Field Investigation at the Snowy

Mountains
Introduction

The Snowy Mountain Range is the highest mountain range on the island country/continent
of Australia. It contains the Australian mainland's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, which
reaches to a height of 2,228 m (7,310 ft) above sea level. The range also contains the five highest
peaks on the Australian mainland (including Mount Kosciuszko), all of which are above 2,100 m
(6,890 ft). They are located in southern New South Wales and are part of the larger Australian
Alps and Great Dividing Range. Unusual for Australia, the mountain range experiences large natural
snowfalls every winter. Snow normally falls the most during June, July and early August. Therefore,
most of the snow usually melts by late spring. The Tasmanian highlands makes up the other (major)
alpine region present in Australia.

The range is host to the mountain plum-pine, a low-lying type of conifer that is suspected of being
the world's oldest living plant. It is considered to be one of the centres of the Australian ski industry
during the winter months, with all four snow resorts in New South Wales being located in the region.

The higher regions of the park experience an alpine climate which is unusual on mainland Australia.
However, only the peaks of the main range are subject to consistent heavy winter snow. The climate
station at Charlotte Pass recorded Australia's lowest temperature of -23.0 C on 28 June 1994.

Part of the mountains known as Main Range contains mainland Australia's five glacial lakes. The
largest of these lakes is Blue Lake, one of the headwaters of the Snowy River. The other four glacial
lakes are Lake Albina, Lake Cootapatamba, Club Lake and Headley Tarn.

The Snowy Mountains cover a variety of climatic regions which support several distinct ecosystems.
The alpine area above the tree line is one of the most fragile and covers the smallest area. This area
is a patchwork of alpine heaths, herbfields, feldmarks, bogs and fens. The
windswept feldmark ecotope is endemic to the alpine region, and covers a mere 300,000 square
metres (3,200,000 sq ft). It is most vulnerable to the wandering footsteps of unmindful tourists.

During this field investigation along the Dead Horse gap walk of Mt Kosciuszko, one transect of
300m was made and three quadrats (1m x1m) were set along it. Abiotic factors including:
temperature, windspeed, soil pH, and light intensity, were measured at each of the three locations.
The three locations were measured from the cliff edge. The third location was at the cliff edge itself.
The second location was 100 m from the cliff edge and was located in the grassland region. The first
location was 20 m into the heavily treed area and 300m from the cliff edge.

Data Collection

Figure 1: Profile of the survey area

2 3

Location 1: Location 2: Location 3:

Tree Line Open grass land Cliff edge

300m from cliff edge 100m from cliff edge 0m from cliff edge

Tall eucalypt forest with a Open grass land with a variety Rocky and barren region.
sturdy undergrowth of shrubs of grasses and some small Some small bushes and
and ground cover individual trees grasses in some patches

Table 1: Abiotic Factors at the three locations.

Abiotic Factor Location 1: Location 2: Location 3:

Tree line (300m from Open grassland Cliff edge

cliff edge) (100m from cliff edge)
(0m from cliff edge)

Temperature 20C 27C 27C

Wind speed 2 5 8
(m/s)

Wind direction Easterly Easterly South-easterly

Soil pH 6 5 4

Light Intensity 5 20 22

(Lux)

Table 2: Species observed at each location

Location 1 Location 2 Location 3

Kangaroo Tall Grass Clumping grass

Corroboree frog Short dark leaved grass Wattle bush

Snow Gum Kangaroo Eagle

Alpine Ash Echinda Echidna

Mountain Gum Wombat Short, dark leaved grass

Table 3: Quadrats at each location to survey the variety of grass types.

Species Location 1 Location 2 Location 3

Tall Grass 0% 50% 0%

Short, dark leaved 5% 20% 25%

grass

Clumping Grass 5% 30% 25%

Leaf litter 90% 0% 0%

Please note: In location 3, the remainder of the ground cover was soil and rocks.

Relationships between organisms

Relationship 1: Corroboree frog and chytrid fungus

A parasitic relationship is a form of symbiosis where one organism gains food, shelter and/or
protection and the other organism is harmed. The Corroboree frog is affected by a parasitic fungus
that lives on the skin of the Corroboree frog and eventually causes the frog to die. The Chytrid
fungus is the parasite. It gets food and an host/shelter to live on the frogs skin. The Corroboree frog
is the host and is harmed to the point that it can no longer survive. Unfortunately, with the
introduction of this fungus to the ecosystem and the continued habitat destruction by 4WD and
tourists, the corroboree frog is not critically endangered.

Relationship 2: Corroboree Frog and Beetles

The predator-prey relationship involves one animal (predator) that eats another animal (prey) for
food. In the case of the Corroboree frog and the beetles of the Snowy Mountain, Corroboree frogs
are the predator and eat the beetles to gain vital nutrients and energy.

Detailed Study of an organism

Corroboree frog
What are Corroboree Frogs?
Corroboree Frogs are Australias most iconic amphibian species, and are amongst the most
visually spectacular frogs in the world. There are two closely related species of Corroboree
Frog:

Both Corroboree Frog species are between 2.5 and 3 centimetres in length.

There are several differences between the two Corroboree Frog species including differences
in their colour, patterns and even skin biochemistry.
The Southern Corroboree Frog (Pseudophryne corroboree) The Northern Corroboree Frog (Pseudophryne pengilleyei)

Where Do The Corroboree Frogs Live?

Corroboree Frogs have a limited geographic distribution. The historic known range of the
Southern Corroboree Frog is entirely within Kosciuszko National Park, from Smiggin Holes in
the south, and northwards to the Maragle Range. Southern Corroboree Frogs only occur
between about 1300 and 1760 m above sea level.

The historic known distribution of the Northern Corroboree Frog is throughout the Fiery
Range and Bogong Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park, Bondo State Forest, Micalong
State Forest, and Wee Jasper State Forest in NSW, and along the Brindabella Ranges in
Namadgi National Park in the ACT, and Bimberi Nature Reserve and Brindabella National
Park in NSW. These areas broadly represent three distinct geographic areas, with significant
genetic differences between the pouplations and are treated as three separate management
units: Southern Brindabella, Northern Brindabella, and Fiery management units. Northern
Corroboree Frogs live between 750m and 1800m above sea level.
 The distribution of the Southern Corroboree Frog.

What Habitats Do Corroboree Frogs Use?

Habitat critical to the survival of Corroboree Frogs includes both breeding habitat and nearby
areas where they feed. Corroboree frogs use a variety of habitat types for breeding including
pools and seepages in sphagnum bogs, wet tussock grasslands, fens and wet heath. They
also feed and shelter in montane forest, sub-alpine woodland and tall heath near breeding
areas.

Corroboree Frogs tend to breed in water bodies that are dry during the breeding season.
Outside the breeding season, Corroboree Frogs have been found sheltering in dense litter
and under logs and rocks in nearby woodland and tall moist heath. Northern Corroboree
Frogs have been found to move over 300 metres into surround woodland after breeding.
Typical sub-alpine sphagnum bog pool used as breeding. Wet soak area in montane habitat with small pool used by
the Northern Corroboree Frog for breeding.

Life-history and Ecology

Corroboree Frogs have a typical amphibian life-cycle with an aquatic tadpole stage and
terrestrial frog stage. The diet of Corroboree Frogs consists mainly of small ants and, to a
lesser extent, other invertebrates. Adult males move into breeding areas in early to late
summer, and call from small chambers (nests) in moss or other soft vegetation and soil at
the edges of the breeding pools. Typically, the pools are dry during the breeding season
when the eggs are laid. The males have three call types; an advertisement call, threat call,
and courtship call.

If a female is attracted to a male, she will lay her eggs in his nest. The male will remain in
his nest through the breeding season and may accumulate many clutches. Clutch size for
Corroboree Frogs is relatively low for a frog species; 16 to 38 eggs per female.

Southern Corroboree Frog male in nest with eggs

Within the nest, the eggs develop to an advanced stage, before development stops and they
enter what is called diapause. This effectively means that the embryos remain, without
developing further, until flooding of the nest following autumn or winter rains stimulates
them to hatch.
 Corroboree Frog eggs ready to hatch

After hatching, the tadpoles move out of the nest site and into the adjacent pool where they
live for the remainder of the larval period as a free swimming and feeding tadpole.
Corroboree Frog tadpoles are dark in colour, have a relatively long paddle shaped tail, and
grow to 30 mm in total length. The tadpoles continue growing slowly, particularly over
winter when the pool may be covered with snow and ice, until metamorphosis in early
summer

Metamorphosing Southern Corroboree Frog.

The majority of Southern Corroboree Frogs dont reach reproductive age until four years from
metamorphosis, although a small proportion of individuals reach sexual maturity in three
years. Age to maturity for the Northern Corroboree Frog varies depending on the altitude of
the population, with males from low altitude populations taking two years and males from
high altitude sites taking four.

Techniques for monitoring Ecosystems

Transect

The transect is simply a line that spans the gradient of interest, and then you locate your sample plots along this line.
The length of your transect would be determined by the gradient you are sampling. For example, research has shown
that the edge effects of a forest can be seen up to 100 meters into the forest, so to examine this gradient you would
want to use a transect at least 100 meters long.
Locating sample plots along the transect either in a uniform manner (i.e. every 10 meters) or by randomly

stratifying the sample plots. Random stratification adds the element of randomness to your sample plot select even

when using a transect.

To randomly stratify sample plots, divide the transect into logical subdivisions given the length of the transect (i.e.

every 50 meters for a 500 meter transect or every 10-20 meters for a 100 meter transect) and the pattern you are

trying to examine (i.e. if you expect rapid change then perhaps more subdivisions, if you expect slow graduate

change, then perhaps fewer subdivisions). Then use random numbers to locate the sample plots with each

subdivision of the transect (see Figure 2).

Changes to Ecosystems over time

The major impacts on the Snowy Mountain region are the impacts of humans through recreational activities and
building projects.

Bushfire has a major impact on the survival of organisms in this region. Many of the eucalypts require bushfire for
reproduction, whereas

Bibliography

http://www.corroboreefrog.com.au/corroboree-frog