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e-DNA Technology. Keeping pace with your questions! Conservation in a cup of water

By: Pilliod D; January 31, 2013

The actively developing technologies to detect environmental DNA (i.e., e-DNA) show a lot of promise for various fields of wildlife research. However, as with any technology, there are technical and statistical assumptions that shape what we can infer from the data.

A new USGS Fact Sheet presents the basics of using eDNA as a tool and the questions you should be asking: http://pubs(...more)
Blackrock: Biological Hotspot and Hotbed of Collaboration Boreal Chorus Frog ([I]Pseudacris maculata[/I])

By: Muths E; October 30, 2012

This story first appeared at http://www.fort.usgs.gov/Blackrock/ as a science feature for the Fort Collins Science Center.

Amphibian decline is a problem of global importance, with over 40 percent of species considered at risk. This phenomenon is not limited to the tropics or to other countries; amphibian species in the United States are also declining, contributing to the larg(...more)
Making better predictions: using multispecies models to inform habitat management for amphibians Surveying for amphibians.

By: Evan H. Campbell Grant; August 07, 2012

The ability to accurately predict patterns of species’ occurrences is fundamental to the successful management of animal communities. To determine optimal management strategies, it is essential to understand species-habitat relationships and how species habitat use is related to natural or human-induced environmental changes. Using five years of monitoring data in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Nat(...more)

ARMI Mission Statement

In response to indications of worldwide declines in amphibian populations, the President and Congress directed Interior Department agencies to initiate a national program of amphibian monitoring, research, and conservation. There is an urgent need to determine the scope and severity of the problem and to investigate causes. The U.S. Geological Survey is uniquely qualified to coordinate and lead a cooperative national effort because its scientists have been in the forefront of studying amphibian populations and life history traits, measuring and monitoring environmental characteristics, and conducting research into potential causes of decline. As a result, the Agency formed the National Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI).
Scaphiopus couchii.
Scaphiopus couchii

ARMI Goals and Objectives

  • » Provide information to natural resource managers on the status and trends of amphibians
  • » Relate status and trends to management options at the scale of management units.
  • » Identify causes of declines.
  • » Provide essential scientific information to support effective management actions to arrest or reverse declines.

State of the Amphibians

More than 25 years ago, scientists began to identify unexplained declines in amphibian populations around the world. Much has been learned since then, but amphibian declines have not abated and the interactions among the various threats to amphibians are not clear. Amphibian decline is a problem of local, national, and international scope that can affect ecosystem function, biodiversity, and commerce. This fact sheet provides a snapshot of the state of the amphibians and introduces examples to illustrate the range of issues in the United States.

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