Effects of environmental variables on the calling behaviour of Northern Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens) in Alberta, Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-169
Author(s):  
M.D. Sommers ◽  
L.A. Randall ◽  
R.M.R. Barclay
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Leopard Frog ◽  
Lithobates Pipiens ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Leopard Frogs ◽  
Calling Behaviour ◽  
Calling Activity

Breeding behaviour of Temperate Zone amphibians is influenced by environmental variables, but the initiation of calling (phenology) and influences on calling activity may vary with species and region. We investigated the influence of the timing of ice melt, water temperature, and photoperiod on the breeding phenology of the Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens (Schreber, 1782)) in southern Alberta, Canada, using automated recording units. We also examined the influence of wind speed, relative humidity, water temperature, and time of day on calling activity. The initiation of calling varied by 13 days at our three sites, suggesting that calling was influenced more by water temperature and timing of ice melt than photoperiod. Calling was first observed 8–11 days after ice melt at water temperatures of 7.5–8 °C at our sites. No calling was detected at water temperature <5 °C. We recorded nocturnal and diurnal calling at all sites; >50% of calling was diurnal, even on days with warm overnight temperatures. Calling activity was influenced by time of day, water temperature, wind, and relative humidity. Our results suggest that date of initiation of calling varies considerably among breeding ponds and that the time of day of peak calling varies with both site and water temperature.

scholarly journals Habitat selection by Common Gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) is affected by vegetation structure but not by location of Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) prey

2019 ◽  
Vol 132 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-230
Author(s):  
William D. Halliday ◽  
Gabriel Blouin-Demers
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Leopard Frog ◽  
Thamnophis Sirtalis ◽  
Lithobates Pipiens ◽  
Northern Leopard Frog ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Leopard Frogs ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Selection Of

Understanding the factors affecting habitat selection of species is important for effective management and for conservation because habitat selection affects fitness. We tested the competing, but not mutually exclusive, hypotheses that habitat selection of Common Gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) at a fine spatial scale is driven by vegetation structure or by Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) prey abundance. We conducted surveys for snakes and frogs in six, 1-ha study grids in eastern Ontario in 2014 and 2015. Common Gartersnakes used areas dominated by forbs more than expected based on availability, and used grassy areas less than expected based on availability. Gartersnakes showed no preference for sites with more frogs. Thus, vegetation structure is important in habitat selection of Common Gartersnakes, but Northern Leopard Frog abundance is not. Common Gartersnakes and Northern Leopard Frogs did have a preference for forbs, but gartersnakes do not appear to be using habitat specifically based on frog abundance at a fine scale. Future work should study habitat use by snakes over a longer period to account for high variability in frog abundance and for temporal changes in habitat structure. Future work should also examine the distribution of other prey items in relation to the distribution of snakes.

An Automated Data Logger for Simultaneously Recording Amphibian Vocalizations with Weather Variables

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 117 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. D. Meek
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Barometric Pressure ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Data Logger ◽  
Weather Variables ◽  
Multiple Factors ◽  
Calling Behaviour ◽  
Data Loggers

Understanding the environmental triggers for the calling behaviour of fauna is an important element of biological and ecological knowledge necessary for devising better monitoring and management strategies for wildlife. Amphibians calling is seasonal and in Australia, mostly limited to Spring-Summer (October-March). An investigation was instigated following numerous records of the Sphagnum Frog Philoria sphagnicola calling during periods outside (July) of the standard survey season (August-December). In response to this observation, a data logger was designed and programmed to detect only the calls of P. sphagnicola. At hourly intervals, the data logger recorded the number of frog calls, mean ambient temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, water temperature and barometric pressure. This device differs from data loggers used in other anuran studies in its capacity to record only those calls of the species that it is programmed to detect. Furthermore, the data logger simultaneously records vital environmental variables that are important in trying to decipher the single or multiple factors that may stimulate calling behaviour.

scholarly journals Mollusks (Gastropoda and Bivalvia) of the Multiple-Use Reserve Martín García Island, Río de la Plata River: biodiversity and ecology

2012 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
II César ◽  
SM Martín ◽  
A Rumi ◽  
M Tassara
Keyword(s):  
Dissolved Oxygen ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Sampling Period ◽  
Pomacea Canaliculata ◽  
Rio De La Plata ◽  
Multiple Use ◽  
Río De La Plata ◽  
Oxygen Conductivity ◽  
La Plata

The Island of Martin Garcia is located in the Upper Río de la Plata, to the south of mouth the Uruguay River. The aim of the present study was to analyse the biodiversity of the island freshwater mollusks and their relationships to environmental variables. Twelve sampling sites were selected, five were along the littoral section of the island and seven were Inland ponds. Seven major environmental variables were measured: water and air temperature, percentage of oxygen saturation, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids and pH. Twenty-seven mollusk species were found, Antillorbis nordestensis, Biomphalaria tenagophila tenagophila , B. t. guaibensis, B. straminea, B. peregrina, Drepanotrema kermatoides, D. cimex, D. depressissimum, Chilina fluminea, C. rushii, C. megastoma, Uncancylus concentricus, Hebetancylus moricandi, Stenophysa marmorata, Heleobia piscium, H. parchappii, Potamolithus agapetus, P. buschii, P. lapidum, Pomacea canaliculata, P. megastoma, Asolene platae, Corbicula fluminea, Eupera platensis, Pisidium sterkianum, P. taraguyense and Limnoperna fortunei. UPGMA clustering of species based on their occurrence in different ecological conditions revealed two main species groups. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis suggests that the species distribution is related to the physico-chemical condition of water. Axis two of the ordination diagram displayed the approximately 95.6% of the correlation between species and environmental variables. Dissolved oxygen, conductivity, water temperature and pH showed the highest fluctuations during the sampling period. The species richness (S) showed relationships mainly with water temperature and conductivity. The biodiversity of the gastropods and bivalves from Martín García Island amounts to up to 26 species. Among the Gastropoda, the Planorbidae family made the most sizeable contribution. The Lithogliphidae P. agapetus (26.28%) and P. buschii (9.50%) showed the highest relative frequencies of occurrence within the littoral environments, while the Planorbidae D. cimex (23.83%) and D. kermatoides (11.59%) likewise did so in the inland ponds.

scholarly journals FLUAZIFOP-P-BUTYL EFFICACY AS A FUNCTION OF APPLICATION TIME AND HERBICIDE DOSE

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
L.F. CIESLIK ◽  
R.A. VIDAL ◽  
A.B. MACHADO ◽  
M.M. TREZZI
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Common Bean ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Leaf Angle ◽  
Herbicide Application ◽  
The Common ◽  
Bean Crop

ABSTRACT Grass weeds are common in summer crops and strongly decreases the grain yield of the common bean crop. The time of herbicide application influences the variability of environmental conditions and affects the product performance. The objectives of this work were to identify the time of fluazifop-p-butyl (fluazifop) application which gives best grass weed control in the common bean crop and to elucidate the environmental variables most important for the efficacy of this herbicide. Field experiments were conducted involving five application times (2 a.m., 6 a.m., 11 a.m., 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.) and five doses of fluazifop (80, 110, 140, 170 and 200 g ha-1), with additional no-herbicide control. At the time of the herbicide application it was determined the air temperature, relative humidity, the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and the leaf angle, whereas the weed control and the dry mass of the weed Urochloa plantaginea was assessed at 20 days after treatment (DAT). Efficacy on grass control with fluazifop was dependent on the herbicide dose and on the time of day that the product was applied. Spray at early morning hours (6 a.m.) showed better efficacy on weed control in relation to periods during warmer conditions of the day (11 a.m. and 4 p.m.). Nocturnal fluazifop application had better weed control when compared to herbicide sprayed in the afternoon. The air temperature, relative humidity and PAR were correlated to weed leaf angle, which correlated the most with fluazifop performance.

scholarly journals Effect of glucocorticoids on expression of cutaneous antimicrobial peptides in northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens)

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laetitia Tatiersky ◽  
Louise A. Rollins-Smith ◽  
Ray Lu ◽  
Claire Jardine ◽  
Ian K. Barker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Lithobates Pipiens ◽  
Leopard Frogs ◽  
Northern Leopard Frogs

The role of temperature in microhabitat selection by northern water snakes (Nerodia sipedon)

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian C. Robertson ◽  
Patrick J. Weatherhead
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Manipulation ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Microhabitat Selection ◽  
Nerodia Sipedon ◽  
Leopard Frogs ◽  
Water Snake ◽  
Northern Water Snakes ◽  
Water Snakes ◽  
Circadian Patterns

Using field observations and laboratory experiments we examined the role of temperature in microhabitat selection by an eastern Ontario population of northern water snakes (Nerodia sipedon). From 1349 random transects through a marsh we found that basking activity peaked at 09:00 and then declined steadily until 14:00 before increasing again. Our ability to detect snakes depended upon the microhabitat they occupied, and to the time of day when the snakes were encountered in water. In the field, temperatures of basking snakes averaged (±SE) 26.3 ± 0.7 °C (n = 36), while captive snakes in a thermal gradient showed a narrower selectivity, averaging 27.7 ± 0.4 °C (n = 21). The temperatures of basking snakes never exceeded 33 °C, even though a model snake placed in the sun reached 48 °C, suggesting that the snakes were thermoregulating to prevent overheating. In both the field and enclosures, water snakes basked more frequently as the temperature of the air increased relative to the water. Experimental manipulation of water temperature relative to air temperature revealed that temperature influenced microhabitat selection independently of circadian patterns. Finally, when in water, snakes tended to frequent habitats where leopard frogs (Rana pipiens), a common prey species, were most abundant, suggesting that prey distribution may also be an important component of water snake habitat selection.

Development and Survivorship of Northern Leopard Frogs (Rana pipiens) and Green Frogs (Rana clamitans) Exposed to Contaminants in the Water and Sediments of the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall, Ontario

2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 160-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tana V. McDaniel ◽  
Megan L. Harris ◽  
Christine A. Bishop ◽  
John Struger
Keyword(s):  
Rana Pipiens ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Sediment Quality ◽  
Leopard Frog ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Aquatic Life ◽  
Leopard Frogs ◽  
Water And Sediment ◽  
Northern Leopard Frogs ◽  
St Lawrence River

Abstract High levels of contamination in the aquatic environment and wildlife within the Ontario portion of the St. Lawrence River at the Cornwall Area of Concern (AOC) have raised questions about potential impacts on wildlife health. Northern leopard frog embryos were raised in two wetland sites within the AOC and at two reference sites to assess differences in water and sediment quality on survivorship and deformity rates. Chlorinated hydrocarbons (total polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nutrients and heavy metals were measured in sediment and/or water from the study sites. Levels of some metals such as aluminium, cadmium, chromium and copper, exceeded federal and provincial guidelines for the protection of aquatic life, especially in the two AOC wetlands. Early stage tadpole survivorship was significantly lower and deformity frequency significantly higher at wetlands within the AOC; however, differences were likely not biologically significant. Survivorship and deformity rates of leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) at metamorphosis did not differ significantly among sites. Onset of metamorphosis was accelerated in tadpoles raised in wetlands within the AOC. Tadpoles raised in wetlands within the St. Lawrence River AOC took significantly less time to complete metamorphosis (53–55 days) than did tadpoles raised at reference sites (61–64 days). The phenology of metamorphosis was also more synchronous in tadpoles raised in the AOC, with all tadpoles reaching metamorphosis within a space of 3 to 7 days, as compared to 9 to 12 days at reference wetlands; these differences could not be accounted for by water temperature. Differences in development and survivorship rates between AOC and reference sites may be related to contaminant concentrations in water and sediment. However, no strong evidence for beneficial use impairment in terms of reproductive impairments or elevated deformity rates were seen from caged leopard frogs in the two AOC wetlands.

scholarly journals Using decades of spawning data and hydraulic models to construct a temperature dependent resource selection function for management of an endangered salmonid

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter N Dudley ◽  
Sara N John ◽  
Miles E Daniels ◽  
Eric M. Danner
Keyword(s):  
Water Temperature ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Hydraulic Modeling ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Spawning Habitat ◽  
Increasing Temperature

In North America, impassable, man-made barriers block access to salmonid spawning habitat and require costly restoration efforts in the remaining habitats. Evaluating restored spawning habitat quality requires information on salmon water velocity and depth preferences, which may vary in relation to other variables (e.g. water temperature). We demonstrate a generalizable, low cost method to gather and analyze this data by combining aerial redd surveys of winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), 2D hydraulic modeling, and generalized linear models to calculate spawning resource selection functions (RSFs). Our method permits the examination of interactions between environmental variables on habitat selection, which are frequently treated as independent. Our methods resulted in a RSF that shows interactions between both velocity and depth preference with changing temperature. Preferred depth increased and preferred velocity decreased with increasing temperature. Spawning RSFs for environmental variables may change as other environmental conditions (i.e. water temperature) change, thus it is importance to account for potential interactions when using or producing RSFs.

scholarly journals Investigation of monthly variations in the efficiencies of photovoltaics due to sunrise and sunset times

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 310
Author(s):  
Armstrong O. Njok ◽  
Julie C. Ogbulezie ◽  
Manoj Kumar Panjwani ◽  
Raja Masood Larik
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Solar Energy ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Peak Efficiency ◽  
Pv Module ◽  
Average Relative Humidity ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Monthly Variations ◽  
Different Levels

<p>The effect of time of day and month on the efficient conversion of solar energy to electrical energy using a polycrystalline (PV) module in calabar was studied. A KT-908 precision digital hygrometer and thermometer, and a M890C+ digital multimeter were used in the process. Results obtained shows that photovoltaic produce different levels of peak efficiencies at different times of the day for different months due to the difference in sunrise and sunset times for the months. The results also indicated that photovoltaics will be more efficient in months with low average relative humidity couple with low panel temperature. A peak efficiency of 77% at 12:30 in the month of April was observed before dropping to 73% at 12:00 in the month of May, indicating that there might be further drop in efficiency as we proceed further into the year. Results also show that photovoltaics are more efficient before noon in the month of May than in April while the reverse will be observed in the afternoon. </p>

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