Amphibian Monitoring

Amphibian Occupancy Monitoring in Elk Island National Park

Summary by Jane Driedger, Resource Management Officer I, Elk Island National Park - May 13, 2021

The Amphibian Occupancy Monitoring Project was developed in the winter of 2015-2016 by Jane Driedger, resource management officer at Elk Island National Park (EINP).  Unique to this monitoring project was the inclusion of volunteers, allowing for 67 sites to be monitored annually.  Study design was based on research of amphibian monitoring in other national parks, particularly Jasper, the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD), the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, and local experts.  The survey methods chosen are based on the ESRD Sensitive Species Inventory Guidelines.   The spring of 2016 was the first year of amphibian occupancy monitoring in EINP.  No monitoring was done in 2020 due to the global pandemic.  Monitoring is currently underway for 2021.

Because amphibian populations fluctuate widely from year to year, depending on habitat and weather conditions, long-term monitoring is required to detect trends.