Graduation Year

2024

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Organismal Biology

Reader 1

Robert Brodman

Reader 2

Donald McFarlane

Rights Information

© 2024 Jennifer Hu

Abstract

As valuable bioindicators of environmental health, anurans play an important role in assessing human impacts on tropical populations. Bioacoustic analysis of collected auditory data can be used to determine the relative abundance of an anuran population, and conversely, clearer understanding of environmental factors’ effects on anuran advertisement call patterns lends evidence for future conservation efforts. This study analyzes the effect of the lunar cycle on Hypsiboas rosenbergi (gladiator tree frog) advertisement calling pattern to inform how deforestation and decreased vegetation cover can affect anuran species. An updated frog call library was also created to inform future studies of anuran biodiversity at the Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology (FCRE). Karns’ Call Index was used to score calling abundance audio captured from dates corresponding to lunar phases, and values were found to be not uniformly spread across the 29.5-day lunar cycle, indicating significant variation. Regression analysis also indicates some negative correlation between lunar phases of high illumination and calling abundance. Further studies may collect light intensity and cloud cover percentages to continue the project.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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