AMPHIBIAN BIODIVERSITY RECOVERY IN A LARGE-SCALE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION

.—Amphibians are important components of ecosystem function and processes; however, many populations havedeclined due to habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. We studied the effect of wetlands ecosystem restoration onamphibian population recovery at Kankakee Sands in northwest Indiana, USA. We also tested predictions about colonizationin relation to proximity to existing nature preserves and species characteristics. Prior to restoration activities (1998), theamphibian community at Kankakee Sands consisted of fourteen populations of seven species at seven breeding sites. By 2001,this community increased to 60 populations at 26 sites; however, species richness had not increased. By 2002 the communityincreased to 143 populations of eight species at 38 sites, and by 2003 there were 172 populations of ten species at 44 sites.Abundance index values increased 15-fold from 1998-2003. These increases best fit the exponential growth model. Althoughsurvival through metamorphosis was substantial during wetter than average years (2002 and 2003), during other yearsrestored wetlands dried before larvae of most species transformed. Amphibian colonization was greatest near a naturepreserve with the greatest amphibian diversity. The earliest colonists included fossorial species and those species whose habitatincludes wet and mesic sand prairie. However, the fossorial Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) was the last species tocolonize Kankakee Sands.