scholarly journals Earlier Snowmelt Advances Breeding Phenology of the Common Frog (Rana temporaria) but Increases the Risk of Frost Exposure and Wetland Drying

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjorie Bison ◽  
Nigel G. Yoccoz ◽  
Bradley Z. Carlson ◽  
Geoffrey Klein ◽  
Idaline Laigle ◽  
...  

The alarming decline of amphibians around the world calls for complementary studies to better understand their responses to climate change. In mountain environments, water resources linked to snowmelt play a major role in allowing amphibians to complete tadpole metamorphosis. As snow cover duration has significantly decreased since the 1970s, amphibian populations could be strongly impacted by climate warming, and even more in high elevation sites where air temperatures are increasing at a higher rate than at low elevation. In this context, we investigated common frog (Rana temporaria) breeding phenology at two different elevations and explored the threats that this species faces in a climate change context. Our objectives were to understand how environmental variables influence the timing of breeding phenology of the common frog, and explore the threats that amphibians face in the context of climate change in mountain areas. To address these questions, we collected 11 years (2009–2019) of data on egg-spawning date, tadpole development stages, snowmelt date, air temperature, rainfall and drying up of wetland pools at ∼1,300 and ∼1,900 m a.s.l. in the French Alps. We found an advancement of the egg-spawning date and snowmelt date at low elevation but a delay at high elevations for both variables. Our results demonstrated a strong positive relationship between egg-spawning date and snowmelt date at both elevations. We also observed that the risk of frost exposure increased faster at high elevation as egg-spawning date advanced than at low elevation, and that drying up of wetland pools led to tadpole mortality at the high elevation site. Within the context of climate change, egg-spawning date is expected to happen earlier in the future and eggs and tadpoles of common frogs may face higher risk of frost exposure, while wetland drying may lead to higher larval mortality. However, population dynamics studies are needed to test these hypotheses and to assess impacts at the population level. Our results highlight climate-related threats to common frog populations in mountain environments, but additional research should be conducted to forecast how climate change may benefit or harm amphibian populations, and inform conservation and land management plans in the future.

2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Andrew Scott ◽  
David Pithart ◽  
John K. Adamson

2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 130-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lior Blank ◽  
Miska Luoto ◽  
Juha Merilä

Climate change is projected to be particularly strong in northern latitudes, and subarctic species are thus likely to be especially susceptible to the effects of climate warming. We forecast potential effects of climate change on the extent of the suitable habitat of the common frog,Rana temporaria,at the margin of its northern range. We investigated 179 potential breeding sites in subarctic Finland and subjected the data to detailed bioclimate envelope modelling using three state-of-the-art techniques: generalized additive models, maximum entropy and generalized boosting methods. Moreover, we included local environmental factors in the models to investigate whether they improve model performance. Under all tested climate change projections and irrespective of the modelling method, the suitable habitat forR. temporariaincreased in warming climate. The inclusion of local abiotic variables significantly improved the performance of the models. However, June temperature appeared to be the most informative variable in all modelling approaches: a major increase in the extent of suitable habitat occurred when it increased by 1°C. Overall, the modelling results indicate that the distribution of northernR. temporariais likely to be very sensitive to climate warming. The results also highlight the fact that overlooking local abiotic variation can significantly bias bioclimatic modelling results.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Boissinot ◽  
Pierre Grillet ◽  
Aurélien Besnard ◽  
Olivier Lourdais

Traditional farming landscape in western Europe is made of a complex mosaic of pastures, cultures, ponds and hedgerows connected with woods. Previous observations in the common frog species suggest that lowland populations are closely associated to wood cover and our aim was to test the validity of this assumption. We studied common frog occurrence and abundance in western central France (Deux-Sèvres department) close to the southern margin of lowland distribution. Our results pointed out that the proportion of woods surface around sampled areas (1 ha) was a critical determinant of common frog presence and abundance. Extensive farming, which maintains a mosaic of small woods, may provide a robust conservation tool for this species.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Capainolo ◽  
Utku Perktaş ◽  
Mark D. E. Fellowes

Abstract Background Climate change due to anthropogenic global warming is the most important factor that will affect future range distribution of species and will shape future biogeographic patterns. While much effort has been expended in understanding how climate change will affect rare and declining species we have less of an understanding of the likely consequences for some abundant species. The Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula; Linnaeus 1758), though declining in portions of its range, is a widespread blackbird (Icteridae) species in North America east of the Rocky Mountains. This study examined how climate change might affect the future range distribution of Common Grackles. Methods We used the R package Wallace and six general climate models (ACCESS1-0, BCC-CSM1-1, CESM1-CAM5-1-FV2, CNRM-CM5, MIROC-ESM, and MPI-ESM-LR) available for the future (2070) to identify climatically suitable areas, with an ecological niche modelling approach that includes the use of environmental conditions. Results Future projections suggested a significant expansion from the current range into northern parts of North America and Alaska, even under more optimistic climate change scenarios. Additionally, there is evidence of possible future colonization of islands in the Caribbean as well as coastal regions in eastern Central America. The most important bioclimatic variables for model predictions were Annual Mean Temperature, Temperature Seasonality, Mean Temperature of Wettest Quarter and Annual Precipitation. Conclusions The results suggest that the Common Grackle could continue to expand its range in North America over the next 50 years. This research is important in helping us understand how climate change will affect future range patterns of widespread, common bird species.


1871 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 137-211 ◽  

Since the sending in of my last communication, that on the Skull of the Fowl, our knowledge of the morphology of the facial arches has been very greatly extended by Professor Huxley’s invaluable paper “On the Representatives of the Malleus and the Incus of the Mammalia in the other Vertebrata” (see Proc. Zool. Soc. May 1869, pp. 391-407). After comparing the components of the mandibular and hyoid arches in an extended series of vertebrate types, the author concludes his paper by saying (p. 406), “in the higher Amphibia changes of a most remarkable kind take place, of which I do not now propose to speak, as my friend Mr. Parker is engaged in working out that part of the subject.”


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