Monitoring protocol amphibians, reptiles & bats (in NP Kornati & protected landscape)
Fabrice Ottburg, AlterraWUR1
Dusan Jelic, SINP1
Marija Kuljeric, CHSHyla2
Dina Kovac, Udruga BIUS3
Sanja Drakulic, Udruga BIUS3
1 = Amphibians, reptiles and bats
2 = Amphibians and reptilels
3 = Bats
Continuation of development of montoring plans
Planning in time
Optimal and minimal numbers of transects and plots needed
Human capacity
Materials needed
Etc.
ASSIGNMENT
General points
Accessible islands. Depends on circumstances like weather, available port etc.
Base camp is in Vruje on Kornat (main island)
On Kornat the distance to workplace can be covered by foot
Island Lavsa, used to have a fresh water pond
Renovate the pond and local people are interested
Island V. Smokvica
There is a port, easy to reach
Retiles (snakes, Montepellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) by Zlatko
Wall lizard, 2 species, on all island. This group of reptiles gets the lowest priority
Other island who will be visit in 2009 are Levrnakar (good acces), Piskera and Ravna Zakan
Monitoring protocol amphibians
1 Fresh water ponds and 2 are closed
1 Kornat, Tarac and 1 dried out near by Knezak?
1 dried out pond on the island Lavsa
There is interest to re store the two other ponds
Beside ponds there are little water tanks (concrete) for collecting rainwater.
There are old and new water tanks. The new ones often have a lid with a lock on it. There for these water tanks are not accessible for the Common tree frog (climbing)
Experiment with mapping the water tanks and look for three frogs
In May with students after this a proposal with management actions
Monitoring protocol for the Common Three Frog
We have two find out in which period the males are calling
April, May? A lot depends of the weather
Goal for 2009 is to make a schedule for inventory method during the season (like schedule below). The Croatian and Dutch situation are more or less the same. Some adjustments might be needed
Aug NovJuneMayAprMar
Visual
observation juvenile
Visual
observation larvae
Visual
observation eggs
Calling males
DecOctSepJulyFebJanCommon tree frog
(Hyla aborea)
Aug NovJuneMayAprMar
Visual
observation juvenile
Visual
observation larvae
Visual
observation eggs
Calling males
DecOctSepJulyFebJanCommon tree frog
(Hyla aborea)
Inventory method during the season
Aug NovJuneMayAprMar
Visual
observation juvenile
Visual
observation larvae
Visual
observation eggs
Calling males
DecOctSepJulyFebJanGreen Toad
(Bufo viridis)
Inventory method during the season
Orange, only by moisturizing conditions
The monitoring will be done like the schedule below for the Green Toad. Practice will show of adjustments must be made after 2009
Monitoring plan for the Green Toad
Inventory method is the same in Croatia
YYYXXXMarsh Frog(Rana ridibunda)
YYYX0YYellowbellied Toad(Bombina variegata)
0YYX00Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus)
YXYY0XCommon spadefoot(Pelobates fuscus)
YYYY0XCommon tree frog (Hyla aborea)
Visual
observation
juvenile
Visual
observation
larvae
Visual
observation
eggs
Visual
observation
adult
Counting Splash
Calling males
X = Preferred method
Y = Additional method
O = Not applicable
Difference:
Pond number
Species/stage
Type observations
Numbers
Presence
Remarks
Species
Numbers
Management
Water type
Size of water
Depth
Ponds holding water
Presence of fish
Croatia has the same type of field forms,
manual for inventory and monitoring
Monitoring protocol reptiles
1 transect takes between 1 and 2 hours
At both sides 5 meters wide
Transect length
500 m long for FourLined Snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata)
2000 m long for Leopard Snake (Elaphe situla)
5001000 m long for Cat Snake (Telescopus fallax)
500 m long for Montepellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus)
500 m long for European Glass Lizard (Pseudopus apodus Ophisaurus apodus), a limbless lizard
500 m long for Gecko's in settlements
TRANSECT
Monitoring protocol reptiles
Try to make combinations. On transect can be good for several species
For Cat Snake also look in (old) wells, dry walls and sandy/rocky roads
For FourLined Snake look vegetation and settlements
For Leopard Snake look in both types (vegetation/rocks)
Transect is situated in such a way to include the favorable sites
Transect isnt changed during monitoring
Transect is plotted in a field map
Lizard have no priority, but if you monitor them
Wall lizards, transect length of 200 m
Italian wall lizard (Podarcis sicula) and Karst wall lizard
TRANSECT
Snakes
1X Middle of March, 1X April, 2X in May
European Glass Lizard
1X Middle of March, 1X April, 2X in May, 1x September
Wall lizards
1X Middle of March, 1X April, 2X in May, 1x September
Also search in wells for Gecko's (Turkish Gecko Hemidactylus turcicus)
Biggest problems are cats
Action in 2009 search for European Pond Terrapin (Emys orbicularis)
FIELD VISIT
Example of field map with all the transects
Monitoring reptiles
Field form
Location
Date
Weather
Species
Numbers
Remarks
Etc.
OBSERVATIONS
Field form
Location
Date
Weather
Species
Numbers
Remarks
Etc.
Croatia has the same type of field forms
Material
Net
Torch
Container
Gloves
Pencil
Chest waders
Etc.
Amphibians/Reptiles
Adder (Vipera berus bosniensis),
Also in Croatia
Personal, # transects, # plots
Snakes and limbless lizard
1 plot has tree transect (see figure)
3 plots, with 3 people
3 plots on Kornat
1 plot on Lavsa
1 plot on V. Smokvica
Wall lizard, 1 transect, 1 person a total of 510 transects
Gekko, only on the 4 big settlements on Kornat, 1 person/transect.
10 m10 m 5 m5 m
1plot
Monitoring plan Bats
MAPPING CAVES
Mapping caves is the first priority May 2009
The focus will be on the main island Kornat
If possible, than other islands will be visit as well
(Specially when there is information about bats)
7 people available for 2009
The work can be done during the day
Beside caves also looking for bats in a banded houses
There is 1 GPS and may be one more will be bought
Maps
Monitoring plan Bats
MIST NET
There are 3 mist nets available and 2 more will be bought this year
Work can be done during the night (dawn and dusk)
Mist nets in SeptemberNovember (October migration)
Migration: monitoring by ponds and caves you need 4 people, 3 days for caves
By pond 3 persons (if there is more than 1 net), 5? days. Depends on beau fort? en night temperature ?
1x in May, 1x in July and 3x in SeptemberNovember
There is no standard for mist nets. Which size and how wide? We have two check if there is a standard
Monitoring plan Bats
BAT DETECTOR
Count bats when they fly in and out of the caves
Work can be done at dawn (fly in) and dusk (fly out)
Count both moments!
For counting you can use a counter. For big colony's make photographs
Beside photographs film can be a good alternative for counting (not available)
Transect by ponds
There is one bat detector. It cant record the bat sounds.
There isnt a computer program who can analyses which species you have found