Seeing Spots Population and reproductive monitoring of Spotted - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Population and reproductive monitoring of Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in Central Ontario

Seeing Spots

Patrick D. Moldowan pmoldowan1@laurentian.ca Glenn J. Tattersall (Brock University), Jennifer Hoare (Ontario Parks)

Field site

Bat Lake, Algonquin Provincial Park

BLISS Background

Bat Lake

• Spruce bog
• 1 hectare area (~2.5 acres)
• Naturally fishless
• Stable pH 4.2
• Breeding site for 8 amphibian sp.
• Adjacent to the Algonquin

Wildlife Research Station

Life in the acid vat

• Ambystoma maculatum embryos

intolerant of acidic conditions (Pierce

1985)

• Reportedly 100% mortality at pH

4.0-5.0 and 50% mortality between 5.0-7.0

(Pough and Wilson 1977, Cook 1983)

. . . but Bat Lake has a reproducing population at pH 4.2 . . .

Matt Keevil Glenn Tattersall

• G. Tattersall
• G. Tattersall

Blue-spotted salamander (A. laterale)

Research objectives

1) Monitor the arrival and departure dates of Ambystoma maculatum at their breeding environment 2) Estimate the population size and operational sex ratio of salamanders at Bat Lake 3) Determine the local pond use patterns and map migration corridors to the lake 4) Determine the total egg mass deposition in Bat Lake 5) Monitor morphological parameters of adult spotted salamanders 6) Monitor year-to-year variation in the above parameters and establish a database for future ecological, physiological or conservation studies.

Research methods

Migration phenology

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 115 119 123 127 131 135

• No. of captures

Julian date

• No. males captured
• No. females captured

Objective 1

Skeletochronology

Sean Boyle

Skeletochronology

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Number of Individuals

Number of LAGs

Female Male

Sean Boyle

Breeding demographics

1 2 3 4 5 6 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Sex ratio ( ♂ : ♀ ) Year

Objective 2

Breeding demographics

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Capture number Year

Malecaptures Female captures

Objective 2

Population estimates

1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 2009 2010 2011 2012

Population estimates Year

Objective 2

Migration corridors

Objective 3

• G. Tattersall

Annual egg lay phenology

500 1000 1500 2000 2500 105 115 125 135

• No. of egg masses

Breeding season (Julian date)

Objective 4

Egg lay phenology

May 6 May 2 April 30 April 30 April 25 April 23 April 25 April 27 April 7 April 30 April 14

slope = -0.82 days per year

90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012

Date of first egg laying (Julian date)

Year

y = -0.8166x + 1752.2, R² = 0.4284 Objective 4

Spot “fingerprint”

2011 recapture 2008 capture

2011 recapture 2008 capture

I3S software applications

• Spot patterns
• Skin features (e.g., warts)

Future work

• I3S Manta (spot shape and size)
• I3S Contour (tracing)

Publications

Summary findings

• Since 2008, 1540 A. maculatum (Nmale=1168, Nfemale=372) have been

uniquely identified in the Bat Lake population

• Annual recapture rate ~20%
• Breeding population estimates: 3435 ± 1514
• Annual data collection on: morphometrics, sex ratio, breeding and

egg laying phenology, population dynamics, lake usage patterns, migration routes, and rate of injury and deformity, etc

Acknowledgments

For their dedication and many contributions to BLISS Glenn Tattersall, David LeGros, Sean Boyle, Steven Kell and Olivia Butty For logistical support Algonquin Wildlife Research Station, Rory Eckenswiller, Jennifer Hoare, and Brad Steinberg For monetary and in-kind support I thank the below groups:

Questions and comments?

90 100 110 120 130 140 150 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Julian date Year

20 28 42 26 21 18

Breeding season duration

April 9 May 19 April 22 May 17

Julian date

Objective 1