A comparison in Colorado of three methods to monitor breeding amphibians

Product Type: Journal Article

Year: 2000

Author(s): Corn, P.S., E. Muths, and W.M. Iko

Suggested Citation:
Corn, P.S., E. Muths, and W.M. Iko. 2000. A comparison in Colorado of three methods to monitor breeding amphibians. Northwestern Naturalist 81(1): 22-30.

Abstract

We surveyed amphibians at 4 montane and 2 plains lentic sites in northern Colorado using 3 techniques: standardized call surveys, automated recording devices (frog-loggers), and intensive surveys included capture-recapture techniques. Amphibians were observed at 5 sites. Species richness varied from 0 to 4 species at each site. Richness course, the sums of species richness among sites, were similar among methods: 8 for call surveys, 10 for frog-loggers, and 11 for intensive surveys (9 if the non-vocal salamander Ambystoma tigrinum is excluded). The frog-logger at 1 site uncovered Spea bombifrons which was not active during the times when call and intensive surveys were conducted. Relative abundance scores from call surveys failed to reflect a relatively large population of Bufo woodhousii at 1 site and only weakly differentiated among different-sized populations of Pseudacris maculata at 3 other sites. For extensive applications, call surveys have the lowest costs and fewest requirements for highly trained personnel. However, for a variety of reason, call surveys cannot be used with equal effectiveness in all parts of North America.