ABSTRACTS FROM THE 2021 JOINT VIRTUAL MEETING OF NORTHWEST PARTNERS IN AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE CONSERVATION (NWPARC) AND THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL BIOLOGY (APB), 6–8 MAY 2021

Abstract

S FROM THE 2021 JOINT VIRTUAL MEETING OF NORTHWEST PARTNERS IN AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE CONSERVATION (NWPARC) AND THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL BIOLOGY (APB), 6–8 MAY 2021 PLENARY AND KEYNOTE TALKS PLENARY: WHAT DOES A RETIRED HERPETOLOGIST DO? LINGERING MYSTERIES ABOUT REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS. WHIT GIBBONS, University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Lab; wgibbons@uga.edu. My talk reflects on what herpetology was like in the past, from the early developmental stages of PARC in 1999 and a half-century previously. Some of the unanswered questions of herpetological ecology and behavior remaining in the present are discussed, including why Black Swampsnakes (Liodytes [Seminatrix] pygaea]) have red bellies, why all baby ratsnakes (Pantherophis [Elaphe] spp.) look the same, and why turtles have such variable eyes. Finally, recommendations are made for the most effective approaches for herpetofaunal conservation in the future, including continued research and publication, support of organizations such as PARC, and protection of natural habitats. Special focus is given to how to deal with attitudes of the public toward conservation of reptiles, amphibians, and their habitats. PLENARY: NATURE IS VARIABLE: SITE-SPECIFIC OUTCOMES OF PROTECTION MEASURES FOR STREAMS. JOHN S RICHARDSON, Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Colombia, Vancouver, BC Canada; john.richardson@ubc.ca. Application of measures for streamside protection often result in different outcomes from the same management practices. This variation in responses of stream ecosystems has many sources. Nevertheless, we often apply the same measures in landscapes in which they have not been tested. This talk will explore variation, its sources, and possible solutions. KEYNOTE: UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE THREATS TO AMPHIBIANS IN NORTHERN CLIMATES. MARK D THOMPSON, EcoLogic Consultants Ltd and Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9 Canada; mthompson@ecologicalconsultants.com. Northern amphibians are at great risk. Physiological and population-level stress is increased by large swings in environmental change. Populations are structured by rapid transitions in seasonal phenology, from one season to the next. Hibernation lasts more than 6 months and individuals have shorter seasons to migrate and complete developmental phases, to grow, and to accumulate sufficient body mass and energy for storage. The relations are even more complex with species networks reliant on adaptions timed to ecological synchronicity, such as garter snake predator emergence from hibernacula timed to amphibian breeding and metamorphosis cycles. The predictably of timed seasonal transitions is lost with the breaking of climate trends. Lack of research and monitoring on amphibians in northern climates is disconcerting. Despite reason to be alarmed at more frequent temperature and humidity extremes, the extent and scale of impacts is neither being measured nor redressed. Low funding priority means there are few (if any) effective baselines on abundance, occupancy, density, or distribution. Harvesting and construction of resource-extraction roads continues through productive habitat, which adds to the extremes and chaos. Coordinated effort is needed to work around harvests cutting into study areas where sampling plans and study designs can be compromised. Short seasons reduce timelines for effective data collection on the complex life-history phases, from egg to adult. Despite these challenges, responsible action must be taken to monitor northern populations. Building on 22 y of experience with northern amphibians, I will explore these challenges using hard-won lessons learned in the field. ABSTRACTS 166 NORTHWESTERN NATURALIST 102:166–178 AUTUMN 2021