INVENTORY INVENTORY AND MONITORING: RECOMMENDED TECHNIQUES ANDFOR REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS With Application to the UnitedMON States and CanadaITORING: RECOMMENDED TECHNIQUES FOR REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS WITH APPLICATION TO THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA Citation: Graeter, Gabrielle J., Kurt A. Buhlmann, Lucas R. Wilkinson, and J. Whitfield Gibbons (Editors). 2010. Inven- tory and Monitoring: Recommended Techniques for Reptiles and Amphibians, with application to the United States and Canada. PARC Technical Report. Aiken, South Carolina. PARC Technical Publication IM-1 PARTNERS IN AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE CONSERVATION Gabrielle J. Graeter | Kurt A. Buhlmann | Lucas R. Wilkinson | J. Whitfield Gibbons PARC INVENTORY AND MONITORING INITIATIVE This inventory and monitoring initiative has been For more detail on particular techniques or sampling established through partnerships among Partners protocols, please refer to those cited throughout this in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC), document and listed in Appendix XI and these key the United States Forest Service (USFS), the references: University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (UGA-SREL) and the Department of Dodd, C. K., Jr. 2003. Monitoring amphibians in Defense. The objective of this handbook is to provide Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Circular land managers and landowners with information 1258, US Geological Survey, Tallahassee, Florida. about reptiles and amphibians and the qualitative and quantitative techniques that can be used to Heyer, W. R., M. A. Donnelly, R. W. McDiarmid, L. obtain information on diversity, distribution, and C. Hayek, M. S. Foster, editors. 1994. Measuring abundance of these animals. It is not intended and monitoring biological diversity: Standard to establish any specific sampling or monitoring methods for amphibians. Smithsonian Institution protocols. This handbook is user-friendly, addresses Press, Washington, DC, USA. both reptiles and amphibians, and provides specific recommendations on techniques that may be used McDiarmid, R., M. Foster, C. Guyer, J. W. Gibbons, for each species. and N. Chernoff. 2012 Reptile Biodiversity - Standard Methods for Inventory and Monitoring. University of The PARC mission is “to conserve amphibians, California Press. Berkeley. reptiles, and their habitats as integral parts of our ecosystem and culture through proactive and Mitchell, J. C. 2000. Amphibian Monitoring Methods coordinated public-private partnerships.” PARC is not & Field Guide. Smithsonian National Zoological a funding organization or a policy maker but instead Park, Conservation Research Center, Front Royal, has been created to increase communication among VA. 56 pp. diverse public and private groups and individuals interested in amphibian and reptile conservation. In addition to the information we have provided and The diversity of participants makes PARC the most which is available in references cited throughout comprehensive amphibian and reptile conservation the document, it is essential to consult and involve effort ever undertaken. To find out more about your regional herpetologist, particularly during PARC, please visit our website at: http://www. the planning stages of an inventory or monitoring parcplace.org program. They may have critical insight into the timing, location, or study species for the program you are planning. OBJECTIVES The objective of this publication is to provide a user- Suggested citation: Graeter, G. J., K. A. Buhlmann, friendly book to guide land managers, private land L. R. Wilkinson, and J. W. Gibbons (Eds.). 2013. owners, and biologists in conducting amphibian Inventory and Monitoring: Recommended Techniques and reptile inventory and monitoring programs. for Reptiles and Amphibians. Partners in Amphibian We aim to accomplish this not by designing new and Reptile Conservation Technical Publication IM-1, sampling techniques or protocols, but by providing a Birmingham, Alabama comprehensive summary of the techniques available, how to get started, and appropriate references to consult. TABLE OF CONTENTS Contributing Authors ................................................. iii Conclusions ..................................................... 41 Chapter 1. Introduction ............................................. 1 Chapter 4. Study Planning and Data Collection..... 42 A guide for the United States and Canada ........ 1 Introduction ...................................................... 42 Who should use this guide ................................ 2 Capture data .................................................... 43 How to use this guide ........................................ 2 Climate and seasonality ................................... 43 Threats to amphibians and reptiles ................... 2 Habitat and microhabitat .................................. 46 Inventory versus monitoring ............................. 11 Locality ............................................................. 47 Inventory and monitoring programs and Maps ............................................................. 47 conservation ..................................................... 13 Photos ........................................................... 48 Chapter 2. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Geotechnologies ........................................... 49 United States .......................................................... 15 Automated data acquisition ............................. 50 Importance of natural history data to inventory and monitoring ................................................. 15 Dataloggers .................................................. 51 Nomenclature for native species ..................... 16 Environmental Sensors ................................ 52 Exotic herpetofauna of the United States ........ 20 Automated Monitoring of Animals ................ 55 Habitats in the United States ........................... 28 Standards and data management ................... 60 Regional Resources on the amphibians and Permits ............................................................. 60 reptiles of the United States ............................ 29 Chapter 5. Standard Techniques for Chapter 3. Essentials of Sampling Design ............. 35 Inventory and Monitoring ........................................ 61 Scope ............................................................... 35 Introduction ...................................................... 61 Basic concepts ................................................. 35 Selection of techniques .................................... 62 Defining project goals ................................... 35 Techniques with a design component ............. 63 Hitting the target ........................................... 36 Time-constrained searches .......................... 63 Sampling units .............................................. 37 Area-constrained searches ........................... 65 Inventory .......................................................... 37 Quadrat sampling ......................................... 66 Creating species lists .................................... 37 Transect surveys .......................................... 68 Determining species presence/absence....... 38 Active sampling ................................................ 71 Monitoring ........................................................ 38 Hand collecting ............................................. 71 Site occupancy ............................................. 38 Visual encounter surveys ............................. 73 Relative abundance ...................................... 39 Dipnetting and sweep samples .................... 75 Population estimation ................................... 39 Stovepipe sampling ...................................... 76 Kick sampling ............................................... 77 INVENTORY AND MONITORING: RECOMMENDED TECHNIQUES FOR REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS i TABLE OF CONTENTS Egg mass and nest counts ........................... 80 Multiple sampling ........................................ 205 Snorkeling surveys ....................................... 83 Coefficients of association ............................. 205 Electroshocking ............................................ 87 Estimating population size ............................. 205 Auditory surveys ........................................... 89 Mark-recapture ........................................... 206 Basking surveys and basking traps .............. 90 Population estimators ................................. 206 Sign and tracking .......................................... 92 Removal sampling ...................................... 209 Road cruising ................................................ 94 Diversity indices ............................................. 209 Aerial surveys ............................................... 99 Occupancy models ........................................ 210 Easy passive sampling .................................. 100 Chapter 7. Conclusions and Recommendations .. 212 Artificial cover ............................................. 100 The importance of inventory data .................. 212 PVC pipe surveys ....................................... 103 The value of monitoring ................................. 213 Leaf-litterbag surveys ................................. 105 Modification of techniques ............................. 213 Automated recording systems .................... 107 Dissemination of results ................................