National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Protocol for Monitoring Aquatic Amphibians in the Mediterranean Coast Network Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Natural Resource Report NPS/MEDN/NRR—2011/474 ON THE COVER (Pacific treefrog, Pseudacris regilla) Photograph by: Katy Semple Delaney, National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Protocol for Monitoring Aquatic Amphibians in the Mediterranean Coast Network Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Natural Resource Report NPS/MEDN/NRR—2011/474 Kathleen Semple Delaney, Seth P. D. Riley, Gary Busteed, and Morgan Robertson National Park Service Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 401 W. Hillcrest Dr. Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 Stacey Ostermann-Kelm, Lena Lee, J. Lane Cameron Mediterranean Coast Network National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program 401 W. Hillcrest Dr. Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 Stephen Hayes University of Idaho Department of Statistical Sciences Brink Hall Moscow, ID 83844-1104 Kathryn Irvine Department of Mathematical Sciences 2-227 Wilson Hall Montana State University Bozeman, MT 59717-2400 September 2011 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate high-priority, current natural resource management information with managerial application. The series targets a general, diverse audience, and may contain NPS policy considerations or address sensitive issues of management applicability. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received formal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on par technically and scientifically with the authors of the information. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available from the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/), the Inventory and Monitoring Program website (http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/medn/vitalsigns/aquaticherpetofauna.cfm), and the Virtual Learning website of the Mediterranean Coast Network (www.mednscience.org). Please cite this publication as: Delaney, K. S., S. P. D. Riley, S. Ostermann-Kelm, L. Lee, J. L. Cameron, G. Busteed, M. Robertson, S. Hayes, and K. Irvine. 2011. Protocol for monitoring aquatic amphibians in the Mediterranean Coast Network: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Natural Resource Report NPS/MEDN/NRR—2011/474. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 638/111984, December 2011 ii Contents Page Figures........................................................................................................................................... vii Tables ............................................................................................................................................. ix Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) ......................................................................................... xi Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... xiii Acknowledgments......................................................................................................................... xv Background and Objectives ............................................................................................................ 1 Rationale for Monitoring Aquatic Amphibians ....................................................................... 1 History of Amphibian Monitoring in the Santa Monica Mountains ........................................ 3 Monitoring Goals and Objectives ............................................................................................ 4 Sampling Design ............................................................................................................................. 5 Target Population ..................................................................................................................... 5 Stratification ............................................................................................................................ 6 Inventory (Sentinel) Sites ........................................................................................................ 6 GRTS Selected Sites ................................................................................................................ 7 Revisit Design .......................................................................................................................... 8 Recommended Seasonal Window for Sampling ..................................................................... 9 Response Design .................................................................................................................... 10 Field Methods ............................................................................................................................... 11 Field Season Preparations and Equipment Setup .................................................................. 11 Sequence of Events during Field Season ............................................................................... 11 Data Collection ...................................................................................................................... 11 Intensive Sampling............................................................................................................ 11 Physical Data ............................................................................................................. 11 iii Contents (continued) Page Biological Data .......................................................................................................... 12 Occupancy Sampling ........................................................................................................ 12 Water Quality Sampling ................................................................................................... 12 Data Management ......................................................................................................................... 15 Data and Metadata Procedures .............................................................................................. 15 Overview of Database Design .......................................................................................... 15 Data Entry, Verification and Editing ................................................................................ 15 Data Certification and Delivery ........................................................................................ 15 Data Archival Procedures ................................................................................................. 16 Data Analysis and Reporting ........................................................................................................ 17 Data Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 17 Data Summaries ................................................................................................................ 17 Methods to Estimate Single Season Occupancy and Detectability ........................... 17 Analysis with Abundance Indices ............................................................................. 18 Analysis to Detect Trend in Occupancy .................................................................... 18 Reporting Schedule ................................................................................................................ 21 Annual Report ................................................................................................................... 21 Trend Report ..................................................................................................................... 21 Personnel Requirements and Training .......................................................................................... 23 Roles and Responsibilities ..................................................................................................... 23 Qualifications ......................................................................................................................... 23 Training .................................................................................................................................. 23 iv Contents (continued) Page Operational Requirements ....................................................................................................