Evaluating the Performance of Captive-Reared Gopher Frog Metamorphs to Improve Amphibian Reintroduction Programs. Diamond, S. L. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 2016. abstract bibtex Habitat loss and degradation increase the risk of local extinction and reduce population viability. The management of species distributed among isolated habitat fragments requires strategies to conserve and stabilize these vulnerable populations. Captive rearing and translocations are common tools for the conservation of threatened wildlife, particularly within highly fragmented landscapes. While there have been many captive rearing and translocation programs for a variety of wildlife, the majority are unsuccessful. This is particularly true for amphibians. Thus there is a need for research evaluating relationships between captive rearing and release protocols and the performance of captive reared individuals to inform the refinement of captive rearing and release programs. Gopher Frogs (Rana capito) are a state-listed threatened species in the state of Georgia and candidate for federal protection. We raised over 2000 Gopher Frog tadpoles at different larval densities to determine the effects of larval density on size and timing at metamorphosis. Then we released metamorphs at the William’s Bluff Preserve, a restored sited managed by the Nature Conservancy in Early County, GA. We used radio telemetry to observed metamorph movements, microhabitat use, and fate over a two-week period, and we examined the effects of size at metamorphosis on metamorph survival and movement distance, and we examined the relationship between metamorph microhabitat use and survival. Larger rearing densities had a negative effect on size at metamorphosis, and increased the variance in days to metamorphosis. Size at metamorphosis was positively correlated with survival such that the benefits of doubling larval density to produce more frogs were offset by higher mortality shortly after release. Metamorphs showed a progressive settlement into Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) burrows, and all metamorphos known alive after two weeks were within tortoise burrows. Metamorphs emigrated up to 780 m within the first 7 days post release, and emigration distance was positively correlated with size a metamorphosis. We estimated that 28% of our individuals dispersed far enough to move beyond the managed property boundary. Our results show that optimizing larval rearing density to maximize size at metamorphosis will improve the survival of translocated metamorphic amphibians. Management for keystone species (e.g., Gopher tortoises) or processes will also be important for translocation success, and creating soft release protocols to limit metamorph mortality and emigration beyond managed areas may be important.
@phdthesis{diamond_evaluating_2016,
address = {Athens, Georgia},
type = {Senior {Thesis}},
title = {Evaluating the {Performance} of {Captive}-{Reared} {Gopher} {Frog} {Metamorphs} to {Improve} {Amphibian} {Reintroduction} {Programs}},
abstract = {Habitat loss and degradation increase the risk of local extinction and reduce population viability. The management of species distributed among isolated habitat fragments requires strategies to conserve and stabilize these vulnerable populations. Captive rearing and translocations are common tools for the conservation of threatened wildlife, particularly within highly fragmented landscapes. While there have been many captive rearing and translocation programs for a variety of wildlife, the majority are unsuccessful. This is particularly true for amphibians. Thus there is a need for research evaluating relationships between captive rearing and release protocols and the performance of captive reared individuals to inform the refinement of captive rearing and release programs. Gopher Frogs (Rana capito) are a state-listed threatened species in the state of Georgia and candidate for federal protection. We raised over 2000 Gopher Frog tadpoles at different larval densities to determine the effects of larval density on size and timing at metamorphosis. Then we released metamorphs at the William’s Bluff Preserve, a restored sited managed by the Nature Conservancy in Early County, GA. We used radio telemetry to observed metamorph movements, microhabitat use, and fate over a two-week period, and we examined the effects of size at metamorphosis on metamorph survival and movement distance, and we examined the relationship between metamorph microhabitat use and survival. Larger rearing densities had a negative effect on size at metamorphosis, and increased the variance in days to metamorphosis. Size at metamorphosis was positively correlated with survival such that the benefits of doubling larval density to produce more frogs were offset by higher mortality shortly after release. Metamorphs showed a progressive settlement into Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) burrows, and all metamorphos known alive after two weeks were within tortoise burrows. Metamorphs emigrated up to 780 m within the first 7 days post release, and emigration distance was positively correlated with size a metamorphosis. We estimated that 28\% of our individuals dispersed far enough to move beyond the managed property boundary. Our results show that optimizing larval rearing density to maximize size at metamorphosis will improve the survival of translocated metamorphic amphibians. Management for keystone species (e.g., Gopher tortoises) or processes will also be important for translocation success, and creating soft release protocols to limit metamorph mortality and emigration beyond managed areas may be important.},
language = {en},
school = {University of Georgia},
author = {Diamond, Sara Lindsey},
year = {2016},
}
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Thus there is a need for research evaluating relationships between captive rearing and release protocols and the performance of captive reared individuals to inform the refinement of captive rearing and release programs. Gopher Frogs (Rana capito) are a state-listed threatened species in the state of Georgia and candidate for federal protection. We raised over 2000 Gopher Frog tadpoles at different larval densities to determine the effects of larval density on size and timing at metamorphosis. Then we released metamorphs at the William’s Bluff Preserve, a restored sited managed by the Nature Conservancy in Early County, GA. We used radio telemetry to observed metamorph movements, microhabitat use, and fate over a two-week period, and we examined the effects of size at metamorphosis on metamorph survival and movement distance, and we examined the relationship between metamorph microhabitat use and survival. Larger rearing densities had a negative effect on size at metamorphosis, and increased the variance in days to metamorphosis. Size at metamorphosis was positively correlated with survival such that the benefits of doubling larval density to produce more frogs were offset by higher mortality shortly after release. Metamorphs showed a progressive settlement into Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) burrows, and all metamorphos known alive after two weeks were within tortoise burrows. Metamorphs emigrated up to 780 m within the first 7 days post release, and emigration distance was positively correlated with size a metamorphosis. We estimated that 28% of our individuals dispersed far enough to move beyond the managed property boundary. Our results show that optimizing larval rearing density to maximize size at metamorphosis will improve the survival of translocated metamorphic amphibians. Management for keystone species (e.g., Gopher tortoises) or processes will also be important for translocation success, and creating soft release protocols to limit metamorph mortality and emigration beyond managed areas may be important.","language":"en","school":"University of Georgia","author":[{"propositions":[],"lastnames":["Diamond"],"firstnames":["Sara","Lindsey"],"suffixes":[]}],"year":"2016","bibtex":"@phdthesis{diamond_evaluating_2016,\n\taddress = {Athens, Georgia},\n\ttype = {Senior {Thesis}},\n\ttitle = {Evaluating the {Performance} of {Captive}-{Reared} {Gopher} {Frog} {Metamorphs} to {Improve} {Amphibian} {Reintroduction} {Programs}},\n\tabstract = {Habitat loss and degradation increase the risk of local extinction and reduce population viability. The management of species distributed among isolated habitat fragments requires strategies to conserve and stabilize these vulnerable populations. Captive rearing and translocations are common tools for the conservation of threatened wildlife, particularly within highly fragmented landscapes. While there have been many captive rearing and translocation programs for a variety of wildlife, the majority are unsuccessful. This is particularly true for amphibians. Thus there is a need for research evaluating relationships between captive rearing and release protocols and the performance of captive reared individuals to inform the refinement of captive rearing and release programs. Gopher Frogs (Rana capito) are a state-listed threatened species in the state of Georgia and candidate for federal protection. We raised over 2000 Gopher Frog tadpoles at different larval densities to determine the effects of larval density on size and timing at metamorphosis. Then we released metamorphs at the William’s Bluff Preserve, a restored sited managed by the Nature Conservancy in Early County, GA. We used radio telemetry to observed metamorph movements, microhabitat use, and fate over a two-week period, and we examined the effects of size at metamorphosis on metamorph survival and movement distance, and we examined the relationship between metamorph microhabitat use and survival. Larger rearing densities had a negative effect on size at metamorphosis, and increased the variance in days to metamorphosis. Size at metamorphosis was positively correlated with survival such that the benefits of doubling larval density to produce more frogs were offset by higher mortality shortly after release. Metamorphs showed a progressive settlement into Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) burrows, and all metamorphos known alive after two weeks were within tortoise burrows. Metamorphs emigrated up to 780 m within the first 7 days post release, and emigration distance was positively correlated with size a metamorphosis. We estimated that 28\\% of our individuals dispersed far enough to move beyond the managed property boundary. Our results show that optimizing larval rearing density to maximize size at metamorphosis will improve the survival of translocated metamorphic amphibians. Management for keystone species (e.g., Gopher tortoises) or processes will also be important for translocation success, and creating soft release protocols to limit metamorph mortality and emigration beyond managed areas may be important.},\n\tlanguage = {en},\n\tschool = {University of Georgia},\n\tauthor = {Diamond, Sara Lindsey},\n\tyear = {2016},\n}\n\n\n\n","author_short":["Diamond, S. 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