Table of Contents Executive Summary 2



Download 181.31 Kb.
Page9/9
Date03.06.2017
Size181.31 Kb.
#20021
1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9

Further Research Needs


INTRO PARAGRAPH

    • Culvert Data – More comprehensive culvert data would be useful to determine replacement needs. Specifically, it should be noted that data pertaining to size and the date of last replacement for each culvert are not available in digital format at this time; it will take a substantial amount of time and effort to compile this data into a usable format. In addition, it will be necessary to collect data regarding the average “wetness” of the culverts contained within the study area. The amount of water that flows through a culvert dictates whether or not an amphibian would be capable of passing through it (Andrews 2003). Since such a database does not currently exist, it will be necessary to develop one before the metric can be truly completed.

  • Endangered Species Data - It should be noted that the endangered species database for the state of Vermont has not been updated since 1997 (VT FWS 1997); this data may need to be updated accordingly. This may be done, specifically for amphibians, utilizing town-level documented species data for the state. This data, developed as part of the Vermont Biodiversity Project, is available through the Vermont Center for Geographic Information and was most recently updated in 2000 (Buford 2000).

    • Known Crossing Sites – It is important to include all known sites of high amphibian mortality (due to road crossings) in the state, and any known sites of high amphibian movement/migration. This data will aid in determining which areas are most in need of amphibian crossing structures. However, such data has not been compiled as of date (Hoffman 2003) and will therefore need to be collected and put into digital format before addition to the metric.

    • Species Distribution, Density and Diversity – Data is lacking as to exactly where amphibian populations occur in Vermont. For this project, we could only consider wetlands and other habitat where amphibians may be likely to occur. It would be more helpful to know those locations where, indeed, they do occur.

    • More Information On Locations of Vernal Pools - The state currently provides access to National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) wetland location maps for the state. However, NWI maps are developed at a 1:250,000 scale (Tuggle and Wilen 2003), and all of the data available carries a disclaimer regarding the inherent limitations of data developed at this scale (US FWS 2003). Essentially, in treeless areas, wetlands ¼ of an acre and larger are accurately depicted, in forested areas, the minimum wetland size depicted ranges between 1 and 3 acres (CGDB 2003, WGISC 2003). This means that although wetlands provide an ideal habitat for most amphibians, not all wetlands within the state will be included in the analysis of available habitat. This is especially true for small, temporary wetlands, such as vernal pools. We recommend the collection of data on the location of these important habitats.

    • Global Populations - A lack of clear scientific understanding is the largest hurdle in addressing the global amphibian crisis. A majority of our current understanding is from the US, Europe, and Australia, all of which are areas of relatively low amphibian diversity (Houlahan et al 2000). The fact that large-scale declines have been observed in many isolated and relatively undisturbed sites can be extrapolated to mean that numerous declines have and are occurring in poorly documented sites with high diversity (Young et al 2001). Latin America is a strong example of the lack of scientific understanding and the implications of this issue. Latin America contains over half of the world’s amphibian richness, some declines have been documented, but it is estimated that 5-10% of the species in Latin America are undocumented. Because of this it is impossible to fully understand and quantify population declines (Young et al 2001).

Cause of Global Decline - Current research has found numerous sources of local population mortality, but a clear global causative agent is lacking. Due to the sensitive nature of amphibian species it is possible that a host of different stresses are working synergistically to harm populations globally. Further research is needed to document all amphibian populations, particularly those in the lesser studied areas of high diversity. Many of the studies suggest that protecting habitat is only a beginning due to the insidious nature of some of the threats such as UV-B radiation. The fact that many of the identified causative agents can not be easily reversed emphasizing the importance of identifying and remediating all other mechanisms such as Atrazine to reduce the stresses on amphibian populations and reduce the risk of global extinctions

Long-term recommendations for VTRANS


INTRO PARAGRAPH

    • Larger Culverts - Our research has indicated that most amphibians found within the state are likely to move through larger culverts, as they allow more natural light to pass through. They are also more conducive to the long-term maintenance of natural ground cover throughout, providing further appeal to amphibians. Finally, it should also be noted that larger culverts are more likely to have room to allow for both water flow and amphibian passage (Andrews 2003).

    • Focus on Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species - This is not only for environmental purposes but political purposes as well; amphibians carry a public stigma and thus funds will be more readily available to develop crossing alternatives if rare or threatened species are at the forefront of the issue (Andrews 2003).

    • Focus on Areas with High Species Density and/or Diversity - It makes the most sense, both in terms of environmental conditions and economic conditions, to first consider sites that are surrounded by a high density and diversity of amphibians. This idea plays into the policy of getting the “most bang for your buck”.

    • Addition of Raised Structures Within Culverts with Regularly Flowing Water - While most amphibians require a moist environment, a culvert with consistently flowing water would not provide an ideal crossing environment. The state should consider installing culverts with modifications that would allow the amphibians to bypass the water flow (i.e. culverts with raised centers, designed to provide a transport route while directing channel flow along either side of the route).

    • Replacement of Culverts on an As-Needed Basis - Logically, it is most cost-effective to replace culverts only when they need to be replaced due to structural damage to either the culvert itself or the road above it. Therefore, we recommend that the final culverts selected to serve as amphibian crossings be replaced on an “as-needed” schedule (unless ecologic conditions dictate replacement sooner), to reduce costs to the state and ultimately, to taxpayers.

    • Focus on Sites with Documented Road Mortality - Since there have been documented amphibian mortality problems at these sites, it would be helpful to both motorists and the environment to take action.

    • Focus on Sites with High Traffic Intensity - If necessary (if the selection processes described above yield a high number of potential sites), traffic volume data may be used to further prioritize sites. If this is the case, we suggest that the above prioritizations be followed, but within each category, those sites with the largest amount of traffic volume be considered for action first.

    • Adaptive Management - Finally, as with any project designed to address specific environmental problems, the practice of adaptive management will need to be implemented to garner the most successful results. The true outcome of a project can never be known until it has been implemented in the real world; if problems or complications arise, it will be necessary to go back to the original plans and alter them accordingly.

    • GO MORE INTO ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT

References

Ashley, E. P., and J. T. Robinson. 1996. Road mortality of amphibians, reptiles, and other wildlife on the Long Point Causeway, Lake Erie, Ontario. Canadian Field Naturalist 110:403-412.


Bartlet, P. E. 2000. A biophysical analysis of habitat selection in western toads (Bufo boreas) in southeastern Idaho. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Idaho State University, Pocatello.
Bayliss, P. 1995. The ecology of the post-metamorphic Bufo marinus in Central Amazonian Savanna, Brazil. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Berven, K. A., and T. A. Grudzien. 1990. Dispersal in the wood frog (Rana sylvatica): Implications for genetic population structure. Evolution 44:2047-2056.
Cash, W. B. 1994. Herpetofaunal diversity of a temporary wetland in the southeast Atlantic coastal plain. M.S. thesis. Georgia Southern University, Statesboro.
Clevenger, A. P., M. McIvor, D. McIvor, B. Chruszcz, and K. Gunson. 2001. Tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum, movements and mortality on the Trans-Canada highway in southwestern Alberta. Canadian Field-Naturalist 115:199-204.

Cofrin Center for Biodiversity. 2003. Phylum: Craniata (Chordata). Class Amphibia. http://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/biota/herps/amphibians.htm



deMaynadier, P. G., and M. L. Hunter, Jr. 1998. Effects of silvicultural edges on the distribution and abundance of amphibians in Maine. Conservation Biology 12:340-352.
Dodd, C. K., Jr. 1992. Biological diversity of a temporary pond herpetofauna in north Florida sandhills. Biodiversity and Conservation 1:125-142.
Dodd, C. K., Jr. 1996. Use of terrestrial habitats by amphibians in the sandhill uplands of north-central Florida. Alytes 14:42-52.
Dodd, C. K., Jr., and B. S. Cade. 1998. Movement patterns and the conservation of amphibians breeding in small, temporary wetlands. Conservation Biology 12:331-339.
Dodd, C. K., Jr., and L. L. Smith. 2003. Habitat destruction and alteration: historical trends and future prospects for amphibians. In: Semlitsch, R. D. (Ed.), Amphibian Conservation. Washington: Smithsonian Books, pp. 94-110.
Duellman, W. E., and L. Trueb. 1994. Biology of Amphibians. The Johns Hopkins Press Ltd., London.
Ehmann, H., and H. Cogger. 1985. Australia’s endangered herpetofauna: a review of criteria and policies. In: Biology of Australian Frogs and Reptiles, G. Grigg, R. Shine, and H. Ehmann, Eds. Surrey Beatty & Sons, NSW, pp. 435-447.
Fahrig, L., J. H. Pedlar, S. E. Pope, P. D. Taylor, and J. F. Wegner. 1995. Effect of road traffic on amphibian density. Biological Conservation 73:177-182.
Gibbs, J. P. 1998. Amphibian movements in response to forest edges, roads, and streambeds in southern New England. Journal of Wildlife Management 62:584-589.
Haapanen, A. 1970. Site tenacity of the common frog (Rana temporaria L.) and the moor frog (R. arvalis Nilss.). Ann. Zool. Fennici 7:61-66.
Heine, G. 1987. Einfache Meb- und Rechenmethode sur Ermittlumg der Uberlebenschance wandernder Amphibien beim Uberqueren von Straben. Beih. Veroff. Naturshutz und Landschaftspflege in Baden-Wurttemberg 41:473-479.
Hels, T., and E. Buchwald. 2001. The effect of road kills on amphibian populations. Biological Conservation 99:331-340.
Huijser, M. P., and P. J. M. Bergers. 1997. The mortality rate in a hedgehog population: the relative importance of road Kills. In: Canters, K. (Ed.), Habitat Fragmentation & Infrastructure, Proceedings of the International Conference on Habitat Fragmentation, Infrastructure, and the Role of Ecological Engineering, September 1995, The Netherlands. Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and Water Management, The Netherlands, pp. 98-104.
Kuhn, J. 1987. Strabentod der Erdkrote (Bufo bufo L.): Verlustquoten und Verkehrsaufkommen, Verhalten auf der Strabe. Beih. Veroff. Naturschutz and Landschaftspflege in Baden-Wurttemberg 41:175-186.
Mallick, S. A., G. J. Hocking, and M. M. Driessen. 1998. Road-kills of the eastern bandicoot (Perameles gunnii) in Tasmania: an index of abundance. Wildlife Research 25:139-145.
Moler, P. E., and R. Franz. 1987. Wildlife values of small isolated wetlands in the southeastern coastal plain. Pages 234-241 in R. R. Odom, K. A. Riddleberger, and J. C. Ozier, editors. Proceedings of the third southeastern nongame and endangered wildlife symposium. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Atlanta.
Muths, E. 2003. Home range and movements of boreal toads in undisturbed habitats. Copeia 2003:160-165.
Nöllert, A. 1990. Die Knoblauchkröte, 2nd Edition. A. Ziemsen Verlag, Wittenberg Lutherstadt.
O’Neill, E. D. 1995. Amphibian and reptile communities of temporary ponds in a managed pine flatwoods. M.S. thesis. University of Florida, Gainesville.
Pough, F. H., E. M. Smith, D. H. Rhodes, and A. Collazo. 1987. The abundance of salamanders in forest stands with different histories of disturbance. Forest Ecology and Management 20:1-9.
Preisser, E. L., J. Y. Kefer, and J. D. Lawrence. 2000. Vernal pool conservation in Connecticut: an assessment and recommendations. Environmental Management 26:503-513.
Semlitsch, R. D. 1981. Terrestrial activities and summer home range of the mole salamander. Canadian Journal of Zoology 59:315-322.
Semlitsch, R. D. 1998. Biological delineation of terrestrial buffer zones for pond-breeding amphibians. Conservation Biology 12:1113-1119.
Semlitsch, R. D., Ed. 2003. Amphibian Conservation. Washington: Smithsonian Books. 324 pp.
Shoop, C. R. 1968. Migratory orientation of Ambystoma maculatum: movements near breeding ponds and displacement of migrating individuals. Biological Bulletin 135:230-238.
Sinsch, U. 1988. Seasonal changes in the migratory behaviour of the toad Bufo bufo: direction and magnitude of movements. Oecologia 76:390-398.

Stenhouse, S. L. 1985. Migration, orientation, and homing in Ambystoma maculatum. Copeia 1985:631-637.


van Gelder, J. J. 1973. A quantitative approach to the mortality resulting from traffic in a population of Bufo bufo L. Oecologia 13:93-95.
Verrell, P. A. 1987. The directionality of migrations of amphibians to and from a pond in southern England, with particular reference to the smooth newt, Triturus vulgaris. Amphibia-Reptilia 8:93-100.
Vos, C. C., and J. P. Chardon. 1998. Effects of habitat fragmentation and road density on the distribution pattern of the moor frog Rana arvalis. Journal of Applied Ecology 35:44-56.

Adams, M. J. 1999. Correlated Factors in Amphibian Decline: Exotic Species and Habitat Change in Western Washington. Journal of Wildlife Management 64 (4): 1162-1171.

Dalton, R. 2000. WWW project aims to address worldwide decline in amphibians. Nature 403: 471-472.

Dalton. R. 2002. Frogs put in the gender blender by America’s favourite herbicide. Nature 416: 665-666.

Halliday, T. 1998. A declining amphibian conundrum. Nature 394: 418-419.

Houlahan, J. E., Findlay, C. S., Meyer, A. H., Kuzmin, S. L. and Schmidt, B. R. 2001. Ecology: Global amphibian population declines. Nature 412: 499-500.

Houlahan, J. E., Findlay, C. S., Schmidt, B. R., Meyer, A. H., and Kuzmin, S. L. 2000. Quantitative evidence for global amphibian population declines. Nature 404: 752-755.

Kiesecker, J. M., Blaustein, A. R., and Belden, L. K. 2001. Complex causes of amphibian population declines. Nature 410: 681-684.

Muths, E., Corn, P. S., Pessier, A. P., and Green, D. E. 2003. Evidence for disease-related amphibian decline in Colorado. Biological Conservation 110: 357-365.

Netting, J. 2000. Pesticides implicated in declining frog numbers. Nature 408: 760.

Netting, J. 2001. No fluke that tadpoles croak. Nature News Service: 12/13/2000.

Phillips, K. 1999. Where have all the frogs and toads gone? Bioscience 40 (6): 422-424.

Pounds, A. J. 2001. Climate and amphibian declines. Nature 410: 639-640.

Vitt, L. J., and Caldwell, J. P. 1990. Viewpoint: Amphibians as harbingers of decay. Bioscience 40 (6): 418.

Walther, G. R., Post, E., Convey, P., Menzel, A., Parmesan, C., Beebee, T. J. C., Fromentin, J. M., Guldberg, O, H., and Bairlen, F. 2002. Ecological responses to recent climate change. Nature 416: 389-395.

Young, B. E., Lips, K. R., Reaser, J. K., Ibanez, R., Salas, A. W., Cedeno, J. R., Coloma, L. A., Ron, S., Marca, E. L., Meyer, J. R., Munoz, A., Bolanos, F., Chaves, G., and Romo, D. 2001. Population Declines and Priorities for Amphibian Conservation in Latin America. Conservation Biology 15 (5): 1213-1223.

Allen, Chad. 2003. Personal Communication. VTRANS District 5 Transportation

Program Manager. November 19.

Flint, Robert. 2003. Personal Communication. Florida Dept. of Transportation.

November 10.

Friedlander, Blaine. 2003. CU Students Leap to the Rescue of Breeding Frogs at Local

Road Crossing. http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/01/5.17.01/frog_xing.html. 5 November

Guimarro, Gino. 2003. Personal communication. Woodlot Alternatives. 10 November.

Hoffman, Nelson. 2003. Personal Communicatoin. VTRANS. 10 November. s

Jackson, Scott D. 2000. A Strategy for Mitigating Highway Impacts on Wildlife.

http://www.umass.edu/umext/nrec/pdf_files/TWS_strategy_MS.pdf 5 Nov.

Lake Worth Drainage District. Permitting. http://www.lwdd.net/permitting/bridges.html.

5Nov.

USGS. 2003. Paynes Prairie Wildlife Preserve and Ecosystem Passage.



http://www.fcsc.usgs.gov/Amphibians_and_Reptiles/paynes_prairie.pdf
Langton, Thomas E. (ed) 1989. Amphibians and Roads. England: Aco Polymer Products

Ltd.


Ruediger, Bill. Personal Communication. Ecology Program Leader for Highways
USDA Forest Service - Washington Office. November 22.

Slesar, Chris. Personal Communication. VTRANS. November 22.

Vernal Pool Association.2003. Vern’s Story. http://www.vernalpool.org/vern_17.htm 5

Nov.
“Highway Mileage in Vermont as of January 1, 2003.” 13 May 2003. Vermont Agency of Transportation Program Development Division. 22 November 2003. http://www.aot.state.vt.us/techservices/HighResearch/Publications/milrpt03.pdf


Johnson, C. W. 1998. The Nature of Vermont: an Introduction and Guide to a New England Environment. Hanover, N.H.: University Press of New England. 354 pp.
Meeks, H. A. 1986. Vermont’s Land and Resources. Shelburne, VT: The New England Press. 332 pp.
“State and County Quick Facts.” 15 July 2003. United States Census Bureau. 22 November 2003. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/50000.html

Untitled. Vermont Agency of Transportation. 22 November 2003.

http:// www.aot.state.vt.us/techservices/HighResearch/Publications/MI_VMT02.pdf

Dodd, C. K., Jr., and L. L. Smith. 2003. Habitat destruction and alteration: historical trends and future prospects for amphibians. In: Semlitsch, R. D. (Ed.), Amphibian Conservation. Washington: Smithsonian Books, pp. 94-112.

Semlitsch, R. D. 2003a. Introduction: general threats to amphibians. In: Semlitsch, R. D. (Ed.), Amphibian Conservation. Washington: Smithsonian Books, pp 1 – 7.

Semlitsch, R. D. 2003b. Conservation of pond-breeding amphibians. In: Semlitsch, R. D. (Ed.), Amphibian Conservation. Washington: Smithsonian Books, pp 8 – 23.


Bank, Fred. http://www.lfhwa.gov/pubrds/02nov/01.htm. 2002

Hagood, Susan., Gray, Mary, Kinar, John., Sauvajot, Raymond., White, Trisha.



International Scan Tour Addressing Wildlife Ecology and Transportation Issues

In Europe.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/envgironment/greenerroadsides/sum02p1.htm. 2002

Southall, Pete. Amphibian and Reptile Wall and Culverts.



http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/wildlifecrossings/amphibin.htm. 2000

Andrews, James S. 2001. The Atlas of the Reptiles and Amphibians of Vermont.

Middlebury, VT: James S. Andrews.
Andrews, James S. 2003. Personal Communication. E-Mail (to Carrie Violette).

October 23.


Andrews, James S. 2003. Personal Communication. E-Mail (to Joe Bartlett). October 28.
Buford, Ernest. 2000. VT Biodiversity Project – Plant and Animal Species Atlas. VT

Center for Geographic Information.

cfm?page=./search_tools/search_action.cfm&query=theme>
Croft, Jonathan. 2000. Average Annual Daily Traffic: 1986 1998 – State Highways.

VT Center for Geographic Information.

cfm?page=./search_tools/search_action.cfm&query=theme&theme=018-&layers_startrow=41>
Croft, Jonathan. 2002. Average Annual Daily Traffic: 1988 2002 – State Highways.

VT Center for Geographic Information.

cfm?page=./search_tools/search_action.cfm&query=theme&theme=018-&layers_startrow=41>
Croft, Jonathan. 2003. VTRANS Highway District Boundaries. VT Center for

Geographic Information.

/search_tools/search_action.cfm&query=theme>
Hoffman, Nelson. 2003. Personal Communication. Meeting. October 21
Mitsch, William J. and Gosselink, James G. 2000. Wetlands (Ed. 3). New York: John

Wiley and Sons, Inc.


North Carolina Corporate Geographic Database (CGDB). 2003. National Wetlands

Inventory.

Sharp, Steve. 2003. VT Bridges and Culverts: Transportation Structures. VT Center for

Geographic Information.


Sutter, GW II. 1993. A Critique of Ecosystem Health Concepts and Indexes.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 12:1533-1539


Tuggle, Benjamin N. and Willen, Bill O. 2003. National Wetlands Inventory Map

Products.


U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2003. National Wetlands Inventory Map Data. VT

Center for Geographic Information.

Wetlands_NWI.htm>
VT Fish and Wildlife Service. 1997. Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species &

Significant Communities. VT Center for Geographic Information.

vcgi.org/dataware/default.cfm?page=./search_tools/search_action.cfm&query=theme>
Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center. 1997. National Wetlands Inventory.


Contact’s List


Relevant appendices

Page

Reducing Amphibian Mortality on Vermont Roadways



Prepared by students of NR 206 - University of Vermont

Download 181.31 Kb.

Share with your friends:
1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9




The database is protected by copyright ©ininet.org 2024
send message

    Main page