Changes in a Lake County post-restoration amphibian community over 10 years Changes in a ...

37 Pages·2015·8.11 MB·English

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Outline
• Site History
• Sources of Degradation
• Baseline Amphibian
Community
• Restoration History
• Post-Restoration
Monitoring & Changes in
Amphibian Community
• Reintroduction Feasibility
& Implementation
• Further Restoration &
Emerging Issues
2
Site History of MacArthur Woods
Forest Preserve
• Largest continuous tract
of forest in Lake County
• Flatwoods Wetland
Habitat
• Degraded by Several
Factors:
(cid:1)
Agricultural Drainage Tile
(cid:1)
European Buckthorn
(Rhamnus cathartica)
Invasion
(cid:1)
Fire Suppression
(cid:1)
Lack of Oak-Hickory
Regeneration
3
Loss of Amphibian Diversity
During the 1980s and 1990s, three
characteristic flatwoods
amphibians declined and were
extirpated from MacArthur Woods:
(cid:1)
Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma
maculatum)
(cid:1)
Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus)
(cid:1)
Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer)
4
Pre-Restoration Community
Amphibian species detected:
(cid:1)
Blue-spotted salamander (Ambystoma
laterale)
(87% of captures)
(cid:1)
American toad (Anaxyrus americanus)
(10% of captures)
(cid:1)
Western chorus frog (Pseudacris triseriata)
(2% of captures)
(cid:1)
Northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens)
(< 1% of captures)
5
Habitat Restoration
• Hydrologic Restoration
• European Buckthorn Removal
• Prescribed Burns
• Replanting of Native Species
6
Post-Restoration Amphibian
Monitoring
• How has amphibian
diversity changed since
restoration?
• Has natural
recolonization of
extirpated species
occurred?
• Is reintroduction
needed and if so, is it
feasible?
7
Post-Restoration Sampling
• Used terrestrial and
aquatic techniques
to determine
amphibian species
richness
• Used visual
encounter surveys,
dip-net and cover
surveys to determine
amphibian richness
of five neighboring
preserves
8
Post-Restoration Community
Used capture data from 2004-
2014 from six ponds to
compare changes in:
• Amphibian richness (S) and
relative abundances
• Amphibian diversity (H’) over
time
(cid:1)
Among ponds and for
overall site
9
Study Ponds
6
Pond 1: Edge, temporary
2
Pond 2: Interior, temporary 1
5
Pond 3: Interior, temporary
3
Pond 4: Interior, temporary
Pond 5: Floodplain, semi-
4
permanent
Pond 6: Oxbow, flashy
10