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about the
Marsh Monitoring Program.
Who are
MMP volunteers,
and what do they do?
And what about
the bird surveys?
You mentioned habitat...?
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 Amphibian surveys use an
"unlimited distance" semi-circular sampling area. This is because it is nearly
impossible to accurately estimate distance in the dark in order to determine whether
amphibians are calling from inside or outside a defined sample area. Amphibian stations
should be separated by at least 500 metres (550 yards) in order to minimize the
possibility that individuals or choruses are sampled twice. On routes established through
the middle of a marsh, the semi-circular sample areas can be arranged back to back, so
that stations face in opposite directions. This allows volunteers to fit in as many
amphibian stations in a marsh as possible.
Each amphibian survey route is visited on 3 nights, no less than 15 days apart, during
the spring and early summer. Routes are surveyed in their entirety, in the same station
sequence, starting at about the same time on all visits. The first visit should coincide
with minimum night-time air temperatures of at least 5 C (41 F) and the first or second
warm spring shower. Night-time air temperatures should be at least 10 C (50 F) for the
second survey and 17 C (63 F) for the third survey. Each station is surveyed for 3 minutes
and one of three Call Level Codes is used to categorize the intensity of calling activity
for each species. In southern and central regions, surveys should begin one half hour
after sunset and end before midnight. All surveys should be conducted in weather conducive
to monitoring amphibians (i.e. on a warm, moist night with little or no wind).
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