitioners, and urban planners, especially those who manage forests for timber and other values. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
The goal of this project is to elucidate how forestry, urban, and agricultural practices affect the movements and terrestrial habitat use of amphibians, ultimately reflected in the effectiveness of protection buffers around significant vernal pools for maintaining functional connectivity between terrestrial habitats and breeding pools. Our recent work has offered some significant contributions to the field of amphibian ecology and vernal-pool conservation. For example, little is known about habitat selection by dispersing juvenile animals and the resistance imposed to movement by different open-vegetation cover types. To date we have studied juvenile movements in clearcuts, light gap cuts, lawns, hayfields, row crops, and heavy partial harvests (currently, the dominant form of harvest in our region). Over the last year, we continued to monitor juvenile (dispersing) and adult (breeding) movements using conventional sampling techniques, such as mark-recapture. However, we also experimented with new methods for direct-tracking of individual movements; specifically, we developed a prototype of a functional harmonic radar direction finding (HDF) system, heretofore not used with juvenile amphibians. In partnership with the Dept. of Electrical and Computing Engineering, we are developing novel tracking tools (miniature HDF transponder tags and RADAR) that will allow us to follow the fate and behavior of individually-marked amphibians and ultimately, to assess habitat and population connectivity. We also contributed to the understanding of the basic ecology of an understudied Ambystomatid salamander complex (Ambystoma laterale x jeffersonianum). Outcomes will include direct communication with stakeholders regarding the relative benefits of different land-use practices on amphibian populations in forested and urban settings (coordination with municipal-level vernal pool mapping). On a more conceptual level, outcomes will include a better understanding of the role that vertical habitat structure plays in shaping amphibian movements as a complement to our work on the permeability of different forestry treatments to dispersers. Our empirical evidence suggests that retaining canopy cover is vital; thus, forestry practices such as partial harvests are preferable to clearcutting around significant vernal pools. Continuing this research and conducting additional experiments on amphibian dispersal and habitat use will improve our ability to manage populations of amphibians in altered landscapes, and predict the likely effects of forest management and urbanization. Further, our development of novel tracking tools (harmonic radar tracking systems constituting passive tags of small size, unlimited longevity and individual recognition) may revolutionize current capabilities for tracking juvenile stages, thereby, providing unique insights into amphibian terrestrial ecology. Using a combination of techniques, we plan to quantify individual movement (e.g., dispersal, migration, post-metamorphic and post-breeding movements) for building on our understanding of amphibian population persistence in complex landscapes.
Publications
- Popescu, V.D., B.S. Brodie, M.L. Hunter, and J. Zydlewski. 2012. Use of olfactory cues by newly metamorphosed wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) during emigration. Copeia 2012(3): 424-431
- Popescu, V.D. and M.L. Hunter (2012). The role of forest harvesting and subsequent vegetative regrowth in determining patterns of amphibian habitat use. Forest Ecology and Management 270:163-174.
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