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

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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Urban Amphibians of the Texas Panhandle

Reptiles & Amphibians ◽

10.17161/randa.v19i4.13918 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 243-253

Author(s):

Rasika Ramesh ◽

Kerry Griffis-Kyle ◽

Gad Perry ◽

Michael Farmer

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Habitat Preferences ◽

Amphibian Declines ◽

Amphibian Conservation ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

High Plains ◽

Severe Drought ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Road Density ◽

Amphibian Species

Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation due to urbanization are implicated in amphibian declines worldwide. Conservation efforts require information on resident species and their habitat interactions, but amphibian ecology is largely unstudied in urban centers of the Southern High Plains. Here, we gathered baseline data on amphibian presence, species richness, and habitat preferences at site-specific and landscape scales during a severe drought year in the city of Lubbock, in northwestern Texas. Ephemeral playa wetlands are characteristic of this landscape. During urbanization, these have been extensively modifiied for stormwater drainage, agriculture, and construction of roads, buildings and neighborhoods. A semi-arid climate with frequent droughts, together with urbanization, could have an adverse effect on resident amphibians. In 2011, we sampled 23 urban lakes for amphibian presence, using a combination of audio, visual, and larval surveys. We detected five amphibian species at seven lakes; Texas Toads (Anaxyrus speciosus) and Spotted Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris clarkii) were the most frequently encountered species. We found significant negative effects of nearby road density on amphibian species presence and richness. We also detected significant negative effects of basic pH on amphibian species richness. These data can be used for prioritizing lakes for amphibian conservation strategies, to monitor ecosystem function in urban wetlands, and to guide future development and restoration efforts.

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Biodiversity of trematodes associated with amphibians from a variety of habitats in Corrientes Province, Argentina

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x12000302 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 87 (3) ◽

pp. 286-300 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

M.I. Hamann ◽

A.I. Kehr ◽

C.E. González

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Habitat Preferences ◽

Foraging Strategy ◽

Common Species ◽

Trematode Species ◽

Amphibian Species ◽

Ecological Relationships ◽

Parasite Communities ◽

Terrestrial Environments ◽

Generalist Diet

AbstractThe main goals of this study were to compare the richness of parasitic trematodes in amphibians with diverse habits (terrestrial, fossorial, semi-aquatic and arboreal), and to evaluate whether the composition of the trematode community is determined by ecological relationships. Specimens were collected between April 2001 and December 2006 from a common area (30 ha) in Corrientes Province, Argentina. Trematodes of amphibians in this area comprised a total of 19 species, and were dominated by common species. Larval trematodes presented highest species richness, with the metacercaria ofBursotrema tetracotyloidesbeing dominant in the majority (7/9, 78%) of the parasite communities. Adults of the trematodeCatadiscus inopinatuswere dominant in the majority (6/9, 67%) of amphibians. The amphibiansLeptodactylus latinasus,Leptodactylus bufoniusandScinax nasicuspresented a high diversity of trematodes, whereasLeptodactylus chaquensishad the lowest diversity even though it presented with the highest species richness. The patterns of similarity among amphibian species showed groups linking with their habitats. Leptodactilid amphibians, with a generalist diet and an active foraging strategy showed highest infection rates with adult trematodes. The mean richness of trematode species related to host's habitat preferences was higher in semi-aquatic amphibians. Results suggest that semi-aquatic amphibians, present in both aquatic and terrestrial environments, present a greater diversity of parasites as they have a higher rate of exposure to a wider range of prey species and, hence, to diverse infective states. The trematode composition is related to the diets and mobility of the host, and habitat.

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What are the effects of even-aged and uneven-aged forest management on boreal forest biodiversity in Fennoscandia and European Russia? A systematic review

Environmental Evidence ◽

10.1186/s13750-020-00215-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sini Savilaakso ◽

Anna Johansson ◽

Matti Häkkilä ◽

Anne Uusitalo ◽

Terhi Sandgren ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Forest Management ◽

Boreal Forests ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Habitat Preferences ◽

Natural Forest ◽

European Russia ◽

Open Habitat ◽

Successional Stages ◽

Species Richness And Abundance

Abstract Background Forest harvesting changes forest habitat and impacts forest dependent species. Uneven-aged management is often considered better for biodiversity than even-aged management, but there is an ongoing discourse over the benefits and disadvantages of different silvicultural systems. This systematic review contributes to the public discussion and provides evidence for policy making by synthesising current evidence on impacts of even-aged and uneven-aged forest management on biodiversity in boreal forests of Fennoscandia and European Russia. In this review even-aged and uneven-aged forest management are compared directly to each other as well as to natural forest to provide a broad basis for public discussion. Methods Both peer-reviewed and grey literature were searched in bibliographical databases, organizational webpages and internet search engines in English, Finnish, Swedish and Russian. Articles were screened for relevance by their title/abstract and again by full text. The inclusion of studies was assessed against pre-defined criteria published in an a priori protocol. A narrative synthesis and meta-analysis were conducted to describe the evidence base and to compare species richness and abundance between differently managed forests. The influence of habitat specialism, taxon, years since harvesting, deadwood availability and harvesting intensity on species richness and abundance were also tested. Review findings Searching identified 43,621 articles of which 137 articles with 854 studies had independent data and were included in the narrative synthesis. Of those, 547 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The most studied taxa were arthropods, vascular plants, bryophytes, fungi, and lichens. Results showed that forests with less disturbance (uneven-aged and mature even-aged) host more forest dependent species than young even-aged forests (< 80 years old) although the difference was only marginally significant for mature even-aged forests (> 80 years old). Uneven-aged forest had similar number of species and individuals than natural forest whereas even-aged forest had less species than natural forest. Open habitat species and their individuals were more numerous in young even-aged forests and forests undergone retention harvest. Effect sizes found were mostly large indicating strong and uniform impact of forest management based on species’ habitat preferences. In addition to habitat specialism, years since harvest explained some of the differences found in species richness and abundance due to increase of open habitat species in the early successional stages and forest dependent species in late successional stages. Taxon had limited explanatory power. Conclusions Habitat preferences determine species’ response to different harvesting methods and the magnitude of effect is large. Less disturbance from harvesting is better for forest dependent species whereas opposite is true for open habitat species. Uneven-aged and mature even-aged forests (> 80 years old) are important to maintain biodiversity in boreal forests. However, the results also highlight that natural forests are needed to ensure the future of forest dependent species in Fennoscandia and European Russia. Given that a broader set of biodiversity aspects are to be protected, best overall biodiversity impacts for a variety of species at landscape level can be achieved by ensuring that there is a mosaic of different forests within landscapes.

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

Reptiles & Amphibians ◽

10.17161/randa.v27i1.14440 ◽

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.

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Resilience of terrestrial mammals to logging in an active concession in Sarawak, Borneo

Mammalia ◽

10.1515/mammalia-2020-0011 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Marius Joscha Maiwald ◽

Jayasilan Mohd-Azlan ◽

Jedediah F. Brodie

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Selective Logging ◽

Diel Activity ◽

Individual Species ◽

Terrestrial Mammals ◽

The Tropics ◽

Reduced Impact Logging ◽

Malaysian Borneo

AbstractSelective logging is very widespread across the tropics and can alter the habitat for myriad wildlife species. But while many studies have assessed the impacts of past logging on forest animals, far fewer have investigated how species respond to logging while the timber operations are actually going on. This is an important knowledge gap because, considering the prevalence of logging across the world, numerous areas will be undergoing active extraction at any given time. We compared the occurrence and diel activity patterns of individual species of medium- to large-bodied terrestrial mammals, as well as the richness of the entire assemblage, among sites that were either unlogged, had been logged historically, or had ongoing ‘reduced impact’ timber extraction in the Kapit Region of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. We found no significant differences in estimated occupancy or activity patterns of particular species, or in overall species richness, among logging treatments. Across sites, species richness in this area appeared to be as high as or higher than in many other parts of the state, including some protected areas. Though monitoring is needed to assess potential long-term impacts, our results suggest that reduced-impact logging could allow economic development that is sustainable for many wildlife populations.

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The relative importance of wetland area versus habitat heterogeneity for promoting species richness and abundance of wetland birds in the Prairie Pothole Region, USA

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/duz060 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 122 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lisa H Elliott ◽

Lawrence D Igl ◽

Douglas H Johnson

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Habitat Heterogeneity ◽

Prairie Pothole Region ◽

Individual Species ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Prairie Pothole ◽

Wetland Area ◽

Habitat Area ◽

Landscape Scales ◽

Species Richness And Abundance

Abstract Recent work has suggested that a tradeoff exists between habitat area and habitat heterogeneity, with a moderate amount of heterogeneity supporting greatest species richness. Support for this unimodal relationship has been mixed and has differed among habitats and taxa. We examined the relationship between habitat heterogeneity and species richness after accounting for habitat area in glacially formed wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region in the United States at both local and landscape scales. We tested for area–habitat heterogeneity tradeoffs in wetland bird species richness, the richness of groups of similar species, and in species’ abundances. We then identified the habitat relationships for individual species and the relative importance of wetland area vs. habitat heterogeneity and other wetland characteristics. We found that habitat area was the primary driver of species richness and abundance. Additional variation in richness and abundance could be explained by habitat heterogeneity or other wetland and landscape characteristics. Overall avian species richness responded unimodally to habitat heterogeneity, suggesting an area–heterogeneity tradeoff. Group richness and abundance metrics showed either unimodal or linear relationships with habitat heterogeneity. Habitat heterogeneity indices at local and landscape scales were important for some, but not all, species and avian groups. Both abundance of individual species and species richness of most avian groups were higher on publicly owned wetlands than on privately owned wetlands, on restored wetlands than natural wetlands, and on permanent wetlands than on wetlands of other classes. However, we found that all wetlands examined, regardless of ownership, restoration status, and wetland class, supported wetland-obligate birds. Thus, protection of all wetland types contributes to species conservation. Our results support conventional wisdom that protection of large wetlands is a priority but also indicate that maintaining habitat heterogeneity will enhance biodiversity and support higher populations of individual species.

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Archives and conservation biology.

Pacific Conservation Biology ◽

10.1071/pcv19n1_edi ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 2

Author(s):

Mike Calver

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Conservation Biology ◽

Guest Editorial ◽

Insect Conservation ◽

Data Sets ◽

Insect Communities ◽

Descriptive Data ◽

Term Change ◽

Species Richness And Abundance

IN a previous editorial in Pacific Conservation Biology, (PCB 2012, 18(2), p.68), I referred to recent papers in the insect conservation literature that made use of decades-old data sets to establish longterm changes in the species richness and abundance of insect groups in grasslands in eastern Germany. This is a signficant example of the lasting value of descriptive data sets. In this issue’s guest editorial, Sebastian Schuch, one of the authors of the recent papers, describes how he came to find the original studies and their value in documenting long-term change in insect communities.

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Corrigendum to: Impacts of level of utilisation by grazing on an Astrebla (Mitchell grass) grassland in north-western Queensland between 1984 and 2010. 2. Plant species richness and abundance

The Rangeland Journal ◽

10.1071/rj11069_co ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 309

Author(s):

D. M. Orr ◽

D. G. Phelps

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Plant Species ◽

Plant Species Richness ◽

Seasonal Rainfall ◽

Yearly Variation ◽

Rainfall Variation ◽

Species Richness And Abundance ◽

North Western ◽

Sampling Times

The occurrence of interstitial species in Astrebla grasslands in Australia are influenced by grazing and seasonal rainfall but the interactions of these two influences are complex. This paper describes three studies aimed at determining and explaining the changes in plant species richness and abundance of the interstitial species in a long-term sheep utilisation experiment in an Astrebla grassland in northern Queensland. In the first study, increasing utilisation increased the frequency of Dactyloctenium radulans (Button grass) and Brachyachne convergens (Downs couch) and reduced that of Streptoglossa adscendens (Mint bush). In the second study, seasonal rainfall variation between 1984 and 2009 resulted in large annual differences in the size of the seed banks of many species, but increasing utilisation consistently reduced the seed bank of species such as Astrebla spp. and S. adscendens and increased that of species such as B. convergens, D. radulans, Amaranthus mitchellii (Boggabri) and Boerhavia sp. (Tar vine). In the third study, the highest species richness occurred at the lightest utilisation because of the presence of a range of palatable forbs, especially legumes. Species richness was reduced as utilisation increased. Species richness in the grazing exclosure was low and similar to that at the heaviest utilisation where there was a reduction in the presence of palatable forb species. The pattern of highest species richness at the lightest grazing treatment was maintained across three sampling times, even with different amounts of seasonal rainfall, but there was a large yearly variation in both the density and frequency of many species. It was concluded that the maintenance of highest species richness at the lightest utilisation was not aligned with other data from this grazing experiment which indicated that the maximum sustainable wool production occurred at moderate utilisation.

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Floodplain amphibian abundance: responses to flooding and habitat type in Barmah Forest, Murray River, Australia

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr13224 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 149 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Heather M. McGinness ◽

Anthony D. Arthur ◽

Keith A. Ward ◽

Paula A. Ward

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Environmental Flows ◽

Seasonal Pattern ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Flood Frequency ◽

Individual Species ◽

Seasonal Timing ◽

Murray River ◽

Frog Species ◽

Species Richness And Abundance

Context Frog species are now targets for delivery of high-value managed environmental flows on floodplains. Information on the drivers of frog presence and abundance is required to support adaptive management, including analysis of the roles of flood frequency, flood timing and habitat type. Aims This paper describes frog species richness and abundance responses to flooding and habitat type in the Barmah Forest, part of the largest river red gum forest in the world. Methods Surveys were conducted at 22 sites over 6 years, to determine species presence, relative abundance, and evidence of breeding. Data were then used to examine temporal patterns within and between wet and dry years and spatial relationships with site geomorphology, vegetation form and wetting frequency. Key results Six species were common and widespread, and three were rare. The seasonal timing of peak numbers of calling males differed among species. The seasonal pattern of calling for each species did not differ between wet and dry years; however, significantly lower numbers of frogs were recorded calling in dry years. The number of frogs calling was significantly higher in well vegetated grassy wetlands. Evidence of a positive relationship between wetting frequency and numbers of calling males was found for Limnodynastes fletcheri, Crinia signifera and Limnodynastes dumerilii. The abundance of tadpoles was significantly higher in wet years. Conclusions The seasonal timing of flooding in Barmah Forest will influence the breeding success of individual species with different preferences. Flooding from September to December is required to cover most preferred breeding seasons, but longer durations may be required to maximise recruitment. This, together with regular flooding of well vegetated grassy wetland habitat, will increase the likelihood of species persistence and maximise diversity. Insufficient flooding frequency will result in reduced frog species richness and abundance. Implications Managed flooding is important for frog abundance and species richness. This study emphasises the value of key habitats such as well vegetated grassy wetlands and reinforces the need to make their preservation a priority for management. It has identified knowledge gaps to drive future data collection for improved modelling, including a need for further research on flow-regime change and frog communities.

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Patterns of larval amphibian distribution along a wetland hydroperiod gradient

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z03-131 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 81 (9) ◽

pp. 1539-1552 ◽

Cited By ~ 107

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.

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