ALASKA WOOD FROG MONITORING PROJECT:
Where
are the Wood Frogs?
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LINKS FOR ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ALASKA WOOD FROG MONITORING PROJECT: BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Wood Frog Project Overview (.pdf 201 KB)
SURVEY INSTRUCTIONS:
How to Conduct a Backyard
Survey (.pdf 306 KB) How to Conduct a Roadside
Survey (.pdf 329 KB) How to Conduct an Incidental
Survey (.pdf 287 KB) LISTEN to
examples of the Wood Frog Calling Index: Category 3 (.mp3 159 KB) DATA FORMS
Site Description Form (.pdf 84 KB) Wood Frog Observation Data Sheet (.pdf 280 KB) Electronic Version of Data Forms (.doc 246 KB) RESULTS(2006 Results)
The Alaska Wood Frog Monitoring Program
is a project of the Alaska Citizen Science Program, a partnership
including the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chugach National Forest, The Alaska Zoo, and The Alaska Natural Heritage Program.
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WE WANT YOU!
We’re looking for individuals, families, clubs,
or groups - anyone who wants to learn more about amphibians and wetlands in
South Central and Interior Alaska. The
ALASKA WOOD FROG MONITORING PROJECT is a volunteer based effort designed to
assess the current status of WOOD FROGS in Southcentral and Interior Alaska.
The goal is to learn where they live, what habitats they’re found in, and to
establish a baseline for future monitoring.
This project provides a unique and fun opportunity for individuals,
groups, schools, and kids of all ages to learn about amphibian ecology and to
get outside and explore our wild Alaskan backyard – at the same time
contributing valuable information to amphibian researchers in the state. WONDERFUL
WOOD FROGS
Alaska has six native amphibian species: three species of salamander, one toad, and
two frog species. The wood frog (Rana
sylvatica) is the most widely distributed amphibian in Alaska and is the
only amphibian in the world found north of the Arctic Circle. These fascinating frogs have evolved a
truly unique adaptation for surviving the extreme cold of Arctic winters: They can freeze solid! AMPHIBIANS
IN TROUBLE
Amphibian species are
declining drastically worldwide, while reports of malformed wood frogs are on
the rise in Alaska and across the rest of the country. Scientists in Alaska and throughout the
world are working hard to determine the causes and impacts of these global phenomena. Amphibians are excellent indicators of
environmental health because they are very sensitive to environmental
contamination, pollution, habitat loss, and climate change. Problems with amphibians are often our
first warning of problems in our shared environment, and reports of malformed
wood frogs are increasing in Alaska. A
LACK OF INFORMATION
Although wood frogs have been
found from the Brooks Range to the Alaska and Kenai Peninsulas, scientists
know very little about their actual distribution in Alaska, and even less
about their population status. This
same lack of information means that we have a poor understanding of what
constitutes good wood frog habitat. YOU
CAN HELP!
We are asking you to help solve these mysteries
by gathering baseline data on wood frog distribution and habitat. We provide the training, background, and
materials, and you provide actual data to scientists! Do it yourself with the materials
included in the links below, or attend a civic or classroom presentation in
your area first (See Wood
Frog Project Overview). HOW?
Surveys involve simply visiting a wetland
during the mating season and listening for wood frog “calls” for 3 minutes
and filling out some simple data sheets.
You will use a simple, Calling Intensity Index to estimate the
number of frogs calling. Click on the links below to hear wood frog calling
in each of these categories. WOOD FROG CALLING INTENSITY INDEX
You can choose to survey one location for one
night, one location for several nights (see How to do a Backyard
Survey), or a roadside route of up to 10 locations for several nights
through the calling season (see How to do a Roadside
Survey). Even if you just
happen to see or hear a wood frog or other amphibian while out and about, we
want to know about it (see How to do an
Incidental Survey). WHERE?
Throughout Southcentral and Interior Alaska - Virtually anywhere that
has standing water for at least part of the summer qualifies as potential
frog habitat. Lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes, temporary pools - even roadside
ditches - anywhere that has standing water for at least part of the
summer. These surveys can be done
easily from backyard ponds, neighborhood bogs, or roadside wetlands. WHEN?
Approximately April 25 — June 10. They are expected to emerge from
hibernation sometime in late April or early May, depending on temperature and
snow cover. More southerly areas may
start hearing frogs around the last week in April. Sites further north, such as Talkeetna, will probably not hear
frogs calling until mid-May. But you
never know!!! You may run the survey as many times as you like until you no longer
hear frogs calling. For best results,
start visiting your site(s) before you hear the first frog calls and continue
until the frogs are no longer calling.
It is estimated that this will be a two to three week period. CONTACT: If you or your group, class, or organization
would like to participate in wood frog surveys, are interested in finding out
about or scheduling a wood frog presentation for your classroom or citizen
group, or simply have any questions, please contact: Dave Tessler Alaska Department of
Fish and Game 333 Raspberry Road,
Anchorage, AK 99518 phone: (907)
267-2332 fax: (907) 267-2433 email: david_tessler@fishgame.state.ak.us |
Last updated April 30, 2007 |