Project Summary:
Experimental treatments have implicated UV-B as a stressor that can
affect reproduction and development of some amphibian species. The EPA
and NPS are currently monitoring UV radiation at the fourteen PRIMENet
parks with Brewer spectrophotometers. We need to be able to extrapolate
the Brewer data to locations along the elevation gradient in parks in
order to characterize exposure to pond breeding amphibians. We have
selected six of the PRIMENet parks to carry out this extrapolation.
At three of the parks (Glacier, Olympic, and Sequoia/Kings Canyon) researchers
will also collect amphibian data coincident with the UV exposure data.
At the other three parks (Acadia, Great Smoky Mountains, and Rocky Mountain)
we will take advantage of existing amphibian data to relate to UV exposure
statistics.
During the summer months, field teams will collect the following data
at sites along an elevation gradient in the six parks: UV extinction
using a hand held radiometer, water samples collected at each sample
site to be analyzed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and characterization
of habitat to allow for calculation of open water extent. These measurements
would optimally be performed 2-3 times per season at each site.
Dose
estimate validation using Brewer DUV data (Diamond)
Coordinated
Studies of Ultraviolet Radiation and Lentic-Breeding Amphibians
(Trenham, Diamond)
Estimated
Ultraviolet Radiation Doses in Wetlands in Six National Parks (Diamond
et al)
Quantifying
Ultraviolet Radiation Dose Relative to Wetland Habitat Variables for
the Assessment of Risk to Amphibians (Diamond et al)
Spatial and
Temporal Variability in the Amount and Source of Dissolved Organic Carbon:
Implications for UV Exposure in Amphibian Habitats (Brooks et al)
"Optical
characteristics of natural waters protect amphibians from UV-B in the
U.S. Pacific Northwest" (Palen et al) in Ecology 83(11): 2002.
Related link: USGS
News Release.
2001 PRIMENet Meeting Presentation: UV
Exposure Estimates at Amphibian Sites (Steve Diamond)
2000 PRIMENet Meeting Presentations: Coordinated
Studies of UV and Amphibian Distributions (Steve Diamond)
Ultraviolet Radiation/Amphibian
Populations Workshop Report
References
for this project.
