Distribution of the boreal chorus frog ( Pseudacris maculata ) in an urban environment using environmental DNA

Four amphibian species occur in the Yukon: Western Toad (Bufo boreas; first verified record in 1961), the Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata, first record in 1995), the Columbia Spotted Frog (Rana luteiventris, first record in 1993), and the Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica; first record in 1933). The Western Toad is restricted to the Liard Basin in five geographically separated areas. Breeding sites have been located on the lower Coal River and vicinity. The Boreal Chorus Frog has been documented from a small area of the lower La Biche River valley near the Yukon-British Columbia-Northwest Territories border. The Columbia Spotted Frog occurs in two widely separated areas, at Bennett Lake in the southwest and in the Liard Basin in the southeast. The Wood Frog is widespread below treeline. Limited survey efforts continue to hinder our knowledge of amphibian distribution. Erratum included.

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Apparent widespread decline of the Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata) in eastern Ottawa

The Canadian Field-Naturalist ◽

10.22621/cfn.v128i2.1579 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 128 (2) ◽

pp. 151 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

David C. Seburn ◽

Kari Gunson ◽

Frederick W. Schueler

Keyword(s):

Forest Cover ◽

Current Status ◽

Future Research ◽

Pseudacris Maculata ◽

Chorus Frogs ◽

Wetland Connectivity ◽

Stochastic Events ◽

Chorus Frog ◽

Wetland Cover

The Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata) was once common in the eastern Ottawa area. To assess its current status, we conducted auditory surveys at 184 wetlands in 2011 and 2012. Boreal Chorus Frogs were heard at only five (2.7%) of the surveyed sites. These five sites were spatially aggregated, with only 0.5–7.5 km between any two sites. Sites occupied by Boreal Chorus Frogs in eastern Ottawa were surrounded by significantly greater agricultural cover (at 1.0-, 1.5-, and 2.0-km radii), less forest cover (1.0- and 2.0-km radii), and less wetland cover (1.5- and 2.0-km radii) than occupied sites in western Ottawa. Sites in eastern Ottawa that were apparently unoccupied were surrounded by significantly greater agricultural cover (only at the 2.0-km radius), similar forest cover (all radii), and less wetland cover (all radii) compared with occupied sites in western Ottawa. Boreal Chorus Frog populations are commonly subject to extirpation resulting from stochastic events. The reduced wetland cover in eastern Ottawa may be accompanied by reduced wetland connectivity, making recolonization of wetlands difficult or impossible. Our data do not show whether wetland connectivity has been reduced, but future research should address this important topic.

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CALL BROADCASTING AND AUTOMATED RECORDERS AS TOOLS FOR ANURAN SURVEYS IN A SUBARCTIC TUNDRA LANDSCAPE

Journal of North American Herpetology ◽

10.17161/jnah.vi1.11893 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 47-52

Author(s):

Gad Perry ◽

R. Nicholas Mannan ◽

David E. Andersen ◽

Clint W. Boal

Keyword(s):

Population Ecology ◽

Wilcoxon Test ◽

Wood Frogs ◽

Lithobates Sylvaticus ◽

Inclement Weather ◽

Pseudacris Maculata ◽

Chorus Frogs ◽

Limited Applicability ◽

Chorus Frog ◽

Breeding Seasons

Relatively little is known about population ecology of anurans in arctic and subarctic tundra regions, in part because it is difficult to survey anurans in these landscapes. Anuran survey protocols developed for temperate regions have limited applicability in arctic and subarctic tundra landscapes, which may lack roads and vehicle access, and experience variable and inclement weather during short anuran breeding seasons. To evaluate approaches to address some of the limitations of surveying anurans in tundra landscapes, we assessed the effectiveness of using breeding call broadcasts to increase detection of Boreal Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris maculata) and Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) near Cape Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. We also evaluated how counts of anurans derived from automated audio recorders compared with those obtained simultaneously by observers. We detected on average 0.4 additional Wood Frogs per survey when we broadcasted calls (x = 0.82, SD = 1.38), an increase of > 40% compared to surveys without broadcasts (x = 1.24, SD = 1.51; Wilcoxon test; Z = 2.73, P = 0.006). In contrast, broadcasting Boreal Chorus Frog calls did not increase the number of chorus frog detections (Wilcoxon test; Z < 0.001, P > 0.90). Detections of Wood Frogs in a 100-m radius were lower via automated recorders (x = 0.60, SD = 0.87 SD) than by observers during simultaneous surveys (x = 0.96, SD = 1.27 Z = 2.07, P = 0.038), but those of Boreal Chorus Frogs were not different (x = 1.72, SD = 1.31;x = 1.44, SD = 1.5; Z = 1.55, P > 0.121). Our results suggest that broadcasting calls can increase detection of Wood Frogs, and that automated recorders are useful in detecting both Wood Frogs and Boreal Chorus Fogs in arctic and subarctic tundra landscapes.

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The effects of hydropattern and predator communities on amphibian occupancy

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2014-0106 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 92 (11) ◽

pp. 927-937 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

S.M. Amburgey ◽

L.L. Bailey ◽

M. Murphy ◽

E. Muths ◽

W.C. Funk

Keyword(s):

Predation Risk ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Elevational Gradient ◽

Predatory Fish ◽

Imperfect Detection ◽

Tiger Salamanders ◽

Pseudacris Maculata ◽

Odonate Larvae ◽

Will Force ◽

Chorus Frog

Complex, interactive ecological constraints regulate species distributions, and understanding these factors is crucial for predicting species persistence. We used occupancy analysis, which corrects for imperfect detection, to test the importance of abiotic and biotic habitat and landscape factors on probability of occupancy by Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata (Agassiz, 1850)) tadpoles. We hypothesized that hydropattern and predators are primarily important because they affect desiccation and predation risk and can interact in ways difficult to predict. We surveyed 62 wetland sites across an elevational gradient in Colorado, USA, and modeled patterns in P. maculata occupancy. Tadpoles were most frequently present in intermediate-length hydropattern systems with lower desiccation risk and no predatory fish because of occasional drying. Pseudacris maculata occupancy had a strong negative relationship with fish presence, while tadpoles, odonate larvae, and Barred Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium mavortium Baird, 1850) frequently co-occurred. Dry seasonal conditions will likely result in fewer intermediate-length hydropattern ponds available for amphibian breeding. We hypothesize that this will force P. maculata to breed in habitats with fish. As habitats shrink, predators that co-occur with P. maculata are expected to concentrate in the remaining habitat and increase predation risk for developing tadpoles (assuming predators are similarly constricted in their habitat use as amphibians are).

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Effects of Hydroperiod Duration on Survival, Developmental Rate, and Size at Metamorphosis in Boreal Chorus Frog Tadpoles (Pseudacris maculata)

Herpetologica ◽

10.1655/herpetologica-d-11-00093 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 68 (4) ◽

pp. 456-467 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Staci Amburgey ◽

W. Chris Funk ◽

Melanie Murphy ◽

Erin Muths

Keyword(s):

Developmental Rate ◽

Pseudacris Maculata ◽

Size At Metamorphosis ◽

Frog Tadpoles ◽

Chorus Frog

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First estimates of the probability of survival in a small-bodied, high-elevation frog (Boreal Chorus Frog, Pseudacris maculata), or how historical data can be useful

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2016-0024 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 94 (9) ◽

pp. 599-606 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

E. Muths ◽

R.D. Scherer ◽

S.M. Amburgey ◽

T. Matthews ◽

A.W. Spencer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Historical Data ◽

A Priori ◽

Common Species ◽

High Elevation ◽

Color Morph ◽

Historical Information ◽

Probability Of Survival ◽

Pseudacris Maculata ◽

Recent Climate ◽

Chorus Frog

In an era of shrinking budgets yet increasing demands for conservation, the value of existing (i.e., historical) data are elevated. Lengthy time series on common, or previously common, species are particularly valuable and may be available only through the use of historical information. We provide first estimates of the probability of survival and longevity (0.67–0.79 and 5–7 years, respectively) for a subalpine population of a small-bodied, ostensibly common amphibian, the Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata (Agassiz, 1850)), using historical data and contemporary, hypothesis-driven information–theoretic analyses. We also test a priori hypotheses about the effects of color morph (as suggested by early reports) and of drought (as suggested by recent climate predictions) on survival. Using robust mark–recapture models, we find some support for early hypotheses regarding the effect of color on survival, but we find no effect of drought. The congruence between early findings and our analyses highlights the usefulness of historical information in providing raw data for contemporary analyses and context for conservation and management decisions.

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Urea is not a universal cryoprotectant among hibernating anurans: Evidence from the freeze-tolerant boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata)

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A Molecular & Integrative Physiology ◽

10.1016/j.cbpa.2012.11.002 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 164 (2) ◽

pp. 344-350 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Steven A. Higgins ◽

David L. Swanson

Keyword(s):

Pseudacris Maculata ◽

Freeze Tolerant ◽

Chorus Frog

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Survey of mercury in boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata) and wood frog (Rana sylvatica) tadpoles from wetland ponds in the Prairie Pothole Region of Canada

FACETS ◽

10.1139/facets-2016-0041 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 315-329 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Stacy A. Boczulak ◽

Mark C. Vanderwel ◽

Britt D. Hall

Keyword(s):

Prairie Pothole Region ◽

Body Burden ◽

Predictive Ability ◽

Rana Sylvatica ◽

Trophic Levels ◽

Wood Frog ◽

Prairie Pothole ◽

Pseudacris Maculata ◽

Frog Tadpoles ◽

Chorus Frog

Tadpoles are important prey items for many aquatic organisms and often represent the largest vertebrate biomass in many fishless wetland ecosystems. Neurotoxic mercury (Hg) can, at elevated levels, decrease growth, lower survival, and cause developmental instability in amphibians. We compared total Hg (THg) body burden and concentration in boreal chorus frog ( Pseudacris maculata) and wood frog ( Rana sylvatica) tadpoles. Overall, body burden and concentration were lower in boreal chorus frog tadpoles than wood frog tadpoles, as expected, because boreal chorus frog tadpoles consume at lower trophic levels. The variables species, stage, and mass explained 21% of total variation for body burden in our models but had negligible predictive ability for THg concentration. The vast majority of the remaining variation in both body burden and THg concentration was attributable to differences among ponds; tadpoles from ponds in three areas had considerably higher THg body burden and concentration. The pond-to-pond differences were not related to any water chemistry or physical parameter measured, and we assumed that differences in wetland geomorphology likely played an important role in determining Hg levels in tadpoles. This is the first report of Hg in frog tadpoles in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America.

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