FIVE YEARS OF THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FROG MONITORING NETWORK: CHANGES IN FROG COMMUNITIES AS AN INDICATOR OF LANDSCAPE CHANGE

Amphibians have been shown to be important indicators for environmental change, particularly changes in water quality. The Southwest Florida Amphibian Monitoring Network was established in 2000 to collect long-term data on frog communities in southwest Florida. Twenty-two routes of 12 stops each are monitored monthly during the rainy season. Wind, temperature, humidity, sky condition, and habitat changes are recorded at each stop. Frog presence and abundance is indicated by calling intensity, which is tabulated using a three-level intensity code. Using data from the Network, frog communities were summarized, and factors that may explain differences in frog communities among sites and over time were investigated using measures of biological diversity, community classification, and community ordination. The data show an increased calling intensity in the exotic Cuban treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis), and a shift to native frog species requiring more permanent water. Continued monitoring may aid in understanding implications of altered hydroperiods and amphibian responses to restoration efforts. This type of citizen scientist database provides opportunities to investigate trends in environmental change on a landscape scale.