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AMPHIBIANS AS BIOINDICATORS OF WETLAND CONDITION
Impact/Purpose:
To use amphibians as bioindicators in assessing the condition of wetlands in King County, Washington.
Description:
King county has over ten years of data on the distribution and abundance of amphibians in wetlands. Changes in wetland amphibian composition are being analyzed in relationship to physical changes within wetlands and surrounding land-use development and change. In addition to testing potential metrics for amphibians as indicators of habitat condition and larger landscape condition changes, changes in amphibian composition (relative occurrences of non-native bull frogs to native frog and salamander species) are being studied. Data suggest changing landscape conditions, hydrologic regimes and vegetation community structure correlate strongly to changes in suitable breeding habitat for native and non-native species. This project ties into EPA's Biological Assessment for Wetlands Working Group and National Wetlands Monitoring and Assessment Strategy, and has been funded in part by EPA 104(b)(3) grant funds. Dr. Klaus Richter of King County's Department of Natural Resources is the principle investigator for this work.