The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) initiated a pilot program using Visual Encounter Surveys (VES) and Automated Recording Devices (ARDs) to monitor amphibians and reptiles (collectively “herps”) in the network parks, with emphasis on amphibians. Amphibians were chosen for monitoring because of their global importance as ecological indicators, documented population declines and extinctions, and their high level of diversity in the Southeast. The overall goals of the pilot herpetological program were to determine trends in species occupancy, distribution, diversity, and community composition in SECN parks. VES monitoring efforts consisted of single time-constrained manual surveys conducted in the summer and early fall to visually identify herps at each sample site. Survey duration at each site was determined by four factors, 1) area to be surveyed, 2) vegetation density, 3) amount of downed woody debris (DWD), and 4) presence of freshwater aquatic features. ARD monitoring was conducted in the spring and summer with automated recording devices being deployed for a 10-day period. Park boundaries were used as the sampling frames and a suite of spatially-balanced random sampling locations were drawn from a 0.5-ha grid. Recordings were first machine processed to match vocalization hits using species-detecting algorithms, before being manually processed by researchers for QA/QC purposes. Over 9,000 individual observations covering approximately 70 species were made at 13 NPS park units in 2009-2010. Data collected under these two protocols are stored in the SECN data management system and are available online in the Integration of Resource Management Applications (IRMA) database maintained by the Inventory and Monitoring Division national office located in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) initiated a pilot program using Visual Encounter Surveys (VES) and Automated Recording Devices (ARDs) to monitor amphibians and reptiles (collectively “herps”) in the network parks, with emphasis on amphibians. Amphibians were chosen for monitoring because of their global importance as ecological indicators, documented population declines and extinctions, and their high level of diversity in the Southeast. The overall goals of the pilot herpetological program were to determine trends in species occupancy, distribution, diversity, and community composition in SECN parks. VES monitoring efforts consisted of single time-constrained manual surveys conducted in the summer and early fall to visually identify herps at each sample site. Survey duration at each site was determined by four factors, 1) area to be surveyed, 2) vegetation density, 3) amount of downed woody debris (DWD), and 4) presence of freshwater aquatic features. ARD monitoring was conducted in the spring and summer with automated recording devices being deployed for a 10-day period. Park boundaries were used as the sampling frames and a suite of spatially-balanced random sampling locations were drawn from a 0.5-ha grid. Recordings were first machine processed to match vocalization hits using species-detecting algorithms, before being manually processed by researchers for QA/QC purposes. Over 9,000 individual observations covering approximately 70 species were made at 13 NPS park units in 2009-2010. Data collected under these two protocols are stored in the SECN data management system and are available online in the Integration of Resource Management Applications (IRMA) database maintained by the Inventory and Monitoring Division national office located in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) initiated a pilot program using Visual Encounter Surveys (VES) and Automated Recording Devices (ARDs) to monitor amphibians and reptiles (collectively “herps”) in the network parks, with emphasis on amphibians. Amphibians were chosen for monitoring because of their global importance as ecological indicators, documented population declines and extinctions, and their high level of diversity in the Southeast. The overall goals of the pilot herpetological program were to determine trends in species occupancy, distribution, diversity, and community composition in SECN parks. VES monitoring efforts consisted of single time-constrained manual surveys conducted in the summer and early fall to visually identify herps at each sample site. Survey duration at each site was determined by four factors, 1) area to be surveyed, 2) vegetation density, 3) amount of downed woody debris (DWD), and 4) presence of freshwater aquatic features. ARD monitoring was conducted in the spring and summer with automated recording devices being deployed for a 10-day period. Park boundaries were used as the sampling frames and a suite of spatially-balanced random sampling locations were drawn from a 0.5-ha grid. Recordings were first machine processed to match vocalization hits using species-detecting algorithms, before being manually processed by researchers for QA/QC purposes. Over 9,000 individual observations covering approximately 70 species were made at 13 NPS park units in 2009-2010. Data collected under these two protocols are stored in the SECN data management system and are available online in the Integration of Resource Management Applications (IRMA) database maintained by the Inventory and Monitoring Division national office located in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) initiated a pilot program using Automated Recording Devices (ARDs) to monitor vocal anurans in the network parks, with a particular focus emphasis on amphibians. Anurans were chosen for monitoring because of their global importance as ecological indicators, documented population declines and extinctions, and their high level of diversity in the Southeast. The overall goal of the pilot program was to determine trends in species occupancy, distribution, diversity, and community composition in SECN parks. Monitoring was conducted in the spring and summer with ARDs being deployed for 77-day periods. Park boundaries were used as sampling frames and a suite of spatially-balanced random sampling locations were drawn from 0.5-ha grids. Recordings were first machine processed to match vocalization hits using species-detecting algorithms, before being manually processed by researchers for QA/QC purposes. Over 192,000 signal detections determined to represent (in part) approximately 25 species were observed at 10 NPS park units in 2011, 2012, and 2014. Data collected under this protocol are stored in the SECN data management system and are available online in the Integration of Resource Management Applications (IRMA) database maintained by the Inventory and Monitoring Division national office located in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) initiated a pilot program using Automated Recording Devices (ARDs) to monitor vocal anurans in the network parks, with a particular focus emphasis on amphibians. Anurans were chosen for monitoring because of their global importance as ecological indicators, documented population declines and extinctions, and their high level of diversity in the Southeast. The overall goal of the pilot program was to determine trends in species occupancy, distribution, diversity, and community composition in SECN parks. Monitoring was conducted in the spring and summer with ARDs being deployed for 77-day periods. Park boundaries were used as sampling frames and a suite of spatially-balanced random sampling locations were drawn from 0.5-ha grids. Recordings were first machine processed to match vocalization hits using species-detecting algorithms, before being manually processed by researchers for QA/QC purposes. Over 192,000 signal detections determined to represent (in part) approximately 23 species were observed at 10 NPS park units in 2011, 2012, and 2014.

The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) initiated a pilot program using Automated Recording Devices (ARDs) to monitor vocal anurans in the network parks, with a particular focus emphasis on amphibians. Anurans were chosen for monitoring because of their global importance as ecological indicators, documented population declines and extinctions, and their high level of diversity in the Southeast. The overall goal of the pilot program was to determine trends in species occupancy, distribution, diversity, and community composition in SECN parks. Monitoring was conducted in the spring and summer with ARDs being deployed for 77-day periods. Park boundaries were used as sampling frames and a suite of spatially-balanced random sampling locations were drawn from 0.5-ha grids. Recordings were first machine processed to match vocalization hits using species-detecting algorithms, before being manually processed by researchers for QA/QC purposes. Over 192,000 signal detections determined to represent (in part) approximately 23 species were observed at 10 NPS park units in 2011, 2012, and 2014.

The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) initiated a pilot program using the Variable-radius circular plot point count method as a way to establish a quality-control method for data collected via automated recording devices (ARDs). Landbirds were selected as a vital sign for monitoring due to their interaction with several trophic levels in the environments they reside in, leading to landbird populations being an effective way to analyze the ecological conditions of those environments. The monitoring was performed in the spring of 2009 and 2010, where selected park units were surveyed once. Observations were made from sampling locations scattered throughout each park. Observed birds, either visually or audially, were recorded throughout a 12-minute time period at each sampling point. Over 19,000 observations of 173 species were made across 14 NPS park units in 2009 and 2010. Data collected under this protocol are stored in the SECN data management system and are available online in the Integration of Resource Management Applications (IRMA) database maintained by the Inventory and Monitoring Division national office located in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) initiated a pilot program using the Variable-radius circular plot point count method as a way to establish a quality-control method for data collected via automated recording devices (ARDs). Landbirds were selected as a vital sign for monitoring due to their interaction with several trophic levels in the environments they reside in, leading to landbird populations being an effective way to analyze the ecological conditions of those environments. The monitoring was performed in the spring of 2009 and 2010, where selected park units were surveyed once. Observations were made from sampling locations scattered throughout each park. Observed birds, either visually or audially, were recorded throughout a 12-minute time period at each sampling point. Over 19,000 observations of 173 species were made across 14 NPS park units in 2009 and 2010. Data collected under this protocol are stored in the SECN data management system and are available online in the Integration of Resource Management Applications (IRMA) database maintained by the Inventory and Monitoring Division national office located in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) initiated a pilot program using the Variable-radius circular plot point count method as a way to establish a quality-control method for data collected via automated recording devices (ARDs). Landbirds were selected as a vital sign for monitoring due to their interaction with several trophic levels in the environments they reside in, leading to landbird populations being an effective way to analyze the ecological conditions of those environments. The monitoring was performed in the spring of 2009 and 2010, where selected park units were surveyed once. Observations were made from sampling locations scattered throughout each park. Observed birds, either visually or audially, were recorded throughout a 12-minute time period at each sampling point. Over 19,000 observations of 173 species were made across 14 NPS park units in 2009 and 2010. Data collected under this protocol are stored in the SECN data management system and are available online in the Integration of Resource Management Applications (IRMA) database maintained by the Inventory and Monitoring Division national office located in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) initiated a pilot program using the Variable-radius circular plot point count method as a way to establish a quality-control method for data collected via automated recording devices (ARDs). Landbirds were selected as a vital sign for monitoring due to their interaction with several trophic levels in the environments they reside in, leading to landbird populations being an effective way to analyze the ecological conditions of those environments. The monitoring was performed in the spring of 2009 and 2010, where selected park units were surveyed once. Observations were made from sampling locations scattered throughout each park. Observed birds, either visually or audially, were recorded throughout a 12-minute time period at each sampling point. Over 19,000 observations of 173 species were made across 14 NPS park units in 2009 and 2010. Data collected under this protocol are stored in the SECN data management system and are available online in the Integration of Resource Management Applications (IRMA) database maintained by the Inventory and Monitoring Division national office located in Fort Collins, Colorado.