Listics

We have this contract opportunity from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources… anybody out there able to give this a shot for ridiculously depressed rates (like $25 to $30 per hour…)? “The [applicant] should have some knowledge of the Wisconsin Frog and Toad Survey and the ecological landscapes of Wisconsin.”

Project Title: Wisconsin Frog & Toad Survey Geospatial Models

Amphibians are currently of great interest to ecologists and land managers because of their potential importance as indicators of ecosystem health. The Wisconsin Frog and Toad Survey (WFTS) is one of the longest running monitoring programs of its type in the country and served as a model for the development of the national frog and toad monitoring program. With the completion of the 2024 season the WFTS achieved a milestone, having completed 20 years of data collection.

As with many long-term monitoring programs, interpretation can become difficult simply due to the enormity of the data. Trying to grasp geospatial and temporal trends for multiple species becomes a daunting task. One way to address this challenge is through the use of cartographic products, which are often used as a visual means of portraying and interpreting large datasets. Specifically, geospatial models are a means to incorporate both spatial and temporal information into one visual product.

The goal of this project is to simplify the interpretation of the dataset by creating a series of geospatial models, or “animated maps”. The maps will serve as a tool to identify geographic areas where it may be important to focus monitoring, research, and management and conservation efforts.

This project will use the existing WFTS data to create a series of state maps based on species, year and indices of abundance. These maps will be compiled in a series of geospatial models that will allow the DNR’s species experts and managers to view a map of Wisconsin and see changes in presence and abundance for each species over time. These patterns will be represented visually through changing size or color of the WFTS locations across the state. In other words, the user can “travel through time” to see changes in the status of Wisconsin’s frogs and toad. These maps could also be viewed at the ecoregion or county level for more geographically specific interpretation.