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�Southern MD (and �surrounding DMV) chapter

Matt Neff�Calvert Marine Museum

matthew.neff@calvertcountymd.gov

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Training Session Topics

Citizen science and FrogWatch USA
Amphibians and wetlands
Site registration and data collection
Local frogs and toads
Assessment ☹

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Citizen Science

Research collaboration between scientists and volunteers
Gets people involved that may not have a scientific background
Appropriate for large-scale, long term data

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Benefits of the Data

Describe local species diversity
Detect rare and invasive species
Shifts in species diversity, range, and emergences
Indicator of wetland health
Develop land management �strategies**

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FrogWatch USA

Run by the Akron Zoo – 2022
AZA 2008-2021
Began in 1998 – USGS
Hosted by local chapters
Collects data on frog and toad breeding calls

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138 chapters across 38 states

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Our chapter

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Our chapter

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Amphibian 101

Ectothermic, slimy skin, gelatinous eggs, lack claws*
Live part of their lives in the water, part on land*
One of the oldest vertebrate classes alive

Appeared ~350 MYA

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Amphibian 101

Three Orders:

Frogs (Anura) - 7839
Salamanders (Urodela) - 825
Caecilians (Gymnophiona) - 225

Society for Science

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Canary in the Coal Mine

Indicate environmental changes that are difficult to detect
Permeable skin

Oxygen + moisture
Toxins + pollutants

Life cycle includes water + land

Increases exposure to pollutants

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Amphibian Declines

Dramatic declines over past 30 years
Globally, ½ of amphibs. threatened with extinction

Habitat loss and fragmentation
Pollutants
Introduction of non-native, invasive species
Climate change
Parasites and disease

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Amphibian Declines

Dramatic declines over past 30 years
Globally, 1/2 of amphibs. threatened with extinction
In the United States, 39(16)* EN/TH amphibians are listed under the Endangered Species �Act (Feb 2023)

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What can we do?!

Create habitat
Plant native
Limit pesticide use
Disinfect hiking gear
Zoos/aquariums

Captive rearing/headstarting
Education
Studies

eDNA
Combating chytrid
fieldwork

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What is CMM doing?

Exhibit on Hellbenders
Native plant gardens
CBT grant – acoustic recorders
FrogWatch – citizen science

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Acoustic Recorder Study

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Wetlands

Why do we need to know about wetlands?
Defined by three characteristics:

Plants that can grow in saturated conditions
Soils that lack oxygen
Water present during some part of the growing season

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Swamps

Nate Nelson�

Bogs

David Walbeck

Marshes

Rachel Gauza

Wet Meadow

Rachel Gauza

There are many different kinds of swamps, ranging from the forested Red Maple, (Acer rubrum), swamps of the Northeast, to the extensive bottomland hardwood forests found along the sluggish rivers of the Southeast (http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/swamp.cfm).
Swamps are characterized by saturated soils during the growing season, and standing water during certain times of the year.
The highly organic soils of swamps form a thick, black, nutrient-rich environment for the growth of water-tolerant trees and shrubs
Two main types classes – distinguished by dominant vegetation:

Forested - Forested swamps are found throughout the United States. They are often inundated with floodwater from nearby rivers and streams. Sometimes, they are covered by many feet of very slowly moving or standing water. Some of the common species of trees found in these wetlands are Red Maple and Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) in the Northern United States, Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata) and Cypress in the South, and Willows (Salix spp.) and Western Hemlock (Tsuga sp.) in the Northwest. Bottomland hardwood swamp is a name commonly given to forested swamps in the south central United States.
Shrub - Some swamps are dominated by shrubs, such as Buttonbush or Smooth Alder.
Often found adjacent to one another.

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Isolated from surface water
***Free of predatory fish

(Photos by Rachel Gauza)

Fall

Late Spring

Late Winter

Vernal Pools

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Ditches

Nate Nelson

Rachel Gauza

Ponds

Nate Nelson

Urban Wetlands

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Certified FrogWatch Monitor

Certified FrogWatch monitors’ data coded separately from non-certified
Score minimum of 80% on:

Volunteer Training Assessment
Frog/ Toad Call Identification

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Site Selection

Convenient to access weekly
Quiet
Safe for data collection in the evening
Legally accessible***
Enter into FieldScope (demo later)

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Monitoring Protocol: �Prior to Arrival at Site

Practice identifying the calls
Ensure appropriate weather conditions:

Above 35^oF
Not raining too hard, nor too windy

Plan to monitor at least 30 minutes after sunset

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Required Weather Information

Air temperature
Current precipitation
48 hour weather history
Wind speed (Beaufort Wind Scale)

0-3, 4-5 too windy to monitor

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Beaufort Wind Scale

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Monitoring Protocol

Acclimation period: 2 minutes
Monitoring session: 3 minutes
Listen to, identify, and remember all breeding calls occurring in the session.
If interrupted by noise, and frogs stop calling

Restart it, 2 minute acclimation period

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Calling Intensity

0 – No frogs or toads heard calling

1 – Individuals can be counted; there is space between calls

2 – Calls of individuals can be distinguished, but there is some overlapping of calls

3 – Full chorus, calls are constant, continuous, and overlapping

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FieldScope

FrogWatch USA – National Geographic

NSF grant

Online data entry, mapping, and analysis
Chapter can view data from all sites
Volunteers can enter, review, compare data
View and analyze their observations over space and time

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FieldScope Demo

Log In Here

FrogWatch USA volunteers must be logged in to create a site or enter monitoring observation data and view saved maps and graphs.

http://frogwatch.fieldscope.org/v3

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Monitoring Protocol: �Data Submission

Submit first 4 data sheets to me

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FrogWatch USA Online Resources

https://www.akronzoo.org/frogwatch

https://www.calvertmarinemuseum.com/frogwatch