We surveyed the presence of four native amphibian species in wetlands throughout the eastern section of Banff National Park. This dataset represents detection or non-detection for each of the four species.
We performed auditory and visual surveys of 60 pre-determined breeding sites . We surveyed each site two times during a sampling period between mid-April and the end of May.
We conducted auditory surveys by recording amphibian calls at the edge of each site for a 5-minute period prior to the visual survey. We conducted visual surveys for a one-hour search time with two observers in order to standardize survey effort across sites. We assessed the presence of amphibian adults, eggs, tadpoles, and juveniles in visual surveys.
Amphibians are considered important indicators of environmental health and ecosystem change. They are vulnerable to an array of environmental changes because of their permeable skin, complex life history, and a dependence on moist terrestrial or wetland habitats. These attributes make them sensitive indicators of ecological health, and appropriate subjects for monitoring programs looking at changes to ecosystem condition over time.