Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI)

Objectives

The objectives are to evaluate anuran habitat by describing the water chemistry, interacting biological components, and physical characteristics. Another objective is to determine what chemical constituents may be causing anuran stress, decline and malformations. Chemical data are only a small fragment of all the possible, and interacting processes that could be synergistically affecting anurans.

Strategy and Approach

The strategy is to determine chemical characteristics at anuran breeding ponds, meadows, and marshes, and describe anuran habitats and habitat perturbations. Anuran surveys have been conducted by the USGS Biological Resources Division to determine numbers of species present at given habitats.

Water samples are collected in the Sierra Nevada (Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Lassen National Parks), southern California mountains, and southern Arizona.

Data Availability and Project Information

Additional Information about this project is available from the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative web site.

ARMI 5-year Report: USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5224

ARMI Interactive Data Viewer

Relevance and Benefits

This research will provide data as to why anurans and other forms of aquatic life are having histological changes, morphological changes, and imparied reproductive systems. This work supports the USGS stratigic plan by assessing the Nation's biological resources.