Appendix 56 Management of Montana's Amphibians Management of Montana’s Amphibians: A Review of Factors that may Present a Risk to Population Viability and Accounts on the Identification, Distribution, Taxonomy, Habitat Use, Natural History and the Status and Conservation of Individual Species A Report (Order Number 43-0343-0-0224) to: Northern Regional Office (Region 1) USDA Forest Service 200 East Broadway, P.O Box 7669 Missoula, Montana 59807 Submitted by: Bryce A. Maxell September 20, 2000 Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula, Montana 59812 Suggested Citation: Maxell, B.A. 2000. Management of Montana’s amphibians: a review of factors that may present a risk to population viability and accounts on the identification, distribution, taxonomy, habitat use, natural history, and the status and conservation of individual species. Report to USFS Region 1, Order Number 43-0343-0-0224. University of Montana, Wildlife Biology Program. Missoula, Montana. 161 pp. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Overview………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 Table of Presence and Status Ranks for Amphibians on National Forests in Montana…… 6 Table of General Habitat Types and Associated Amphibian Species in Montana…………. 7 Ecological Function and Importance………………………………………………………….. 8 Amphibian Biology and Disturbance Regimes Relevant to Management Decisions………..9 Risk Factors Relevant to the Viability of Amphibian Populations…………………………. 10 Global Amphibian Declines………………………………………………………………… 10 Timber Harvest……………………………………………………………………………… 12 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………… 14 Livestock Grazing…………………………………………………………………………... 15 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………… 16 Fire and Fire Management Activities……………………………………………………….. 17 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………… 18 Nonindigenous Species and Their Management……………………………………………. 19 Impacts of Nonindigenous Fish……………………………………………………….. 19 Impacts of Chemical Management of Sport Fisheries………………………………... 19 Impacts of Nonindigenous Bullfrogs…………………………………………………. 20 Impacts of Nonindigenous Species as Vectors for Pathogens………………………... 21 Impacts of Weeds and Weed and Pest Management Activities………………………. 21 Research and Management Suggestions………………………….…………………... 22 Road and Trail Development and On/Off-Road Vehicle Use………………………………. 24 Road Kill……………………………………………………………………………… 24 Off-Road Vehicle Impacts…………………………………………………………….. 24 Chemical Contamination and Sedimentation from Roads……………………………. 25 Research and Management Suggestions ……………………………………………... 25 Development and Management of Water Impoundments and Recreational Facilities……... 27 Water Impoundments…………………………………………………………………. 27 Recreational Facilities………………………………………………………………… 28 Research and Management Suggestions.……………………………………………... 28 Harvest and Commerce……………………………………………………………………... 30 Research and Management Suggestions.……………………………………………... 30 Metapopulation Impacts…………………………………………………………………….. 31 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………… 31 Inventory and Monitoring Efforts…………………………………………………………... 33 Standardized Data Form for Lentic Breeding Amphibian and Aquatic Reptile Surveys.….. 35 Standardized Data Form for Incidental Observations of Amphibians and Reptiles.……….. 39 Literature Cited……………………………………………………………………………… 41 (Table of Contents Continued Below) 3 Species Accounts For Species Documented in Montana……………………………………..56 Long-toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum)……………………………………… 56 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………… 58 Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)…………………………………………………... 61 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………… 63 Coeur d’Alene Salamander (Plethodon idahoensis)……………………………………….. 68 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………… 69 Rocky Mountain Tailed Frog (Ascaphus montanus) = (Ascaphus truei)…………………… 74 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………… 76 Plains Spadefoot (Scaphiopus bombifrons)…………………………………………………. 80 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………… 82 Boreal Toad (Bufo boreas boreas) = Western Toad (Bufo boreas)………………………… 85 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………… 89 Great Plains Toad (Bufo cognatus)………………………………………………………… 101 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………... 102 Canadian Toad (Bufo hemiophrys)………………………………………………………… 106 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………... 108 Woodhouse’s Toad (Bufo woodhousei)…………………………………………………… 110 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………... 112 Pacific Treefrog (Hyla regilla) = (Pseudacris regilla)…………………………………….. 115 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………... 117 Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata) = (Pseudacris triseriata maculata)………….. 121 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………... 123 Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)……………………………………………………………….. 126 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………... 129 Columbia Spotted Frog (Rana luteiventris)………………………………………………... 134 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………... 138 Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)……………………………………………………..142 Research and Management Suggestions……………………………………………... 146 Species Accounts For Species Potentially Present in Montana………….………………… 155 Idaho Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon atterimus)………………………………………... 155 Great Basin Spadefoot (Scaphiopus intermontanus)………………………………………. 158 Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)………………………………………………………………..160 4 OVERVIEW Amphibians play important ecological roles in transferrring energy up the food chain and shaping terrestrial and aquatic communities. In addition they may serve as valuable bioindicators of the health of certain environments. Unfortunately, some amphibian populations around the world and in Montana have recently, or are currently, undergoing declines and extirpations. Direct and indirect impacts from a variety of human activities may affect the viability of amphibian populations in Montana. Because they have complex life cycles with life history stages that require specific breeding, foraging, and overwintering habitats that may be spatially separate, management actions designed to ensure population viability must consider a complex set of habitats and a complex set of human activities that may present a risk to one or more life history stage. This document summarizes current knowledge on the distribution, status, and resource needs of Montana’s amphibians in individual species accounts and reviews a variety of human activities that may pose a risk to their viability. Species that deserve special management attention include those currently listed as USFS Region 1 Sensitive Species (Coeur d’Alene salamander (Plethodon idahoensis), boreal toad (Bufo boreas boreas) and northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens)) as well as two species (plains spadefoot toad (Scaphiopus bombifrons) and the Great Plains toad (Bufo cognatus)) that currently lack a special management status, but deserve special attention because of the extremely low numbers of observations (< 40) and a lack of knowledge of their status, biology, and habitat use in the state. General activities that may pose a risk to population viability include timber harvest, grazing, fire and fire management activities, nonindigenous species and their management, road and trail development, on and off road vehicle use, development and management of water impoundments and recreational facilities, and the impact of habitat loss and fragmentation on regional sets of populations or metapopulations. While the extent of the impact of these and other activities is poorly understood a cautious approach to the management of these activities is justified in light of recent declines of amphibians around the world and in Montana. It is recommended that users of this document first use the tables at the beginning of the document to identify management status, likelihood of a species presence in the area of interest, and the complement of amphibian species that are typically found in each general habitat type. Users should then examine individual species accounts and risk factors in order gain a more thorough understanding of a species distribution, status, resource needs, factors that may pose a threat to population viability, and management actions that may mitigate these threats. Local personnel are encouraged to attend training courses in conducting surveys for amphibians in order to ensure that survey efforts are somewhat standardized. Surveys conducted to identify whether amphibians are present in a given watershed or at a given site should record survey results on the attached standardized data forms and should submit this information to the author and/or the database at the Montana Natural Heritage Program. Ideally local survey efforts should be coordinated with regional inventory efforts. 5 Presence and Status Ranks for Amphibians on National Forests in Montana Common and R1 USFS Heritage Beaverhead Lewis & Scientific Name Status Ranks -Deerlodge Bitterroot Custer Flathead Gallatin Helena Kootenai Clark Lolo Long-toed Salamander No Special S5 Present Present Not in Present Outside Present Present Present Present (Ambystoma macrodactylum) Status Part Entire Range Entire Range Part Entire Part Entire Tiger Salamander No Special S5 Present Outside Present Not in Present Outside Present Presence Outside (Ambystoma tigrinum) Status Part Range Entire Range Entire Range Part Possible Range Coeur d' Alene Salamander Sensitive S2 Outside Present Outside Outside Outside Outside Present Outside Present (Plethodon idahoensis) Species