A Laboratory Study of the Effects of Aluminum and pH on Amphibian Eggs and Tadpoles

1985 ◽  
Vol 42 (9) ◽  
pp. 1544-1551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen L. Clark ◽  
Bruce D. Lazerte
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Study ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
Rana Sylvatica ◽  
Consistent Pattern ◽  
Hydrogen Ion ◽  
Aluminum Stress ◽  
Bufo Americanus ◽  
Aluminum Speciation ◽  
Laboratory Bioassays

Bufo americanus and Rana sylvatica eggs and tadpoles were exposed in laboratory bioassays to a range of pH and aluminum concentrations commonly encountered in ponds and streams of central Ontario. Bufo americanus and R. sylvatica hatching success was reduced at pH 4.14. The addition of 10 μg inorganic monomeric aluminum (IMAl)/L at pH < 4.35 further reduced hatching success of B. americanus. Rana sylvatica was slightly less sensitive, with hatching success being reduced by addition of 20 μg IMAl/L at pH 4.14. Increasing aluminum concentrations at pH 4.14 appeared to have no further effect except at the highest level used (200 μg/L). IMAI that was toxic at pH 4.35 or 4.14 had no effect at pH 4.75 or 5.75. Toxicity was not dependent on the aluminum speciation, since similar levels of Al3+ and Al(OH)x complexes that were toxic at pH 4.14 were not toxic at pH 4.75; also, Al(F)x complexes were as toxic as Al3+. Egg mortality due to hydrogen ion stress was correlated with a delay in time of hatch and a reduction in egg size; however, there was no consistent pattern with respect to aluminum stress. Bufo americanus and R. sylvatica tadpoles were not sensitive to up to 200 μg IMAl/L and pH as low as 4.14.

Effects of elevated hydrogen ion and aluminum concentrations on the survival of amphibian embryos and larvae

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen L. Clark ◽  
Ronald J. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Hatching Success ◽  
Rana Sylvatica ◽  
Larval Survival ◽  
Hydrogen Ion ◽  
Ph Effects ◽  
Bufo Americanus ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Egg Hatching ◽  
Effects Of Ph ◽  
Chemical Variable

Egg hatching success was measured for three amphibian species (Bufo americanus, Rana sylvatica, and Ambystoma maculatum) exposed to varying hydrogen ion, aluminum, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. In the first experiment, hatching success in six stream pools was negatively correlated with Al and DOC and positively correlated with pH. Effects of any one chemical variable, however, could not be separated from the others. In a second experiment, to separate effects of pH and Al from DOC, eggs and larvae were exposed to simulated stream pools in which pH was reduced. At pH 4.8 and 37 μg/L inorganic monomeric Al, only eggs of A. maculatum were affected. At pH 4.3, 46 μg/L inorganic monomeric Al was more toxic (compared with 34–35 μg/L at pH 4.8 and 4.3) to B. americanus and R. sylvatica embryos. Bufo americanus was more sensitive to low pH and elevated Al than R. sylvatica. Mortality of eggs of both species mainly occurred within 1 day of exposure but continued until hatching. Mortality of A. maculatum eggs, however, did not occur during the 4 days of acidification, but 2–3 weeks later, at the time of hatching. Larval survival in general was not affected by reduced pH (pH 4.3) and (or) elevated Al (up to 46 μg/L inorganic monomeric Al).

Intraspecific variation in Hydrogen Ion and Aluminum Toxicity in Bufo americanus and Ambystoma maculatum

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (9) ◽  
pp. 1622-1628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen L. Clark ◽  
Bruce D. LaZerte
Keyword(s):  
Significant Variation ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
Aluminum Toxicity ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Acid Tolerance ◽  
Ambystoma Maculatum ◽  
Hydrogen Ion ◽  
Perivitelline Space ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Bufo Americanus

Variation in hydrogen ion and aluminum toxicity was measured among clutches in one Bufo americanus population from a pond with pH 5.96 and both among clutches and ponds in four Ambystoma maculatum populations from ponds with pH levels from 4.44 to 6.19. There was significant variation among clutches, but in general, B. americanus hatching success was reduced at pH 4.1 compared with pH6.0. At pH 4.1,200 μg Al/L caused even greater embryonic mortality. Aluminum toxicity did not vary among clutches; however, variation in acid tolerance was such that clutches with the highest hatching success at pH 6.0 had the lowest hatching success at pH 4.1. Hatching success of A. maculatum also varied among clutches, but in general, hatching success was lower at pH 4.3 than at pH 6.0, and 200 μg Al/L at pH 4.3 increased hatching success compared with when no aluminum was present. Variation in acid tolerance among pond populations was so large that one population had higher hatching success at pH 4.3 than at pH 6.0. Ambystoma maculatum hatching success was not related to diameter of the perivitelline space just prior to hatch. The wide variation in acid tolerance among clutches of B. americanus and among populations of A. maculatum suggests that laboratory studies using small numbers of clutches may not adequately represent the response of the natural populations.

Variation in amount of surrounding forest habitat influences the initial orientation of juvenile amphibians emigrating from breeding ponds

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leroy J. Walston ◽  
Stephen J. Mullin
Keyword(s):  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Rana Sylvatica ◽  
Environmental Cues ◽  
Bufo Americanus ◽  
Forest Habitat ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Wood Frogs ◽  
Juvenile Dispersal ◽  
Woodland Ponds ◽  
Emigration Behavior

Juvenile dispersal is important for the persistence of ​amphibian populations. Previous studies have observed nonrandom orientation in juvenile amphibians emigrating from breeding ponds; however, the environmental cues associated with these movements are not well understood. We examined the emigration behavior of recently metamorphosed juveniles of three pond-breeding amphibian species from three woodland ponds. We found that juvenile small-mouthed salamanders ( Ambystoma texanum (Matthes, 1855)), American toads ( Bufo americanus Holbrook, 1836), and wood frogs ( Rana sylvatica LeConte, 1825) exhibited nonrandom orientation upon exiting the breeding ponds. Furthermore, we found a positive relationship between captures of juvenile small-mouthed salamanders and wood frogs and width of the surrounding forest habitat, indicating that these species are selecting areas with broader forested habitat upon exiting the breeding ponds. Our results indicate that migrating juvenile amphibians may rely on direct environmental cues because the orientation of small-mouthed salamanders and wood frogs was influenced by width of the surrounding forested habitat. These observations support previous studies suggesting that maintaining forest habitat, along at least a portion of breeding ponds, is important for the persistence of amphibian populations.

Survival under the Gravel: the Effects of Egg Size and Parental Identity on the In Situ Hatching Success of Chinook Salmon

2019 ◽  
Vol 148 (5) ◽  
pp. 991-1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Thorn ◽  
Yolanda E. Morbey
Keyword(s):  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
Parental Identity

The biology of Trypanosoma andersoni n. sp. and Trypanosoma grylli Nigrelli, 1944 (Kinetoplastida) from Hyla versicolor LeConte, 1825 (Anura)

1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian O. Reilly ◽  
P. T. K. Woo
Keyword(s):  
Rana Pipiens ◽  
Rana Catesbeiana ◽  
Rana Sylvatica ◽  
Hyla Versicolor ◽  
Bufo Americanus ◽  
Hyla Cinerea ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Osteopilus Septentrionalis ◽  
Centrifugation Technique ◽  
Acris Gryllus

From May 1979 to July 1980, the blood of 196 mature Hyla versicolor LeConte from six sites in southern Ontario and southeastern Manitoba was examined for trypanosomes using the haematocrit centrifugation technique. Trypanosoma andersoni n. sp. and Trypanosoma grylli Nigrelli were found in 5.2 and 5.6% of the frogs examined. Three frogs (1.5%) were infected with both species of trypanosomes. Blood trypomastigotes of both species were monomorphic. Blood trypomastigotes of T. andersoni n. sp. were long and slender, tapering at both ends, whereas those of T. grylli were pyriform with a rounded posterior and tapered anterior.Both blood and culture forms of these trypanosomes were infective to laboratory-raised H. versicolor and Hyla crucifer Wied. Trypanosoma grylli was also infective to a field-collected Acris gryllus (LeConte). Neither trypanosome was infective to laboratory-raised Rana catesbeiana Shaw, Rana clamitans Rafinesque tadpoles, Rana pipiens Schreber, Rana sylvatica LeConte, or Xenopus laevis Daudin. Trypanosoma andersoni n. sp. was also not infective to laboratory-raised Bufo americanus Holbrook, Pseudacris triseriata (Wied), or to field-collected Hyla cinerea (Schneider) and Osteopilus septentrionalis Dumeril and Bibron. Neither species was infective to field-collected Notophthalmus viridescens (Rafinesque).

Amphibian Distribution with Respect to Pond Water Chemistry near Sudbury, Ontario

1992 ◽  
Vol 49 (S1) ◽  
pp. 114-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Glooschenko ◽  
W. F. Weller ◽  
P. G. R. Smith ◽  
R. Alvo ◽  
J. H. G. Archbold
Keyword(s):  
Discriminant Analysis ◽  
Water Chemistry ◽  
Principal Components ◽  
Rana Sylvatica ◽  
Pond Water ◽  
Bufo Americanus ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Metal Levels ◽  
Components Analysis ◽  
Detailed Chemical

Amphibians were present in 118 potential breeding sites 9–66 km northeast and southwest of Sudbury, Ontario. Detailed chemical analyses were done for 38 ponds, and 23 variables were subjected to principal components analysis to summarize the main gradients in pond chemistry. Discriminant analysis using scores of the first three principal components showed that the presence of Rana pipiens, R. clamitans and Hyla crucifer was positively related to buffering status (alkalinity, pH, and other correlated variables); the presence of H. crucifer was also negatively related to atmospheric deposition status (cadmium, nickel, other correlated metals, and sulphate). Discriminant analysis using the original water chemistry variables confirms these general patterns. Two species show relationships with buffering status variables: Rana sylvatica with conductivity and R. clamitans with alkalinity. Three species also show negative correlation with metal levels in pond water: Bufo americanus with nickel, R. clamitans with aluminum, and R. pipiens with zinc. Although most of the species expected do occur in the Sudbury area, the distributions of several species appear related to buffering status and metals present in their immediate environemnt. There were only two observations of Ambystoma maculatum, and low numbers of egg masses were noted for R. sylvatica.

Factors affecting egg viability and incubation time in prairie dabbling ducks

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 1146-1152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd W. Arnold
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Incubation Time ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
Size Variation ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Weak Support ◽  
Anas Clypeata

I determined hatching success for 328 dabbling duck (Anas spp.) eggs that were experimentally subjected to varying lengths of preincubation delay and then artificially incubated. Hatchability declined as unincubated eggs were exposed to longer preincubation delays. This effect was more pronounced at higher ambient temperatures and later in the nesting season, but did not vary with egg size or among duck species. These results are largely consistent with observed patterns of clutch-size variation among prairie-nesting waterfowl. Clutch size may be smaller later in the year and at lower latitudes owing to the negative effects of date and temperature on the ability of eggs to withstand preincubation delay. The timing of embryo mortality was bimodal, with peaks occurring during early development (<6 d) and just before hatching (>22 d); however, only early mortality was affected by preincubation delay. Eggs lost up to 2.6% of their initial mass as water vapor during preincubation delay, but the amount of water loss did not affect hatching success. Eggs subjected to preincubation delay required about 1 additional day to hatch. Incubation time was related to egg size in northern shovelers (Anas clypeata) and in all species combined, but not in blue-winged teal (Anas discors) or mallards (Anasplatyrhynchos). These data provide only weak support for the hypothesis that large eggs are costly because they take longer to hatch.

Toxicity of Amphibian Breeding Ponds in the Sudbury Region

1993 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
pp. 1497-1503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Freda ◽  
D. Gordon McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Rana Sylvatica ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Ambystoma Maculatum ◽  
Bufo Americanus ◽  
Spotted Salamander ◽  
Water Ph ◽  
Dissolved Organic Compounds ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Toad Bufo

We measured the survival of transplanted embryos and tadpoles of the wood frog (Rana sylvatica), the American toad (Bufo americanus), and the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) in 16 ponds located approximately 60 km south of Sudbury, Ontario. Mortality of embryos of all species and mortality of B. americanus tadpoles were correlated only with water pH. In two low-pH ponds, high concentrations of dissolved organic compounds might have been a toxic component. Aluminum and pH were correlated with mortality for only R. sylvatica tadpoles. Overall, Al did not appear to be very toxic in both laboratory and field exposures possibly due to complexation by dissolved organic compounds.

The effect of maternal age and experience on egg-size and hatching success in Wandering Albatrosses Diomedea exulans

Ibis ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 134 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. CROXALL ◽  
P. ROTHERY ◽  
A. CRISP
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Age ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
Diomedea Exulans

scholarly journals Reproductive biology of Cabot's Terns on Cardos Island, Santa Catarina, Brazil

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 75-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hélio Augusto Alves Fracasso ◽  
Joaquim Olinto Branco ◽  
Edison Barbieri
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Incubation Time ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
Nesting Success ◽  
Santa Catarina ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
The Caribbean

Cabot's Terns Thalasseus acuflavidus (Latham, 1737) are widely distributed along the Atlantic coast of South America from the Caribbean Islands (12º S) to the region of Porto Deseado, Argentina (46º S). Daily observations were conducted on the Cardos Island during 2003, 2005 and 2006 to determine timing and nesting success, and the reproductive biology of the Cabot's Terns nesting there. The first adults arrived at the colony from 22 April to 15 May during the three years recorded; a total of 144 nests were recorded in 2003, 174 in 2005 and 50 in 2006. Observed incubation time was 24.1 ± 0.35 days, and mean egg size was 5.15 ± 0.02 cm in length and 34.30 ± 0.25 g in weight. Hatching success was lowest in 2003 and highest in 2006, with natural causes (such as nest abandonment, flooding, inter and intra-specific fight) being the main cause of loss. The first eggs hatched in July in 2003, and in June in 2005 and 2006. Overall nesting success was lowest (4.00%) in 2006 and much higher (36.1% and 27.01%, respectively) in 2003 and 2005.

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