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Options to locate amphibians: range-edge surveys, watershed sampling and genetics carry big trade-offs
Summary
Presenters offered Q1 options from targeted range-edge sampling to watershed-scale occurrence studies and more intensive within-watershed sampling with repeat visits; costs and inference quality vary widely.
Presenters described four main families of approaches for Question 1 (where covered amphibian species occur): targeted range-refinement at uncertain edges (low cost), broad watershed‑scale occurrence surveys (moderate cost, limited detection correction), within-watershed repeat-sampling to improve habitat associations (higher cost), and genetics/demography add-ons (highest cost).
Jessica said the Q1-3 watershed option would likely take two to three years and estimated costs of about $700,000 to $1,700,000, but emphasized that those estimates vary depending on whether proposals include repeat visits (for detection correction) and habitat measures. Committee members noted that without detection probabilities you can improve distribution knowledge but cannot reliably rule out absence; presenters recommended clear instructions in an RFP if AMPC wants stronger absence inference.
