The Importance of Habitat Variability in Amphibian Detection
Document Type
Poster Presentation
Publication Date
4-17-2026
Keywords
fsc2026
Abstract
Amphibians are the most threatened group of vertebrate animals and being able to effectively sample their populations will be critical to their conservation moving forward. Many amphibians breed in wetlands and studies that focus on better understanding their populations often define wetlands or ponds as discrete sites or populations. However, wetland size can vary from an isolated bathtub-sized pool to an expansive seasonally flooded forest spanning many interconnected acres. Our goal was to examine variability in detection and abundance of amphibians both within and between wetland complexes in order to understand how habitat variability affects amphibian captures at multiple scales. From March to July, 2025, we used trapping stations and standardized dip-nets to sample amphibians within multiple wetland complexes at Mendon Ponds, Powder Mills, and Tinker Parks. During the summer, we collected data on water quality, canopy cover, and vegetation cover to use as covariates of amphibian occurrence. We found considerable variability in both detection and occupancy rates between spring and summer and within wetlands and observed that the relationship of amphibian captures to different habitat variables was highly specific-specific.
Publication Information
Miller, Sara and Hoffman, Andrew, "The Importance of Habitat Variability in Amphibian Detection" (2026). Fisher Showcase 2026. Paper 140.
https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/fsc2026/140
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Comments
Poster presented at the 2026 Fisher Showcase, St. John Fisher University, April 17, 2026.