Durango Nature Studies
Amphibian population estimates and ecosystem assessment on the Durango Nature Studies property
Introduction
DNS stands for Durango Nature Studies. It is an integral member of our community, and it significantly motivates an inspiring relationship with our natural world through outdoor learning, thereby promoting enhanced respect for nature. It is located just outside of Farmington, New Mexico and is a huge property of 140 acres, perfect for exploring and learning about the birds and bees of nature. The DNS property consists of vegetation that is very dry with things like scrub oak and sagebrush, but there are also many sources for water. In certain sections of the property, there are groves of huge pine needle trees that can completely change the feel of the land from dry and dusty to green and lush. They also have a big river running through the property, and there is a marshy pond that is the perfect place for frogs and other insects.
Natural History
The status of bullfrogs in Colorado has greatly altered the steady ecosystems among fish and amphibians. Bullfrogs are an extremely invasive species and they eat the same things that other amphibians do; which means that the amphibian’s food source is decreasing severely. Because bullfrogs are so invasive, people have started to worry about the native animals that are residing in the places that bullfrogs are starting to inhabit. This is very concerning because ecosystems have very specific patterns and balancing out systems. So that means that, when foreign creatures start to come in overwhelming numbers, it throws off the balance of the precise pattern of the ecosystem that has been occurring for years and years. A species that is especially suffering because of the bullfrogs is the northern leopard frog. The northern leopard frog is a medium-sized, semi terrestrial frog. They like shallow water and abundant vegetation, and in those conditions, leopard frogs strive. But, bullfrogs will eat about anything, especially leopard frog tadpoles. With the babies of leopard frogs being diminished on such an extreme level, it leaves very little opportunity for leopard frogs to grow up and reproduce. The more that the number of tadpoles lessens, the worse that the status of the northern leopard frog gets; right now they are classified in a Tier 1 “species of most concern” and are currently candidates for federal protection in the western USA. 9 out of 16 amphibians are on the endangered species list, but the leopard frog is the species that is concerning the Colorado’s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Organization the most.
Methods and Materials
The methods used to estimate amphibian populations were pitfall traps, mark-recapture, and visual encounter surveys. A pitfall trap is a form of passing trapping that is mainly used for small animals and amphibians. When an animal enters one, they are unable to escape, which is why Pitfalls Traps are a common way of collecting animals for ecology studies. If the traps didn’t catch everything that was needed, there were also people doing Visual Encounter Surveys. This is where you mark down whenever you see a certain species.
In order to gauge water quality, several water chemistry tests were conducted; Nitrates, Phosphates, Dissolved Oxygen, and pH levels. For each of these tests, a water sample was taken from the pond and the river. Macroinvertebrates were collected from, the pond and river in order to measure biodiversity and water quality.
Results
After looking at the data, it can be determined that in 2011, the DNS pond had less diversity in the pond, with an index of 0.99 in 2011, and a diversity index of 1.21 in 2012. Even though there was less diversity in the pond in 2011, there was more in the river that year. During 2011 the Florida River’s diversity index was 1.03 and in 2012 it was 0.88. Also, the Test Types table shows that the river and pond water qualities were very similar both years. In pH, the pond had level 10 and the river had level 8 qualities. The nitrogen was 6 and 10, phosphates were 4 and 4, and dissolved oxygen was 1 and 3.
Conclusion and Discussion
According to amphibian populations in Colorado, it can be determined that the populations have been decreasing severely. Amphibians are considered to be an indicator species for environmental health: they have delicate skin that readily absorbs toxins from their environment; they have few defenses and can fall prey to non-native predators; they rely on both aquatic and terrestrial habitats at various times during their life cycle. If amphibian’s populations are in decline, it is likely that the quality of the habitat in which they live is suffering. The decline of these creatures has been happening since around 1990, but it became extreme around 2007. The data collected over these past couple of weeks, as well as the research performed for at Durango Nature Studies for the past couple of years, has proved that in the DNS Pond, leopard frogs are significantly dying off because of all of the factors piled up on the amphibians.
The difference of the water quality in the pond and river at DNS between 2011 and 2012 are not extreme opposites, but the numbers have definitely changed over the course of a year. In most cases, the numbers of macroinvertebrates in the water has decreased, which means that there is much more coliform in the water. The water quality has gone down because of coliform in it. When there are high levels of coliform in the water, it affects many of the macroinvertebrates residing in it. Also, when the concentration of nitrates and phosphates are indicating water quality; these properties can show factors that are a result of natural and human related processes. They can be used to determine the effects of groundwater and stream water on aquatic ecosystem health and can sometimes be used to identify sources of pollution in water. Changes in these limits may be harmful to the organisms in and around the water source. Many factors can affect the quality of the water in an ecosystem including discharges of industrial or agricultural wastes. Field observations and measurements make it possible to look for links between land use and its effects on water quality. By collecting and analyzing data from a local source it can be approached in a community situation in a way very similar to the approach used by practicing scientists. Dissolved oxygen is a major affect in algal bloom, and when the levels are high, it is a very scary influence for certain species of fish and aquatic insects. If an algal bloom were to occur, it would be detrimental to the types of species living in the pond because it would block off the sunlight that helps the plants grow at the bottom of the water.
The best way to collect data would be to share the data that everyone collects automatically, because it was challenging to find out everything that was needed the data was scattered everywhere. The tests that were used were definitely good ways of finding out everything that was needed because of how diverse they were yet how many things they covered. Something that could help DNS control the pond to help the leopard frogs survive would be to check the status of bullfrogs on a daily basis, and if any are found, to exterminate them in a humane way.
Introduction
DNS stands for Durango Nature Studies. It is an integral member of our community, and it significantly motivates an inspiring relationship with our natural world through outdoor learning, thereby promoting enhanced respect for nature. It is located just outside of Farmington, New Mexico and is a huge property of 140 acres, perfect for exploring and learning about the birds and bees of nature. The DNS property consists of vegetation that is very dry with things like scrub oak and sagebrush, but there are also many sources for water. In certain sections of the property, there are groves of huge pine needle trees that can completely change the feel of the land from dry and dusty to green and lush. They also have a big river running through the property, and there is a marshy pond that is the perfect place for frogs and other insects.
Natural History
The status of bullfrogs in Colorado has greatly altered the steady ecosystems among fish and amphibians. Bullfrogs are an extremely invasive species and they eat the same things that other amphibians do; which means that the amphibian’s food source is decreasing severely. Because bullfrogs are so invasive, people have started to worry about the native animals that are residing in the places that bullfrogs are starting to inhabit. This is very concerning because ecosystems have very specific patterns and balancing out systems. So that means that, when foreign creatures start to come in overwhelming numbers, it throws off the balance of the precise pattern of the ecosystem that has been occurring for years and years. A species that is especially suffering because of the bullfrogs is the northern leopard frog. The northern leopard frog is a medium-sized, semi terrestrial frog. They like shallow water and abundant vegetation, and in those conditions, leopard frogs strive. But, bullfrogs will eat about anything, especially leopard frog tadpoles. With the babies of leopard frogs being diminished on such an extreme level, it leaves very little opportunity for leopard frogs to grow up and reproduce. The more that the number of tadpoles lessens, the worse that the status of the northern leopard frog gets; right now they are classified in a Tier 1 “species of most concern” and are currently candidates for federal protection in the western USA. 9 out of 16 amphibians are on the endangered species list, but the leopard frog is the species that is concerning the Colorado’s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Organization the most.
Methods and Materials
The methods used to estimate amphibian populations were pitfall traps, mark-recapture, and visual encounter surveys. A pitfall trap is a form of passing trapping that is mainly used for small animals and amphibians. When an animal enters one, they are unable to escape, which is why Pitfalls Traps are a common way of collecting animals for ecology studies. If the traps didn’t catch everything that was needed, there were also people doing Visual Encounter Surveys. This is where you mark down whenever you see a certain species.
In order to gauge water quality, several water chemistry tests were conducted; Nitrates, Phosphates, Dissolved Oxygen, and pH levels. For each of these tests, a water sample was taken from the pond and the river. Macroinvertebrates were collected from, the pond and river in order to measure biodiversity and water quality.
Results
After looking at the data, it can be determined that in 2011, the DNS pond had less diversity in the pond, with an index of 0.99 in 2011, and a diversity index of 1.21 in 2012. Even though there was less diversity in the pond in 2011, there was more in the river that year. During 2011 the Florida River’s diversity index was 1.03 and in 2012 it was 0.88. Also, the Test Types table shows that the river and pond water qualities were very similar both years. In pH, the pond had level 10 and the river had level 8 qualities. The nitrogen was 6 and 10, phosphates were 4 and 4, and dissolved oxygen was 1 and 3.
Conclusion and Discussion
According to amphibian populations in Colorado, it can be determined that the populations have been decreasing severely. Amphibians are considered to be an indicator species for environmental health: they have delicate skin that readily absorbs toxins from their environment; they have few defenses and can fall prey to non-native predators; they rely on both aquatic and terrestrial habitats at various times during their life cycle. If amphibian’s populations are in decline, it is likely that the quality of the habitat in which they live is suffering. The decline of these creatures has been happening since around 1990, but it became extreme around 2007. The data collected over these past couple of weeks, as well as the research performed for at Durango Nature Studies for the past couple of years, has proved that in the DNS Pond, leopard frogs are significantly dying off because of all of the factors piled up on the amphibians.
The difference of the water quality in the pond and river at DNS between 2011 and 2012 are not extreme opposites, but the numbers have definitely changed over the course of a year. In most cases, the numbers of macroinvertebrates in the water has decreased, which means that there is much more coliform in the water. The water quality has gone down because of coliform in it. When there are high levels of coliform in the water, it affects many of the macroinvertebrates residing in it. Also, when the concentration of nitrates and phosphates are indicating water quality; these properties can show factors that are a result of natural and human related processes. They can be used to determine the effects of groundwater and stream water on aquatic ecosystem health and can sometimes be used to identify sources of pollution in water. Changes in these limits may be harmful to the organisms in and around the water source. Many factors can affect the quality of the water in an ecosystem including discharges of industrial or agricultural wastes. Field observations and measurements make it possible to look for links between land use and its effects on water quality. By collecting and analyzing data from a local source it can be approached in a community situation in a way very similar to the approach used by practicing scientists. Dissolved oxygen is a major affect in algal bloom, and when the levels are high, it is a very scary influence for certain species of fish and aquatic insects. If an algal bloom were to occur, it would be detrimental to the types of species living in the pond because it would block off the sunlight that helps the plants grow at the bottom of the water.
The best way to collect data would be to share the data that everyone collects automatically, because it was challenging to find out everything that was needed the data was scattered everywhere. The tests that were used were definitely good ways of finding out everything that was needed because of how diverse they were yet how many things they covered. Something that could help DNS control the pond to help the leopard frogs survive would be to check the status of bullfrogs on a daily basis, and if any are found, to exterminate them in a humane way.