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Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative

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By Eastern Ecological Science Center April 20, 2023

Shenandoah Salamander

Plethodon shenandoah

Overlook at Shenandoah National Park

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Ecological Science Center is home to the Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (NEARMI), one of 7 ARMI regions across the United States. NEARMI works on public lands in thirteen states from Maine to Virginia, including many National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges.

Current and Past Members of the NEARMI

Dr. Evan H. Campbell Grant coordinates ARMI activities in the Northeast by conducting and developing amphibian research and monitoring projects. Research by NEARMI staff at the US Geological Survey's Eastern Ecological Science Center provides public land managers (like the National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service) information they need on the current status of amphibians, how amphibian distributions have change or are expected to change over time, and threats to populations. Data from the Northeast is also used collaboratively to evaluate questions about amphibian declines, threats, and changes over time at larger spatial scales.



NEARMI works to provide timely science not only about common, widespread species, but also to assist with conservation of species at risk and those being evaluated for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Work on these species may include field surveys, data analysis, or decision support for local managers. Many NEARMI projects are long-term collaborations and involve decision science, a set of tools and techniques for evaluating multiple goals and unknowns to aid resource management decisions.  

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

Below are publications associated with this project.

Filter Total Items: 79

Improving occupancy estimation when two types of observational error occur: Non-detection and species misidentification

Efforts to draw inferences about species occurrence frequently account for false negatives, the common situation when individuals of a species are not detected even when a site is occupied. However, recent studies suggest the need to also deal with false positives, which occur when species are misidentified so that a species is recorded as detected when a site is unoccupied. Bias in estimators of
Authors
David Miller, James D. Nichols, B.T. McClintock, Evan H. Campbell Grant, L.L. Bailey, L.A. Weir
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Low prevalence of chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) in amphibians of U.S. headwater streams

Many declines of amphibian populations have been associated with chytridiomycosis, a disease caused by the aquatic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Despite the relatively high prevalence of chytridiomycosis in stream amphibians globally, most surveys in North America have focused primarily on wetland-associated species, which are frequently infected. To better understand the distributio
Authors
Blake R. Hossack, M. J. Adams, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Chistopher A. Pearl, James B. Bettaso, William J. Barichivich, Winsor H. Lowe, Kimberly True, Joy L. Ware, Paul Stephen Corn
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Use of multiple dispersal pathways facilitates amphibian persistence in stream networks

Although populations of amphibians are declining worldwide, there is no evidence that salamanders occupying small streams are experiencing enigmatic declines, and populations of these species seem stable. Theory predicts that dispersal through multiple pathways can stabilize populations, preventing extinction in habitat networks. However, empirical data to support this prediction are absent for mo
Authors
Grant E.H. Campbell, J.D. Nichols, W.H. Lowe, W.F. Fagan

Exploring extensions to multi-state models with multiple unobservable states

Many biological systems include a portion of the target population that is unobservable during certain life history stages. Transition to and from an unobservable state may be of primary interest in many ecological studies and such movements are easily incorporated into multi-state models. Several authors have investigated properties of open-population multi-state mark-recapture models with unob
Authors
L.L. Bailey, W. L. Kendall, D.R. Church
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Salamander occupancy in headwater stream networks

1. Stream ecosystems exhibit a highly consistent dendritic geometry in which linear habitat units intersect to create a hierarchical network of connected branches. 2. Ecological and life history traits of species living in streams, such as the potential for overland movement, may interact with this architecture to shape patterns of occupancy and response to disturbance. Specifically, large-scal
Authors
E.H.C. Grant, L.E. Green, W.H. Lowe
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Monitoring multiple species: Estimating state variables and exploring the efficacy of a monitoring program

Monitoring programs have the potential to identify population declines and differentiate among the possible cause(s) of these declines. Recent criticisms regarding the design of monitoring programs have highlighted a failure to clearly state objectives and to address detectability and spatial sampling issues. Here, we incorporate these criticisms to design an efficient monitoring program whose g
Authors
S.D. Mattfeldt, L.L. Bailey, E.H.C. Grant
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Visual implant elastomer mark retention through metamorphosis in amphibian larvae

Questions in population ecology require the study of marked animals, and marks are assumed to be permanent and not overlooked by observers. I evaluated retention through metamorphosis of visual implant elastomer marks in larval salamanders and frogs and assessed error in observer identification of these marks. I found 1) individual marks were not retained in larval wood frogs (Rana sylvatica), whe
Authors
Evan H. Campbell Grant
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Prevalence of the amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in stream and wetland amphibians in Maryland, USA

The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, responsible for the potentially fatal amphibian disease chytridiomycosis, is known to occur in a large and ever increasing number of amphibian populations around the world. However, sampling has been biased towards stream- and wetland-breeding anurans, with little attention paid to stream-associated salamanders. We sampled three frog and
Authors
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Larissa L. Bailey, Joy L. Ware, Karen L. Duncan
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Methods for estimating the amount of vernal pool habitat in the northeastern United States

The loss of small, seasonal wetlands is a major concern for a variety of state, local, and federal organizations in the northeastern U.S. Identifying and estimating the number of vernal pools within a given region is critical to developing long-term conservation and management strategies for these unique habitats and their faunal communities. We use three probabilistic sampling methods (simple ra
Authors
R. Van Meter, L.L. Bailey, E.H.C. Grant
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Sampling design trade-offs in occupancy studies with imperfect detection: Examples and software

Researchers have used occupancy, or probability of occupancy, as a response or state variable in a variety of studies (e.g., habitat modeling), and occupancy is increasingly favored by numerous state, federal, and international agencies engaged in monitoring programs. Recent advances in estimation methods have emphasized that reliable inferences can be made from these types of studies if detectio
Authors
L.L. Bailey, J.E. Hines, J.D. Nichols, Darryl I. MacKenzie
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Iteroparity in the variable environment of the salamander Ambystoma tigrinum

Simultaneous estimation of survival, reproduction, and movement is essential to understanding how species maximize lifetime reproduction in environments that vary across space and time. We conducted a four-year, capture–recapture study of three populations of eastern tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) and used multistate mark–recapture statistical methods to estimate the manner in whi
Authors
D.R. Church, L.L. Bailey, H.M. Wilbur, W. L. Kendall, J.E. Hines
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Living in the branches: Population dynamics and ecological processes in dendritic networks

Spatial structure regulates and modifies processes at several levels of ecological organization (e.g. individual/genetic, population and community) and is thus a key component of complex systems, where knowledge at a small scale can be insufficient for understanding system behaviour at a larger scale. Recent syntheses outline potential applications of network theory to ecological systems, but do
Authors
E.H.C. Grant, W.H. Lowe, W.F. Fagan
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Below are news stories associated with this project.

Below are FAQ associated with this project.

Below are partners associated with this project.  For a complete list for Partners and Collaborators click here.

Colorado State University (CSU)

National Park Service (NPS)

Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)

Smithsonian Institution (SI), National Zoo - Conservation Biology Institute

State Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Towson University

U.S. Forest Service (USFS)

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Ecological Science Center is home to the Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (NEARMI), one of 7 ARMI regions across the United States. NEARMI works on public lands in thirteen states from Maine to Virginia, including many National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges.

Current and Past Members of the NEARMI

Dr. Evan H. Campbell Grant coordinates ARMI activities in the Northeast by conducting and developing amphibian research and monitoring projects. Research by NEARMI staff at the US Geological Survey's Eastern Ecological Science Center provides public land managers (like the National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service) information they need on the current status of amphibians, how amphibian distributions have change or are expected to change over time, and threats to populations. Data from the Northeast is also used collaboratively to evaluate questions about amphibian declines, threats, and changes over time at larger spatial scales.



NEARMI works to provide timely science not only about common, widespread species, but also to assist with conservation of species at risk and those being evaluated for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Work on these species may include field surveys, data analysis, or decision support for local managers. Many NEARMI projects are long-term collaborations and involve decision science, a set of tools and techniques for evaluating multiple goals and unknowns to aid resource management decisions.  

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

Below are publications associated with this project.

Filter Total Items: 79

Improving occupancy estimation when two types of observational error occur: Non-detection and species misidentification

Efforts to draw inferences about species occurrence frequently account for false negatives, the common situation when individuals of a species are not detected even when a site is occupied. However, recent studies suggest the need to also deal with false positives, which occur when species are misidentified so that a species is recorded as detected when a site is unoccupied. Bias in estimators of
Authors
David Miller, James D. Nichols, B.T. McClintock, Evan H. Campbell Grant, L.L. Bailey, L.A. Weir
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Low prevalence of chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) in amphibians of U.S. headwater streams

Many declines of amphibian populations have been associated with chytridiomycosis, a disease caused by the aquatic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Despite the relatively high prevalence of chytridiomycosis in stream amphibians globally, most surveys in North America have focused primarily on wetland-associated species, which are frequently infected. To better understand the distributio
Authors
Blake R. Hossack, M. J. Adams, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Chistopher A. Pearl, James B. Bettaso, William J. Barichivich, Winsor H. Lowe, Kimberly True, Joy L. Ware, Paul Stephen Corn
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Use of multiple dispersal pathways facilitates amphibian persistence in stream networks

Although populations of amphibians are declining worldwide, there is no evidence that salamanders occupying small streams are experiencing enigmatic declines, and populations of these species seem stable. Theory predicts that dispersal through multiple pathways can stabilize populations, preventing extinction in habitat networks. However, empirical data to support this prediction are absent for mo
Authors
Grant E.H. Campbell, J.D. Nichols, W.H. Lowe, W.F. Fagan

Exploring extensions to multi-state models with multiple unobservable states

Many biological systems include a portion of the target population that is unobservable during certain life history stages. Transition to and from an unobservable state may be of primary interest in many ecological studies and such movements are easily incorporated into multi-state models. Several authors have investigated properties of open-population multi-state mark-recapture models with unob
Authors
L.L. Bailey, W. L. Kendall, D.R. Church
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Salamander occupancy in headwater stream networks

1. Stream ecosystems exhibit a highly consistent dendritic geometry in which linear habitat units intersect to create a hierarchical network of connected branches. 2. Ecological and life history traits of species living in streams, such as the potential for overland movement, may interact with this architecture to shape patterns of occupancy and response to disturbance. Specifically, large-scal
Authors
E.H.C. Grant, L.E. Green, W.H. Lowe
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Monitoring multiple species: Estimating state variables and exploring the efficacy of a monitoring program

Monitoring programs have the potential to identify population declines and differentiate among the possible cause(s) of these declines. Recent criticisms regarding the design of monitoring programs have highlighted a failure to clearly state objectives and to address detectability and spatial sampling issues. Here, we incorporate these criticisms to design an efficient monitoring program whose g
Authors
S.D. Mattfeldt, L.L. Bailey, E.H.C. Grant
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Visual implant elastomer mark retention through metamorphosis in amphibian larvae

Questions in population ecology require the study of marked animals, and marks are assumed to be permanent and not overlooked by observers. I evaluated retention through metamorphosis of visual implant elastomer marks in larval salamanders and frogs and assessed error in observer identification of these marks. I found 1) individual marks were not retained in larval wood frogs (Rana sylvatica), whe
Authors
Evan H. Campbell Grant
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Prevalence of the amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in stream and wetland amphibians in Maryland, USA

The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, responsible for the potentially fatal amphibian disease chytridiomycosis, is known to occur in a large and ever increasing number of amphibian populations around the world. However, sampling has been biased towards stream- and wetland-breeding anurans, with little attention paid to stream-associated salamanders. We sampled three frog and
Authors
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Larissa L. Bailey, Joy L. Ware, Karen L. Duncan
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Methods for estimating the amount of vernal pool habitat in the northeastern United States

The loss of small, seasonal wetlands is a major concern for a variety of state, local, and federal organizations in the northeastern U.S. Identifying and estimating the number of vernal pools within a given region is critical to developing long-term conservation and management strategies for these unique habitats and their faunal communities. We use three probabilistic sampling methods (simple ra
Authors
R. Van Meter, L.L. Bailey, E.H.C. Grant
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Sampling design trade-offs in occupancy studies with imperfect detection: Examples and software

Researchers have used occupancy, or probability of occupancy, as a response or state variable in a variety of studies (e.g., habitat modeling), and occupancy is increasingly favored by numerous state, federal, and international agencies engaged in monitoring programs. Recent advances in estimation methods have emphasized that reliable inferences can be made from these types of studies if detectio
Authors
L.L. Bailey, J.E. Hines, J.D. Nichols, Darryl I. MacKenzie
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Iteroparity in the variable environment of the salamander Ambystoma tigrinum

Simultaneous estimation of survival, reproduction, and movement is essential to understanding how species maximize lifetime reproduction in environments that vary across space and time. We conducted a four-year, capture–recapture study of three populations of eastern tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) and used multistate mark–recapture statistical methods to estimate the manner in whi
Authors
D.R. Church, L.L. Bailey, H.M. Wilbur, W. L. Kendall, J.E. Hines
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Living in the branches: Population dynamics and ecological processes in dendritic networks

Spatial structure regulates and modifies processes at several levels of ecological organization (e.g. individual/genetic, population and community) and is thus a key component of complex systems, where knowledge at a small scale can be insufficient for understanding system behaviour at a larger scale. Recent syntheses outline potential applications of network theory to ecological systems, but do
Authors
E.H.C. Grant, W.H. Lowe, W.F. Fagan
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Below are news stories associated with this project.

Below are FAQ associated with this project.

Below are partners associated with this project.  For a complete list for Partners and Collaborators click here.

Colorado State University (CSU)

National Park Service (NPS)

Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)

Smithsonian Institution (SI), National Zoo - Conservation Biology Institute

State Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Towson University

U.S. Forest Service (USFS)

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