Title
Request from UW-Madison to survey freshwater ponds in parks.
Body
UW-Madison is requesting access to City of Madison parks (see attached park list) to survey freshwater ponds. The surveys will not harm any freshwater vertebrates, all of which will be immediately released at the location where they were caught. The overall goal of the project is to understand how land use affects aquatic communities of zooplankton, invertebrates, and pond-breeding amphibians. The research will involve field surveys of ponds across land use gradients including urbanization, agricultural lands, and conservation areas. Results of this work will advance knowledge about the factors structuring ecological communities and will be directly relevant towards managing urban and agricultural ponds for multiple uses, including the provisioning of ecosystem services and habitat for wildlife. Many of the ponds in the project serve important roles in the management of urban stormwater, including flood mitigation, sediment removal, and improvement of water quality.
Staff recommends approval; UW-Madison should post signage at each of the survey locations that provides information on the project.