Hailey Quicksill

Dr. Dunton & Dr. Sterrett

Environmental Field Methods
Cover Board Assignment
Paper
Scheffers, B. R. E. T. T., et al. "Comparison of two artificial cover objects for sampling
herpetofauna communities in Missouri." Herpetological Review 40.4 (2009): 419-421
Objectives
To determine which material, either carpet or wood, would be more effective when sampling for
hepetofaunal communities in large wooded areas.
Methods
In this study, two cover board materials (wood and carpet) were used to sample herpetofaunal
communities in a large forest located in upper Ozark Plateau, Missouri. This are supports many
different species of amphibians and reptiles.
• Three sites were chosen to conduct research in areas heavily shaded and close to a water
source. All cover boards sites were placed at the sites in a location perpendicular to the
pond water source in April-May.
• Each cover board was placed side by side, both carpet and wood, after clearing the soil of
any litter, debris, or rocks to ensure the cover board to lay flat.
• Cover boards were monitored from June to August. The order of checking the cover boards
were randomized, monitoring the sites during daylight hours every 10 days. Sites were
never checked more than once every seven days, facilitating the reduction of any
disturbance to microhabitats.
• Any vertebrates discovered were recorded along with mass and snout-vent length (SVL)
• Microhabitat was monitored as well as the cover boards, taking measurements of surface
temperature, litter depth, and moisture for both different types of cover board materials.

Analysis Used
This experiment will help conclude which material is best for cover board. The two materials
being tested are wood and carpet to determine which will provide a better habitat for reptiles or
other amphibians. When acquiring research on amphibians such as salamanders, a cover-board
that promotes a cool and damp will attract more specimen to analyze. This experiment uses the
data collected to compare both carpet and wood materials, to inform researchers with recent
information that could improve efficient with field studies.

Overall Results
In this study, the presence of snake species were found under both cover-boards, however,
plywood cover-board detected five out of five species of snakes known to that area, exhibiting no
bias to any certain species. However, less species of snakes were not analyzed when carpet
cover-boards were in use. In regards of lizard and salamander captures, wood cover-boards yet
again gathered a variety of species more than that of carpet. With this data, one can conclude
that wooden cover-boards prove to appeal to a larger range of amphibian species, showing great
use to a possible field study conductor. Though carpet boards collected similar species, the wood
gives a better estimated as to which species survive and thrive in that ecosystem.