<p>Anurans are of particular importance in monitoring the
ecosystems of tropical environments. Existing literature reveals little standardization
in methodology, and many of the techniques that have been shown to be effective
in deciduous environments, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) refuges and pitfall
traps, are either inadequate or too difficult to implement in tropical
environments. This study evaluated three anuran trapping and monitoring
techniques for use in a tropical environment: PVC pipe refuges, pitfall traps,
and anuran census. Prior research validated the use of PVC refuges and pitfall
traps in deciduous forests, but their use outside of the Americas has not been thoroughly examined. PVC refuges failed to attract
anurans in this study, likely due to the abundance of natural refugia
characteristic of tropical environments with dense foliage. Pitfall traps utilizing
19-liter buckets are difficult to
implement in rocky soil and were shown to be ineffective utilizing buckets
small enough to implement in this research. The modifications to the pitfall
traps made in this research allowed for effective use with smaller, easier to
install buckets. The anuran census described in this study utilizes established
trails or paths for a continuous census. This study shows evidence for the
effective utilization of both modified pitfall trapping and anuran census in
monitoring population densities, assessing species richness, and detecting the
presence of rare or cryptic species. </p