In the past century, Kentucky has lost more than 80% of its wetlands, and because state-wide monitoring was historically minimal, this number is likely underestimated. The Kentucky Division of Water, with Eastern Kentucky University and a technical working group, developed a rapid wetland assessment method (i.e. KY-WRAM) to assess wetland quality and aid in establishing mitigation levels and long-term monitoring. Validation of the KY-WRAM’s ability to reflect wetland condition requires comparison to intensive biotic assessments of amphibian, plant, and bird communities. Wetland and amphibian surveys for the 2014 and 2015 seasons were conducted at 42 riverine wetlands in the Kentucky and Salt river basins in Kentucky. Wetlands were chosen from across a gradient of low-, medium-, and high-category scores to compare amphibian communities across a range of wetland condition. Seven were in the low category, twenty-four in medium, and eleven in the high category. Wetlands were surveyed for amphibians via dipnetting and minnow-trapping. Species richness and abundance were tested with AIC modeling using nutrients, dissolved oxygen, landscape disturbance, presence of predatory fish, the pesticide atrazine, and KY-WRAM scores as model parameters. Results indicated KY-WRAM score explained the majority in species richness, and was an important predictor of abundance for seven species of amphibians. Additionally, species richness was significantly and positively related to KY-WRAM score (p<0.001, R2 = 0.62), and was greater among medium and high category sites than low ones. Species present at low quality sites tended to be present at all sites, and species that are sensitive to disturbance were generally only found at higher-scoring sites. KY-WRAM scores reflect a gradient of wetland condition, and anthropogenic impacts within wetland habitats and surrounding uplands are reflected in these scores. Overall, these results indicate that the KY-WRAM is a good predictor of wetland condition, and strongly relates to amphibian communities.
","abstract_html":"<p>In the past century, Kentucky has lost more than 80% of its wetlands, and because state-wide monitoring was historically minimal, this number is likely underestimated. The Kentucky Division of Water, with Eastern Kentucky University and a technical working group, developed a rapid wetland assessment method (i.e. KY-WRAM) to assess wetland quality and aid in establishing mitigation levels and long-term monitoring. Validation of the KY-WRAM’s ability to reflect wetland condition requires comparison to intensive biotic assessments of amphibian, plant, and bird communities. Wetland and amphibian surveys for the 2014 and 2015 seasons were conducted at 42 riverine wetlands in the Kentucky and Salt river basins in Kentucky. Wetlands were chosen from across a gradient of low-, medium-, and high-category scores to compare amphibian communities across a range of wetland condition. Seven were in the low category, twenty-four in medium, and eleven in the high category. Wetlands were surveyed for amphibians via dipnetting and minnow-trapping. Species richness and abundance were tested with AIC modeling using nutrients, dissolved oxygen, landscape disturbance, presence of predatory fish, the pesticide atrazine, and KY-WRAM scores as model parameters. Results indicated KY-WRAM score explained the majority in species richness, and was an important predictor of abundance for seven species of amphibians. Additionally, species richness was significantly and positively related to KY-WRAM score (p<0.001, R2 = 0.62), and was greater among medium and high category sites than low ones. Species present at low quality sites tended to be present at all sites, and species that are sensitive to disturbance were generally only found at higher-scoring sites. KY-WRAM scores reflect a gradient of wetland condition, and anthropogenic impacts within wetland habitats and surrounding uplands are reflected in these scores. Overall, these results indicate that the KY-WRAM is a good predictor of wetland condition, and strongly relates to amphibian communities. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dupler, Kari"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Biological Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:32Z","subjects":["Amphibians","KY-WRAM","Wetland Condition","Wetland Rapid Assessment","Biodiversity","Environmental Monitoring","Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2016 Kari Dupler"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/363","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Dupler, Kari"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biological Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Amphibians","KY-WRAM","Wetland Condition","Wetland Rapid Assessment","Biodiversity","Environmental Monitoring","Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2016 Kari Dupler"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/363"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In the past century, Kentucky has lost more than 80% of its wetlands, and because state-wide monitoring was historically minimal, this number is likely underestimated. The Kentucky Division of Water, with Eastern Kentucky University and a technical working group, developed a rapid wetland assessment method (i.e. KY-WRAM) to assess wetland quality and aid in establishing mitigation levels and long-term monitoring. Validation of the KY-WRAM’s ability to reflect wetland condition requires comparison to intensive biotic assessments of amphibian, plant, and bird communities. Wetland and amphibian surveys for the 2014 and 2015 seasons were conducted at 42 riverine wetlands in the Kentucky and Salt river basins in Kentucky. Wetlands were chosen from across a gradient of low-, medium-, and high-category scores to compare amphibian communities across a range of wetland condition. Seven were in the low category, twenty-four in medium, and eleven in the high category. Wetlands were surveyed for amphibians via dipnetting and minnow-trapping. Species richness and abundance were tested with AIC modeling using nutrients, dissolved oxygen, landscape disturbance, presence of predatory fish, the pesticide atrazine, and KY-WRAM scores as model parameters. Results indicated KY-WRAM score explained the majority in species richness, and was an important predictor of abundance for seven species of amphibians. Additionally, species richness was significantly and positively related to KY-WRAM score (p<0.001, R2 = 0.62), and was greater among medium and high category sites than low ones. Species present at low quality sites tended to be present at all sites, and species that are sensitive to disturbance were generally only found at higher-scoring sites. KY-WRAM scores reflect a gradient of wetland condition, and anthropogenic impacts within wetland habitats and surrounding uplands are reflected in these scores. Overall, these results indicate that the KY-WRAM is a good predictor of wetland condition, and strongly relates to amphibian communities.
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Wetland Condition Matters: Amphibian Richness and Abundance Change Across Wetland Condition Gradient"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Dupler, Kari"],"dc:description.abstract":["In the past century, Kentucky has lost more than 80% of its wetlands, and because state-wide monitoring was historically minimal, this number is likely underestimated. The Kentucky Division of Water, with Eastern Kentucky University and a technical working group, developed a rapid wetland assessment method (i.e. KY-WRAM) to assess wetland quality and aid in establishing mitigation levels and long-term monitoring. Validation of the KY-WRAM’s ability to reflect wetland condition requires comparison to intensive biotic assessments of amphibian, plant, and bird communities. Wetland and amphibian surveys for the 2014 and 2015 seasons were conducted at 42 riverine wetlands in the Kentucky and Salt river basins in Kentucky. Wetlands were chosen from across a gradient of low-, medium-, and high-category scores to compare amphibian communities across a range of wetland condition. Seven were in the low category, twenty-four in medium, and eleven in the high category. Wetlands were surveyed for amphibians via dipnetting and minnow-trapping. Species richness and abundance were tested with AIC modeling using nutrients, dissolved oxygen, landscape disturbance, presence of predatory fish, the pesticide atrazine, and KY-WRAM scores as model parameters. Results indicated KY-WRAM score explained the majority in species richness, and was an important predictor of abundance for seven species of amphibians. Additionally, species richness was significantly and positively related to KY-WRAM score (p<0.001, R2 = 0.62), and was greater among medium and high category sites than low ones. Species present at low quality sites tended to be present at all sites, and species that are sensitive to disturbance were generally only found at higher-scoring sites. KY-WRAM scores reflect a gradient of wetland condition, and anthropogenic impacts within wetland habitats and surrounding uplands are reflected in these scores. Overall, these results indicate that the KY-WRAM is a good predictor of wetland condition, and strongly relates to amphibian communities.
"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/363"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2016 Kari Dupler"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["Amphibians","KY-WRAM","Wetland Condition","Wetland Rapid Assessment","Biodiversity","Environmental Monitoring","Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology"],"dc:title":["Wetland Condition Matters: Amphibian Richness and Abundance Change Across Wetland Condition Gradient"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biological Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:32Z"}