An Apparatus for Studying Simulated Communities of Temporary Ponds

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The use of stock tanks to simulate ponds and study larval amphibian communities was pioneered over a decade ago (Morin, 1981). Since then, it has been applied with considerable success and impact in the field of community ecology (e.g., Wilbur, 1987; Morin et al., 1988; Alford, 1989 among others). Recently, some researchers have used plastic wading pools in place of stock tanks (Fauth et al., 1990; Figiel and Semlitsch, 1990; Sadinski and Dunson, 1992). The advantages (Morin, 1989; Wilbur, 1989) and disadvantages (Jaeger and Walls, 1989) of using tanks or pools to simulate aquatic communities have been argued recently. However, the usefulness of these systems for experimental ecology has been well-established. They provide relatively replicable conditions that are intermediate between the laboratory and actual ponds in terms of their experimental control, biological realism, and scale. Further arguments supporting their usefulness relate to logistics and security, as tanks or pools can be located conveniently and protected from troublesome wildlife or humans. Simple tanks or pools, typically covered with a flat, screen top to limit escape or invasion, are easy to assemble and are the type used most commonly. However, such simplicity of design is inadequate when trying to sample certain taxa from within a simulated community (pers. obs.). In particular, collecting metamorphosed amphibians from a typical tank can be inefficient, disruptive, and frustrating. I describe here variations on the standard design that were inspired by four needs: (1) simpler, more efficient collection of metamorphosed amphibians than is possible in tanks covered with flat screens; (2) effective sampling of periphyton; (3) easy sampling of hatched flying insects; and (4) reasonable cost in terms of materials and labor. These modifications have been subjected to extensive use (Sadinski and Dunson, 1992). They met the above needs in a commendable fashion. The materials described here were selected on the basis of usefulness and cost. Substitutes can be found