Introduction >Home Page >About this Guide >Table of Contents Contents 1. What you can do 2. Water 3. Ecology 4. Amphibians 5. Environmental Issues 6. Keystone species 7. Get Wet!- Field Study Ideas 8. The Zoo Experience 9. Frogs & Friends 10. Case Studies 11. Resources 12. Glossary |
Wetland Curriculum Resource
Unit 2. Water - Activities 2.9. SALLY MANDER'S FAVOURITE PLACE Purpose: To monitor the water quality conditions that are favourable to amphibians for breeding, and to record sightings of amphibians. What You Need: pH test kit :: thermometer :: wetland monitoring sheet :: amphibian observation sheet :: amphibian field guide What You Do: Print copies of the wetland monitoring sheet (available here if you cannot display pop-up windows) and the amphibian monitoring sheet (available here if you cannot display pop-up windows). Select a wetland that your class or school would like to monitor on a monthly or yearly basis. Monitoring should be conducted between the first week of April and the end of June. May is the best month. The most important task, and probably the most difficult, will be determining the size of the wetland. Local Conservation Authorities will be able to provide you with this information if the wetland is too big to measure. If the wetland is relatively small, the city planning department may have this information, or it can be measured physically by the students. Large wetlands may have a greater diversity of micro-habitats, and hence a greater diversity of species. Closely related to size is the ratio of open water to vegetation. It is important to determine the percentage of area covered by both open water and plant communities present. Record information on the wetland monitoring sheet and the amphibian observation sheet as accurately as possible.
Questions:
Detailed monitoring protocols, developed by the Canadian Wildlife Service, are available in the appendix of the "Urban Outback". If you are interested in participating in a frog monitoring programme, please visit the Frogwatch-Ontario Website. Click here to see the answers to these questions.
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