Greater Yellowstone Network amphibian monitoring protocol science review: A summary of reviewers’ responses

Abstract

Science reviews are an essential cornerstone of all excellent science programs and are a requirement of monitoring programs within the Inventory and Monitoring Division of the National Park Service (NPS). Science reviews provide necessary professional critique of objectives, study design, data collection, analysis, scientific interpretation, and how effectively information is transferred to target audiences. Additionally, reviews can help identify opportunities to cooperate more effectively with interested and vested partners to expand the impacts of collective findings across larger landscapes. In December 2020, seven biologists from USGS, USFWS, and NPS provided a critical review of the Greater Yellowstone Network Amphibian Monitoring Protocol for monitoring Columbia spotted frogs (Rana luteiventris), boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata), western toads (Anaxyrus boreas), western tiger salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium), and environmental conditions at wetland sites clustered within watershed units in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. This review followed sixteen years of GRYN amphibian and wetland monitoring, allowing us to evaluate the impact of the work thus far and to discuss potential improvements to the protocol. Reviewers were asked to assess the following amphibian monitoring objectives per Bennetts et al. (2013, Cooperative amphibian monitoring protocol for the Greater Yellowstone Network: Narrative, version 1.0, https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2194571) and to assess the degree to which GRYN is meeting the objectives based on the current sampling, analyses, and reporting: Objective 1: Estimate the proportion of catchments and wetland sites used for breeding by each of the four common, native amphibian species annually, and estimate the rate at which their use is changing over time. Objective 2: Determine the total number of wetlands within sampled catchments that are suitable for amphibian breeding (i.e., have standing water during the breeding season) annually. Objective 3: For western toads, estimate the proportion of previously identified breeding areas that are used annually, and estimate the rate at which their use may be changing over time. Generally, reviewers commended the GRYN Amphibian Monitoring Program, including the design, the statistical rigor of current analytical approaches, the large number of monitoring reports and publications, and the audiences reached. Reviewers unanimously felt that the first two objectives of this protocol are being met for two species (Columbia spotted frogs and boreal chorus frogs) in medium- and high-quality catchments, and all but one reviewer also felt these objectives are being met for western tiger salamanders. It was universally recognized that objective 3 for western toads is not being met but reviewers attributed this to issues related to funding and capacity rather than design flaws. Reviewers felt the current design provides an adequate base for parlaying additional work and offered suggestions focused on increasing efficiencies, maximizing information that can be collected in the field, strengthening analyses, and improving scientific outreach. In this document, we summarize reviewers' comments and include their full written reviews in Appendix B.