Patterns of larval amphibian distribution along a wetland hydroperiod gradient

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (9) ◽  
pp. 1539-1552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly J Babbitt ◽  
Matthew J Baber ◽  
Tracy L Tarr
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Rana Catesbeiana ◽  
Rana Sylvatica ◽  
Predatory Fish ◽  
Bufo Americanus ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Larval Amphibians ◽  
Pseudacris Crucifer ◽  
Wetland Hydroperiod ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

We investigated the response of pond-breeding amphibian assemblages to wetland hydroperiod and associated predator changes (invertebrates (abundance and richness) and fish (presence/absence)) in relatively undisturbed landscapes in southern New Hampshire, U.S.A. We sampled 42 wetlands for larval amphibians in 14 spatial blocks (each with a short-, intermediate-, and permanent-hydroperiod wetland) in 1998 and 1999. Assemblages in short-hydroperiod wetlands (<4 months) were depauperate (4 species only) compared with intermediate-hydroperiod (non-permanent but >4 months) and permanent wetlands, which included 7 and 9 species, respectively. Total amphibian abundance did not vary among hydroperiod categories. Species distributions along the hydrological gradient also differed. Rana sylvatica dominated wetlands with short and intermediate hydroperiods, whereas Rana catesbeiana, Bufo americanus, Rana clamitans, and Pseudacris crucifer dominated in those with a longer hydroperiod. Among permanent wetlands, amphibian species richness and abundance did not differ with respect to the presence of predatory fish, although there were species-compositional differences. Amphibian species richness and abundance were positively correlated with the abundance and richness of predatory invertebrates, suggesting that both amphibian and macroinvertebrate predator assemblages may be responding similarly to differences in wetland characteristics (e.g., dissolved oxygen concentration). Overall, our results indicate that wetland hydroperiod has an important influence on amphibian distribution and should be incorporated into regulations and legislation designed to protect biologically diverse isolated wetlands.

Acidity and associated water chemistry of amphibian habitats in Nova Scotia

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Dale ◽  
B. Freedman ◽  
J. Kerekes
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Rana Catesbeiana ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Acid Tolerance ◽  
Rana Sylvatica ◽  
Rana Clamitans ◽  
Bufo Americanus ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
Field Transplant

One hundred and fifty-nine field sites consisting of ditches, bogs, marshes, ponds, and lakes in south and central Nova Scotia were surveyed for the presence of the adults, eggs, or larvae of 11 amphibian species. Water samples were analyzed for pH, alkalinity, color, conductivity, Na, K, Mg, Ca, SO4, and Cl. Discriminant function analysis revealed that none of these variables predicted a species' presence. Two three-species groups were found to be significantly associated among themselves, but mutually exclusive of each other. The two groups were (i) Ambystoma maculatum, Hyla crucifer, and Rana sylvatica and (ii) Rana clamitans, Rana catesbeiana, and Rana palustris. Rana sylvatica and A. maculatum were observed breeding successfully in an acidic bog (mean pH 4.1). Rana clamitans adults and larvae were located in the field at pHs as low as 3.5 and 3.9, respectively. Field transplant studies, using eggs of A. maculatum and R. sylvatica (at pH 5.7 and 4.1) and Bufo americanus (at pH 6.3 and 4.1), revealed that R. sylvatica was least sensitive to acidity. There is considerable variation in acid tolerance among the various species of Nova Scotia amphibians. Nevertheless, successful breeding by some species is occurring at very low pHs.

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.

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).

scholarly journals Effects of Road De-Icing Salts on Two Amphibian Species, Rana Sylvatica and Rana Pipiens, and Their Trematode Parasites

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dino Milotic
Keyword(s):  
Rana Sylvatica ◽  
Amphibian Declines ◽  
High Salt ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Wood Frogs ◽  
Leopard Frogs ◽  
Larval Amphibians ◽  
Potential Contaminant ◽  
Northern Leopard Frogs ◽  
Host Parasite

With ongoing amphibian declines, it is essential to determine possible contributors such as diseases and environmental contaminants that may increase susceptibility. A potential contaminant is road salt (mainly NaCl), which leaches into aquatic environments. I examined whether road salts make larval amphibians (tadpoles) more susceptible to trematode parasite infection, and also how these affect free-living trematode infectious stages (cercariae). I exposed Rana sylvatica (wood frogs) and R. pipiens (northern leopard frogs) to control, medium (400 mg/L), and high salt (800 mg/L) treatments, and then to trematodes. High salt tended to reduce wood frog anti-parasite behaviour and resistance to infection but the opposite was seen for R. pipiens, although these tadpoles had elevated lymphocyte counts in high salinity. Trematodes were differentially affected by increased salinities. The results suggest that host-parasite-environment interactions are complex, with species differentially affected by contaminants, which may lead to community shifts in predominant hosts and parasite species.

scholarly journals Prey Refuges in Emergent Vegetation Enhance Diving Beetle (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) Diversity in Urban Ponds in the Presence of Predatory Fish

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenfei Liao ◽  
Stephen Venn ◽  
Jari Niemelä
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Aquatic Invertebrate ◽  
Predatory Fish ◽  
Freshwater Biodiversity ◽  
Urban Ponds ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
Diving Beetle

Abstract Aquatic plants are important prey refugia for aquatic organisms, and their species richness is positively related with aquatic invertebrate species richness. Yet, little is known about how the quantity of refugia, i.e. aquatic vegetation cover, affect aquatic invertebrate assemblages and their habitat use in different levels of predation risks. Here, we investigated how provision of refugia affects diving beetle (Dytiscidae) species richness and abundance in the presence and absence of fish predators. We found that plant cover affected dytiscid populations differently: (1) At the pond level, dytiscid presence was positively correlated with increasing plant cover, both with and without fish, indicating the importance of emergent plants for aquatic biodiversity. (2) At the microhabitat level, dytiscid species richness and abundance responded positively to increasing plant cover in ponds with fish, but there was no such relationship in fishless ponds, emphasizing that the level of predation risks can alter prey species’ use of prey refugia. Our findings provide evidence that the availability of both vegetated and non-vegetated microhabitats can benefit a diversity of aquatic invertebrates. We suggest maintaining variation in provision of emergent plant cover to retain high habitat heterogeneity in urban ponds to enhance freshwater biodiversity.

The effects of predatory fish on amphibian species richness and distribution

1997 ◽  
Vol 79 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 123-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Hecnar ◽  
Robert T. M'Closkey
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Predatory Fish ◽  
Amphibian Species

scholarly journals Distributional patterns of amphibians and reptiles in Ghandruk, Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-28
Author(s):  
Bivek Gautam ◽  
Mukesh Kumar Chalise ◽  
Kul Bahadur Thapa ◽  
Santosh Bhattarai
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Annapurna Conservation Area ◽  
Distributional Patterns ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

In May and October 2017, we assessed the distribution and diversity of herpetofauna in the Ghandruk region of the Annapurna Conservation Area. Using the Visual Encounter Survey (VES) protocol on 11 randomly selected transects, we recorded 662 individuals of 25 herpetofaunal species (12 amphibians and 13 reptiles). Species richness and abundance declined with increases in elevation but only the correlation between elevation and abundance was significant. Neither amphibians nor reptiles were uniformly distributed among different habitats, and species richness of both amphibians and reptiles varied significantly among habitat types. The greatest amphibian species richness was in wetlands, whereas that of reptiles was highest in forests.  

scholarly journals Effects of Road De-Icing Salts on Two Amphibian Species, Rana Sylvatica and Rana Pipiens, and Their Trematode Parasites

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dino Milotic
Keyword(s):  
Rana Sylvatica ◽  
Amphibian Declines ◽  
High Salt ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Wood Frogs ◽  
Leopard Frogs ◽  
Larval Amphibians ◽  
Potential Contaminant ◽  
Northern Leopard Frogs ◽  
Host Parasite

With ongoing amphibian declines, it is essential to determine possible contributors such as diseases and environmental contaminants that may increase susceptibility. A potential contaminant is road salt (mainly NaCl), which leaches into aquatic environments. I examined whether road salts make larval amphibians (tadpoles) more susceptible to trematode parasite infection, and also how these affect free-living trematode infectious stages (cercariae). I exposed Rana sylvatica (wood frogs) and R. pipiens (northern leopard frogs) to control, medium (400 mg/L), and high salt (800 mg/L) treatments, and then to trematodes. High salt tended to reduce wood frog anti-parasite behaviour and resistance to infection but the opposite was seen for R. pipiens, although these tadpoles had elevated lymphocyte counts in high salinity. Trematodes were differentially affected by increased salinities. The results suggest that host-parasite-environment interactions are complex, with species differentially affected by contaminants, which may lead to community shifts in predominant hosts and parasite species.

The effects of habitat fragmentation on amphibian species richness of Prince Edward Island

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Silva ◽  
Leslie A Hartling ◽  
Sarah A Field ◽  
Kevin Teather
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
Bufo Americanus ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Widespread Species ◽  
Forest Remnant ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Forest Remnants ◽  
Ambystoma Laterale ◽  
Study Sites

We surveyed 11 forest remnants and their adjacent ponds to assess the species richness of amphibians on Prince Edward Island, Canada. By combining aquatic and terrestrial sampling methods, we detected the presence of four urodeles and five anurans in our study sites. No significant difference in species richness was found between the sites located in Prince Edward Island National Park (n = 6) and those outside the park (n = 5). The most frequently captured species in forest remnants were blue-spotted salamanders (Ambystoma laterale) and American toads (Bufo americanus) with 35.1 and 29.8% of the captures, respectively. In ponds, the most abundant and widespread species was the green frog (Rana clamitans). Red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) were captured in one site only. Species richness was not significantly associated with either forest remnant area or perimeter length. There was a significant nonlinear relationship between amphibian abundance and the perimeter length of forest remnants. Although our findings suggest paucity in species composition of amphibian communities, we did not find evidence suggesting that amphibians have declined during the last 30 years on Prince Edward Island.

scholarly journals A Place to Call Home: Amphibian Use of Created and Restored Wetlands

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald J. Brown ◽  
Garrett M. Street ◽  
Robert W. Nairn ◽  
Michael R. J. Forstner
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Restored Wetlands ◽  
Wetland Connectivity ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Loss and degradation of wetland habitats are major contributing factors to the global decline of amphibians. Creation and restoration of wetlands could be a valuable tool for increasing local amphibian species richness and abundance. We synthesized the peer-reviewed literature addressing amphibian use of created and restored wetlands, focusing on aquatic habitat, upland habitat, and wetland connectivity and configuration. Amphibian species richness or abundance at created and restored wetlands was either similar to or greater than reference wetlands in 89% of studies. Use of created and restored wetlands by individual species was driven by aquatic and terrestrial habitat preferences, as well as ability to disperse from source wetlands. We conclude that creating and restoring wetlands can be valuable tools for amphibian conservation. However, the ecological needs and preferences of target species must be considered to maximize the potential for successful colonization and long-term persistence.

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