Student Type
Undergraduate
College Affiliation
College of Arts and Humanities
Department
Geographic Information Systems
Submission Type
Poster
Abstract
Over the past decade, amphibian populations have been noticeably declining. As struggles between climate change, human development, and sustaining healthy ecosystems grows, it is vital to understand how these threats impact amphibians. Missouri has a rich diversity of toads, frogs, and salamanders but some of these species are struggling, such as the spring peeper and Ozark hellbender. Projects such as the St. Louis Zoo’s Frog Watch and iNaturalist observations have been implemented to involve citizens of Missouri in collecting valuable data pertaining to where amphibians are present and establishing where populations are struggling to thrive. The goal of this project is to involve conservationists and citizens alike in restoring Missouri’s natural biodiversity by showing the decline of amphibian populations in Missouri over the past decade and present where these species are still thriving through an interactive GIS map containing data collected by both researchers and involved residents of the state.
Recommended Citation
Townsend, Kat and Vansell, Tara, "GIS Observations of Missouri Amphibian Diversity" (2023). 2023 Student Academic Showcase. 18.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/src_2023/Posters/Session1/18
Included in
GIS Observations of Missouri Amphibian Diversity
Over the past decade, amphibian populations have been noticeably declining. As struggles between climate change, human development, and sustaining healthy ecosystems grows, it is vital to understand how these threats impact amphibians. Missouri has a rich diversity of toads, frogs, and salamanders but some of these species are struggling, such as the spring peeper and Ozark hellbender. Projects such as the St. Louis Zoo’s Frog Watch and iNaturalist observations have been implemented to involve citizens of Missouri in collecting valuable data pertaining to where amphibians are present and establishing where populations are struggling to thrive. The goal of this project is to involve conservationists and citizens alike in restoring Missouri’s natural biodiversity by showing the decline of amphibian populations in Missouri over the past decade and present where these species are still thriving through an interactive GIS map containing data collected by both researchers and involved residents of the state.