monitoring of measures to maintain connectivity for amphibians in

MONITORING OF
MEASURES TO MAINTAIN
CONNECTIVITY FOR
AMPHIBIANS IN AN
URBANIZING LANDSCAPE
Chris Parent
North-South
Environmental Inc.
D r. L o r n e B e n n e t t
Department of
Geography
University of Guelph
Samantha Hughes
North-South
Environmental Inc.
BACKGROUND
 On October 1 , 2012 City
Council approved a Draf t Plan
of Subdivision to permit the
development of 409 residential
units within a 23 ha proper ty in
the City of Guelph.
*
STUDY AREA
Proper ty consists of old-field cultural meadow with ponds, wetlands
and remnant patches of deciduous forest. Proper ty is bordered to the
south by a mosaic of forest and wetlands.
STUDY AREA
Wetland 1 is par t of the Hall’s Pond Provincially Significant Wetland
Complex and was identified as Significant Wildlife Habitat because it
functions as amphibian breeding habitat.
OVERVIEW
Draf t Plan of Subdivision includes a wildlife corridor and two crossing
structures beneath the extension of Poppy Drive East. These measures
are intended to suppor t amphibian movement between Wetland 1 and
other habitat located to the southeast.
OVERVIEW
 The proponent is required to prepare and implement a
comprehensive monitoring program as a Condition of Draf t Plan
Approval.
 The monitoring program provides an excellent oppor tunity to
document the impacts of urbanization on the existing amphibian
populations of the subject proper ty and to assess the ef fectiveness
of the wildlife corridor and associated crossing structures in
maintaining
landscape
connectivity
for
amphibians
under
post-development conditions.
 This monitoring program is being implemented by Nor th-South
Environmental Inc. in association with Dr. Lorne Bennett.
The
monitoring program benefits from extensive contributions by
volunteers.
OVERVIEW
 The amphibian monitoring program was initiated in April, 2013 to
document existing (i.e. pre-construction) conditions. Monitoring will
extend through the period of construction (initiated in April, 2014)
and will continue for at least two years post-construction.
 This presentation provides preliminar y results from the 2013 and
2014 monitoring seasons.
METHODOLOGY
 Capture-Mark-Recapture study
with the following
components:
 Wetland 1 drift fence and
pitfall traps
 Road mortality surveys of
Hawkins Drive and Clair Road
East
 Visual Encounter Surveys of
other amphibian habitat
located along the periphery
of the subject property
 Calling Amphibian Sur veys
DRIFT FENCE AND PITFALL TRAPS
 54 pitfall traps (19 L plastic buckets) installed at 10 m inter vals
along both sides of approximately 250 m of drif t fence
 Traps opened three nights/week from mid- April to late October
ROAD MORTALIT Y SURVEYS
 Approximately 350 m of Hawkins Drive and Clair Road East
 Completed at least three nights/week from mid- April to late October
VISUAL ENCOUNTER SURVEYS
 Sur veys completed approximately weekly (June until mid-September)
MEASUREMENT AND MARKING
 The species and length of all
captured amphibians are
determined and recorded.
 To permit the identification of
patterns of movement,
captured amphibians are
marked with Visible Implant
Elastomer (VIE) tags of
dif ferent colours based on
their location of capture.
 Captured amphibians are
generally released at their
point of capture.
CALLING AMPHIBIAN SURVEYS
 Auditor y sur veys of calling
amphibians are completed at
Wetland 1 and a control site.
Sur veys are completed per the
Marsh Monitoring Protocol.
 Sur veys are completed weekly
between mid- April and mid-July
to improve the likelihood of
detecting cr yptic species such
as explosive breeders.
 Wetland 1 sur vey results
confirmed by an automated
recording system – Wildlife
Acoustics Song Meter SM2+
TOTAL CAPTURES AT
DRIFT FENCE AND PITFALL TRAPS
2014
2013
Recapture
Recapture
Initial
Initial
2798
1448
607
501
305
106
1
168
18
137
8 28
1 29
To t a l = 3 57 0
108
0
0 21
84
3 23
2 18
2 49
10 4
131
To t a l = 3 4 0 6
233
21
0 45
0 2
2144
PITFALL TRAPS AND DRIFT FENCE SEGMENT 1
2013
Recapture
2014
Initial
Recapture
1
1
2
3
4
2
3
Initial
4
5
5
1- American Toad, 2- Green Frog, 3-Leopard Frog, 4-Red Ef t, 5-Wood Frog
PITFALL TRAPS AND DRIFT FENCE SEGMENT 3
2013
Recapture
2014
Initial
Recapture
1
1
2
3
4
2
3
Initial
4
5
5
1- American Toad, 2- Green Frog, 3-Leopard Frog, 4-Red Ef t, 5-Wood Frog
ROAD MORTALIT Y SURVEYS:
TOTAL OBSERVATIONS
2013
2014
1
1
18 17
2
26 27
35
154
203
572
479
15
185
87
8
To t a l = 6 2 8
To t a l = 1 2 0 2
VISUAL ENCOUNTER SURVEYS:
TOTAL CAPTURES OF FOUR SPECIES
2013
Recapture
2014
Initial
Recapture
Initial
404
504
335
172
152
113
62
0
11
2
American Toad
Green Frog
Leopard Frog
74
50
Wood Frog
S e a r c h E f f o r t = 1 9 8 Pe r s o n - H o u r s
1
21
15
American Toad
Green Frog
Leopard Frog
20
Wood Frog
S e a r c h E f f o r t = 1 8 5 Pe r s o n - H o u r s
VES - POND 1
2013
Recapture
2014
Initial
Recapture
79
58
57
60
31
15
American Toad
Green Frog
Initial
4
Leopard Frog
4
Wood Frog
S e a r c h E f f o r t = 16 6 9 p e r s o n - m i n u te s
20
9
American Toad
Green Frog
Leopard Frog
Wood Frog
S e a r c h E f f o r t = 16 6 8 p e r s o n - m i n u te s
VES - POND 3
2013
Recapture
2014
Initial
Recapture
Initial
265
148
149
63
American Toad
Green Frog
25
16
Leopard Frog
Wood Frog
S e a r c h E f f o r t = 3 47 5 p e r s o n - m i n u te s
9
American Toad
88
16
65
Green Frog
6
Leopard Frog
10
Wood Frog
S e a r c h E f f o r t = 2 6 2 2 p e r s o n - m i n u te s
MOVEMENT PATTERNS 2013
MOVEMENT PATTERNS 2014
MOVEMENT AWAY FROM WETLAND 1 2013
MOVEMENT AWAY FROM WETLAND 1 2014
CALLING AMPHIBIAN SURVEYS
2013
Gray Treefrog
3
3
3
2
1
1 1 1
1
2
3
3
3
Leopard Frog
3
Spring Peeper
Wood Frog
3
2
2
1
3
Green Frog
1
4
5
11
6
1
7
1
8
1
9
11
10
1
11
11
12
1
13
1
14
15
2014
Gray Treefrog
3
3
3
Green Frog
3
2
1
3
4
Wood Frog
2
1
2
Spring Peeper
3
2
1
Leopard Frog
5
1
6
1 1
7
1
8
1
9
1
10
11
PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS
 Standard sur veys completed during
Environmental Impact Study found
seven species of amphibians within
the subject proper ty. Monitoring
completed to date has recorded two
additional species: Red-spotted Newt
and Bullfrog.
 Composition of amphibian community
appear s to be changing with apparent
declines in 2014 of Wood Frog and
Leopard Frog.
 Amphibian movement patterns in
2014 were similar to those obser ved
in 2013 despite topsoil removal and
grading.
How will the amphibian community
respond as develop proceeds?
Stay
tuned for future monitoring results!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Adam McClelland
Jessica Frigault
Alexa Sohm
Joseph Lance
Amanda Puopolo
Karley Wright
Amanda Shamas
Katelyn Dament
Amy Dean
Katrina Krievins
Amy Nicoll
Laura McPhie
Andrea Power
Lauren Lucyk
Andy Chand
Mark Sohm
Annie Bennett
Matthew Ducak
Carley Fraser
Maxx Iannone
Catherine Falardeau Marcoux
Michael Rinaldo
Chris Ho
Natasha Turl
Danielle Halasah
Peter Coady
Darrelle Moffat
Robyn Thomas
Helen Marie-Teo
Sarah Henderson
Jaclyn Scobie
Steven Kell
Jennifer Gordon
Tony Zammit
Special Thanks to Melanie Allard
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Chris Parent
North-South Environmental Inc.
35 Crawford Crescent, Suite U5
P.O. Box 518
Campbellville, Ontario
L0P 1B0
Telephone: (905) 854-1112
Email: cparent@nsenvironmental.com