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Zanovello L, Girardi M, Marchesini A, Galla G, Casari S, Micheletti D, Endrizzi S, Fedrigotti C, Pedrini P, Bertorelle G, Hauffe HC. A validated protocol for eDNA-based monitoring of within-species genetic diversity in a pond-breeding amphibian. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4346. [PMID: 36928612 PMCID: PMC10020426 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31410-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In light of the dramatic decline in amphibian biodiversity, new cost-efficient tools to rapidly monitor species abundance and population genetic diversity in space and time are urgently needed. It has been amply demonstrated that the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) for single-species detection and characterization of community composition can increase the precision of amphibian monitoring compared to traditional (observational) approaches. However, it has been suggested that the efficiency and accuracy of the eDNA approach could be further improved by more timely sampling; in addition, the quality of genetic diversity data derived from the same DNA has been confirmed in other vertebrate taxa, but not amphibians. Given the availability of previous tissue-based genetic data, here we use the common frog Rana temporaria Linnaeus, 1758 as our target species and an improved eDNA protocol to: (i) investigate differences in species detection between three developmental stages in various freshwater environments; and (ii) study the diversity of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes detected in eDNA (water) samples, by amplifying a specific fragment of the COI gene (331 base pairs, bp) commonly used as a barcode. Our protocol proved to be a reliable tool for monitoring population genetic diversity of this species, and could be a valuable addition to amphibian conservation and wetland management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Zanovello
- Conservation Genomics Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
- Conservation Biology Unit, MUSE - Science Museum Trento, Trento, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Matteo Girardi
- Conservation Genomics Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Alexis Marchesini
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP), The National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Giulio Galla
- Conservation Genomics Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Stefano Casari
- Conservation Genomics Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Diego Micheletti
- Computational Biology Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Sonia Endrizzi
- Conservation Biology Unit, MUSE - Science Museum Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Chiara Fedrigotti
- Conservation Biology Unit, MUSE - Science Museum Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Paolo Pedrini
- Conservation Biology Unit, MUSE - Science Museum Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Giorgio Bertorelle
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Heidi Christine Hauffe
- Conservation Genomics Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy.
- National Biodiversity Future Center, S.c.a.r.l., Palermo, Italy.
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2
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Long-Term Changes in Four Populations of the Spiny Toad, Bufo spinosus, in Western France; Data from Road Mortalities. CONSERVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/conservation2020017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat fragmentation is widely recognized as a contributor to the decline of biodiversity, with amphibians one of the key groups impacted. To understand the effects of habitat fragmentation on amphibian populations requires long-term data sets showing population trends. In this paper, road mortalities were employed as proxies to describe long-term numbers of four populations of the spiny toad Bufo spinosus in western France during a 17-year period. Road mortalities were found during all months in all populations but were most frequent during October, November and December, the main migratory period. Large females were found significantly more frequently during these migration months, forming 45% of the total sample, compared with their presence from January to September (34.4%). The long-term trends were evaluated using regression analysis of the logarithmic (loge) transforms of annual counts as dependent variables against year as the independent variables. All coefficients showed no significant departure from the 0 hypothetical coefficients, indicative of population stability. This was supported by jackknife analysis, which showed good agreement of the pseudo-regression coefficients with the true equations. Stepwise regression of potential climate impacts on toad numbers suggested rainfall levels in October adjusted to 2- and 3-year lags were involved in driving population change. Road mortality counts were also made during 2020 and 2021 when human movement restrictions were in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To estimate the potential impact on this disturbance in the methodology, the Poisson distribution was used to estimate potential differences between what would have been expected counts and the observed counts. The results indicate that the observed mortalities were significantly lower than expected in all four populations.
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Peer M, Dörler D, Zaller JG, Scheifinger H, Schweiger S, Laaha G, Neuwirth G, Hübner T, Heigl F. Predicting spring migration of two European amphibian species with plant phenology using citizen science data. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21611. [PMID: 34732795 PMCID: PMC8566551 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00912-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat fragmentation is one of the drivers for amphibian population declines globally. Especially in industrialized countries roads disrupt the seasonal migration of amphibians between hibernation and reproduction sites, often ending in roadkills. Thus, a timely installing of temporary mitigation measures is important for amphibian conservation. We wanted to find out if plant phenology can be a proxy in advance to determine the start of amphibian migration, since both phenomena are triggered by temperature. We analysed data of 3751 amphibian and 7818 plant phenology observations from citizen science projects in Austria between 2000 and 2018. Using robust regression modelling we compared the migration of common toads (Bufo bufo) and common frogs (Rana temporaria) with the phenology of five tree, one shrub, and one herb species. Results showed close associations between the migration of common frogs and phenological phases of European larch, goat willow and apricot. Models based on goat willow predict migration of common frog to occur 21 days after flowering, when flowering was observed on 60th day of year; apricot based models predict migration to occur 1 day after flowering, observed on the 75th day of year. Common toads showed weaker associations with plant phenology than common frogs. Our findings suggest that plant phenology can be used to determine the onset of temporary mitigation measures for certain amphibian species to prevent roadkills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Peer
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Daniel Dörler
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johann G Zaller
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Silke Schweiger
- First Zoological Department, Herpetological Collection, Natural History Museum Vienna, 1010, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Laaha
- Institute of Statistics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Thomas Hübner
- Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Heigl
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180, Vienna, Austria
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4
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Conservation genetics of a wide-ranged temperate snake: same species, different locations, and different behaviour. CONSERV GENET 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-021-01416-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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5
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Adams E, Leeb C, Brühl CA. Pesticide exposure affects reproductive capacity of common toads (Bufo bufo) in a viticultural landscape. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2021; 30:213-223. [PMID: 33471271 PMCID: PMC7902574 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02335-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Amphibian populations are declining worldwide at alarming rates. Among the large variety of contributing stressors, chemical pollutants like pesticides have been identified as a major factor for this decline. Besides direct effects on aquatic and terrestrial amphibian stages, sublethal effects like impairments in reproduction can affect a population. Therefore, we investigated the reproductive capacity of common toads (Bufo bufo) in the pesticide-intensive viticultural landscape of Palatinate in Southwest Germany along a pesticide gradient. In a semi-field study, we captured reproductively active common toad pairs of five breeding ponds with different pesticide contamination level and kept them in a net cage until spawning. Toads from more contaminated ponds showed an increased fecundity (more eggs) but decreased fertilization rates (fewer hatching tadpoles) as well as lower survival rates and reduced size in Gosner stage 25, suggesting that the higher exposed populations suffer from long-term reproductive impairments. In combination with acute toxicity effects, the detected sublethal effects, which are mostly not addressed in the ecological risk assessment of pesticides, pose a serious threat on amphibian populations in agricultural landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Adams
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829, Landau, Germany.
| | - Christoph Leeb
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Carsten A Brühl
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829, Landau, Germany
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6
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Węgiel A, Grzywiński W, Kosicki JZ, Tryjanowski P, Nowak J, Węgiel J. Long-term population trends of Rhinolophus hipposideros and Myotis myotis in Poland. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2021.2006324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- A. Węgiel
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland
| | - W. Grzywiński
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland
| | - J. Z. Kosicki
- Department of Avian Biology & Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland
| | - P. Tryjanowski
- Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - J. Węgiel
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland
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7
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Leeb C, Kolbenschlag S, Laubscher A, Adams E, Brühl CA, Theissinger K. Avoidance behavior of juvenile common toads (Bufo bufo) in response to surface contamination by different pesticides. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242720. [PMID: 33253276 PMCID: PMC7704001 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Most agricultural soils are expected to be contaminated with agricultural chemicals. As the exposure to pesticides can have adverse effects on non-target organisms, avoiding contaminated areas would be advantageous on an individual level, but could lead to a chemical landscape fragmentation with disadvantages on the metapopulation level. We investigated the avoidance behavior of juvenile common toads (Bufo bufo) in response to seven pesticide formulations commonly used in German vineyards. We used test arenas filled with silica sand and oversprayed half of each with different pesticide formulations. We placed a toad in the middle of an arena, filmed its behavior over 24 hours, calculated the proportion of time a toad spent on the contaminated side and compared it to a random side choice. We found evidence for the avoidance of the folpet formulation Folpan® 500 SC, the metrafenone formulation Vivando® and the glyphosate formulation Taifun® forte at maximum recommended field rates for vine and a trend for avoidance of Wettable Sulphur Stulln (sulphur). No avoidance was observed when testing Folpan® 80 WDG (folpet), Funguran® progress (copper hydroxide), SpinTorTM (spinosad), or 10% of the maximum field rate of any formulation tested. In the choice-tests in which we observed an avoidance, toads also showed higher activity on the contaminated side of the arena. As video analysis with tracking software is not always feasible, we further tested the effect of reducing the sampling interval for manual data analyses. We showed that one data point every 15 or 60 minutes results in a risk of overlooking a weak avoidance behavior, but still allows to verify the absence/presence of an avoidance for six out of seven formulations. Our findings are important for an upcoming pesticide risk assessment for amphibians and could be a template for future standardized tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Leeb
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Sara Kolbenschlag
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
| | - Aurelia Laubscher
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
| | - Elena Adams
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
| | - Carsten A. Brühl
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
| | - Kathrin Theissinger
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt, Germany
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8
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Leeb C, Brühl C, Theissinger K. Potential pesticide exposure during the post-breeding migration of the common toad (Bufo bufo) in a vineyard dominated landscape. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 706:134430. [PMID: 31855631 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Two important drivers of the global amphibian decline are habitat destruction due to an intensification of farming and a related increase of pesticide applications. Recent studies have shown that there might be an underestimated risk of pesticides on terrestrial amphibians. However, there are too few data on the terrestrial habitat use of amphibians in agricultural landscapes to estimate the exposure risk. To fill this knowledge gap, we used telemetry to investigate the post-breeding migration of 51 common toads (Bufo bufo) from a breeding pond in a vineyard-dominated landscape in Southern Palatinate (Germany). We expected most toads to migrate to the nearby Palatinate Forest as a terrestrial habitat. However, only four individuals reached the forest, suggesting that a part of the population is inhabiting the agricultural landscape over large parts of the year. Individuals were also found directly in the vineyards (15% of all relocations), but 23% less often than expected from a random choice and therefore tend to avoid vineyards as terrestrial habitat. To estimate a possible spatial-temporal overlap of toad migration and pesticide application, we combined telemetry data with information about pesticide applications from local wine growers. Seven individuals had a high probability (>75%) of being directly exposed to a pesticide application. Taking spray drift and the half-life values of applied pesticides into account, the number of toads potentially exposed raised to 15 individuals. We estimated that, on a single day up to 24% of the whole breeding population came in contact with pesticides, resulting in a high overall exposure risk. Pesticides can have negative effects on amphibians, and toads try to avoid vineyards as habitats. Therefore, we conclude that a heterogeneous cultural landscape, with buffer strips around ponds, uncultivated patches and migration corridors, might be the best management measure for sustaining amphibians in the agricultural landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Leeb
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate 76829, Germany.
| | - Carsten Brühl
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate 76829, Germany
| | - Kathrin Theissinger
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate 76829, Germany
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9
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Falaschi M, Manenti R, Thuiller W, Ficetola GF. Continental-scale determinants of population trends in European amphibians and reptiles. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:3504-3515. [PMID: 31220393 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The continuous decline of biodiversity is determined by the complex and joint effects of multiple environmental drivers. Still, a large part of past global change studies reporting and explaining biodiversity trends have focused on a single driver. Therefore, we are often unable to attribute biodiversity changes to different drivers, since a multivariable design is required to disentangle joint effects and interactions. In this work, we used a meta-regression within a Bayesian framework to analyze 843 time series of population abundance from 17 European amphibian and reptile species over the last 45 years. We investigated the relative effects of climate change, alien species, habitat availability, and habitat change in driving trends of population abundance over time, and evaluated how the importance of these factors differs across species. A large number of populations (54%) declined, but differences between species were strong, with some species showing positive trends. Populations declined more often in areas with a high number of alien species, and in areas where climate change has caused loss of suitability. Habitat features showed small variation over the last 25 years, with an average loss of suitable habitat of 0.1%/year per population. Still, a strong interaction between habitat availability and the richness of alien species indicated that the negative impact of alien species was particularly strong for populations living in landscapes with less suitable habitat. Furthermore, when excluding the two commonest species, habitat loss was the main correlate of negative population trends for the remaining species. By analyzing trends for multiple species across a broad spatial scale, we identify alien species, climate change, and habitat changes as the major drivers of European amphibian and reptile decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Falaschi
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Raoul Manenti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), Université Grenoble Alpes, University of Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Gentile Francesco Ficetola
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA), Université Grenoble Alpes, University of Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Grenoble, France
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Helldin JO, Petrovan SO. Effectiveness of small road tunnels and fences in reducing amphibian roadkill and barrier effects at retrofitted roads in Sweden. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7518. [PMID: 31523500 PMCID: PMC6714967 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Schemes to reduce road impacts on amphibians have been implemented for decades in Europe, yet, several aspects on the effectiveness of such schemes remain poorly understood. Particularly in northern Europe, including Sweden, there is a lack of available information on road mitigation for amphibians, which is hampering implementation progress and cost-effectiveness analyses of mitigation options. Here, we present data derived from systematic counts of amphibians during spring migration at three previous hot-spots for amphibian roadkill in Sweden, where amphibian tunnels with guiding fences have been installed. We used the data in combination with a risk model to estimate the number of roadkills and successful crossings before vs. after mitigation and mitigated vs. adjacent non-mitigated road sections. In mitigated road sections, the estimated number of amphibians killed or at risk of being killed by car traffic decreased by 85-100% and the estimated number successfully crossing the road increased by 25-340%. Data, however, suggested fence-end effects that may moderate the reduction in roadkill. We discuss possible explanations for the observed differences between sites and construction types, and implications for amphibian conservation. We show how effectiveness estimates can be used for prioritizing amphibian passages along the existing road network. Finally, we emphasize the importance of careful monitoring of amphibian roadkill and successful crossings before and after amphibian passages are constructed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Olof Helldin
- Swedish Biodiversity Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Silviu O Petrovan
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Froglife, Peterborough, UK
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11
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Hernández-Pacheco R, Sutherland C, Thompson LM, Grayson KL. Unexpected spatial population ecology of a widespread terrestrial salamander near its southern range edge. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:182192. [PMID: 31312480 PMCID: PMC6599808 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.182192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Under the current amphibian biodiversity crisis, common species provide an opportunity to measure population dynamics across a wide range of environmental conditions while examining the processes that determine abundance and structure geographical ranges. Studying species at their range limits also provides a window for understanding the dynamics expected in future environments under increasing climate change and human modification. We quantified patterns of seasonal activity, density and space use in the eastern red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) near its southern range edge and compare the spatial ecology of this population to previous findings from the core of their range. This southern population shows the expected phenology of surface activity based on temperature limitations in warmer climates, yet maintains unexpectedly high densities and large home ranges during the active season. Our study suggests that ecological factors known to strongly affect amphibian populations (e.g. warm temperature and forest fragmentation) do not necessarily constrain this southern population. Our study highlights the utility of studying a common amphibian as a model system for investigating population processes in environments under strong selective pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chris Sutherland
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Lily M. Thompson
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA
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12
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Jovanović B, Crnobrnja-Isailović J. Fluctuations in population abundance in two anurans from Central Serbia. HERPETOZOA 2019. [DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.32.e35660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We monitored the population size of the agile frog (Ranadalmatina) and the common toad (Bufobufo) from 2011 or 2012, respectively, to the year 2017 at a syntopic breeding site in the vicinity of Belgrade. Adult R.dalmatina population size had minor fluctuations during the years of study (from 351 to 108 frogs). On the contrary, the adult B.bufo population was widely fluctuating towards decline (from 1158 to 141 toads). In both species, population fluctuations were not significantly related to variation of meteorological parameters (air temperature, humidity, precipitation). Density dependence effects on population size were not detected in either species. Apart from possible effects of climate change, the indicated trend towards decline of the monitored B.bufo population could also be the outcome of common population fluctuations or of increasing anthropogenic impact (vicinity of settlement and agricultural land). More years of monitoring more than one population are required to obtain precise information. Nevertheless, our results seem to be coherent with other studies that recommend conservation action for this species.
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13
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Road mitigation using tunnels and fences promotes site connectivity and population expansion for a protected amphibian. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1263-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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14
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Sterrett SC, Katz RA, Fields WR, Campbell Grant EH. The contribution of road‐based citizen science to the conservation of pond‐breeding amphibians. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sean C. Sterrett
- United States Geological SurveyPatuxent Wildlife Research Center Turners Falls Massachusetts
| | - Rachel A. Katz
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceNational Wildlife Refuge System Hadley Massachusetts
| | - William R. Fields
- United States Geological SurveyPatuxent Wildlife Research Center Turners Falls Massachusetts
| | - Evan H. Campbell Grant
- United States Geological SurveyPatuxent Wildlife Research Center Turners Falls Massachusetts
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