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Estimating Occupancy in Large Landscapes: Evaluation of Amphibian Monitoring in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

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Abstract

Monitoring of natural resources is crucial to ecosystem conservation, and yet it can pose many challenges. Annual surveys for amphibian breeding occupancy were conducted in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks over a 4-year period (2006–2009) at two scales: catchments (portions of watersheds) and individual wetland sites. Catchments were selected in a stratified random sample with habitat quality and ease of access serving as strata. All known wetland sites with suitable habitat were surveyed within selected catchments. Changes in breeding occurrence of tiger salamanders, boreal chorus frogs, and Columbia-spotted frogs were assessed using multi-season occupancy estimation. Numerous a priori models were considered within an information theoretic framework including those with catchment and site-level covariates. Habitat quality was the most important predictor of occupancy. Boreal chorus frogs demonstrated the greatest increase in breeding occupancy at the catchment level. Larger changes for all 3 species were detected at the finer site-level scale. Connectivity of sites explained occupancy rates more than other covariates, and may improve understanding of the dynamic processes occurring among wetlands within this ecosystem. Our results suggest monitoring occupancy at two spatial scales within large study areas is feasible and informative.

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Acknowledgments

Christie Hendrix and Sue Wolff, and other personnel from Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, Big Sky Institute and Idaho State University supported multiple aspects of permits, logistics and administration. Robert Klaver compiled catchment delineation data from the USGS EROS Data Center. Larissa Bailey (Colorado State University) provided assistance as consultant for sample design, statistical issues, and field methods. Chris Brown and Donn Holmes (USGS) supported data management. Cathie Jean (NPS GRYN) made important contributions in the design and planning of this work. Erin Muths and two anonymous reviewers provided constructive comments that strengthened the paper. We thank our numerous field assistants for their hard work in often arduous conditions. Funding for this research was provided by the NPS GRYN, NMSU College of Business and USGS ARMI. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. This is contribution number 396 of the U.S. Geological Survey Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Statistics Program, New Mexico State University, P.O. Box 30001, MSC 3CQ, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA

    William R. Gould

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, 83209, USA

    Debra A. Patla & Charles R. Peterson

  3. National Park Service, Greater Yellowstone Network, 2327 University Way, Suite 2, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA

    Rob Daley & Robert Bennetts

  4. U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, 790 E. Beckwith, Missoula, MT, 59801, USA

    Paul Stephen Corn & Blake R. Hossack

  5. Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA

    Blake R. Hossack

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  1. William R. Gould
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  2. Debra A. Patla
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  3. Rob Daley
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  4. Paul Stephen Corn
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  5. Blake R. Hossack
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  6. Robert Bennetts
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  7. Charles R. Peterson
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Correspondence to William R. Gould.

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Gould, W.R., Patla, D.A., Daley, R. et al. Estimating Occupancy in Large Landscapes: Evaluation of Amphibian Monitoring in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Wetlands 32, 379–389 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-012-0273-0

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