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Li Z, Guo X, Guo Z, Shi X, Zhou J, Liu Z, Xiao Q, Chen Y. 3D Morphological Scanning and Environmental Correlates of Bufo gargarizans in the Yellow River Basin. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:369. [PMID: 38338012 PMCID: PMC10854707 DOI: 10.3390/ani14030369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Morphology plays a crucial role in understanding the intricacies of biological forms. Traditional morphometric methods, focusing on one- or two-dimensional geometric levels, often fall short of accurately capturing the three-dimensional (3D) structure of organisms. The advent of 3D scanning techniques has revolutionized the study of organismal morphology, enabling comprehensive and accurate measurements. This study employs a 3D structured light scanning system to analyze the morphological variations in the Chinese toad (Bufo gargarizans Cantor, 1842) along the Yellow River Basin. The 3D digital model obtained from the scan was used to calculate various morphological parameters including body surface area, volume, fractal dimensions, and limb size. The research explores geographic variability patterns and identifies environmental drivers affecting the 3D phenotypic variation of B. gargarizans. Results reveal a bimodal pattern of variation in the toad population, with higher elevations exhibiting smaller body sizes, greater appendage proportions, and more complex body structures. Linear regression analyses highlight the influence of elevation and annual mean temperature on the morphological variation of B. gargarizans, with elevation playing a significant role. This study underscores the significance of 3D morphometric analysis in unraveling the intricacies of organismal morphology and understanding the adaptive strategies of species in diverse environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihan Li
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (Z.L.); (X.G.); (Z.G.); (X.S.); (J.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.X.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xuecheng Guo
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (Z.L.); (X.G.); (Z.G.); (X.S.); (J.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.X.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zeguang Guo
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (Z.L.); (X.G.); (Z.G.); (X.S.); (J.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.X.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoqin Shi
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (Z.L.); (X.G.); (Z.G.); (X.S.); (J.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.X.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jin Zhou
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (Z.L.); (X.G.); (Z.G.); (X.S.); (J.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.X.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhidong Liu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (Z.L.); (X.G.); (Z.G.); (X.S.); (J.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.X.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qi Xiao
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (Z.L.); (X.G.); (Z.G.); (X.S.); (J.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.X.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Youhua Chen
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (Z.L.); (X.G.); (Z.G.); (X.S.); (J.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.X.)
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Geographical Variation in Body Size and the Bergmann's Rule in Andrew's Toad ( Bufo andrewsi). BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11121766. [PMID: 36552274 PMCID: PMC9775554 DOI: 10.3390/biology11121766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Environmental variation likely modifies the life-history traits of vertebrates. As ectothermic vertebrates, it is possible that the body size of amphibians is impacted by environmental conditions. Here, we firstly quantified age and body size variation in the Andrew's toad (Bufo andrewsi) across the Hengduan Mountains. Then, we examined the environmental correlates of this variation based on the literature and our unpublished data on the age and body size of the Andrew's toad from 31 populations distributed in southwestern China. Although our analysis revealed significant variations in age and body size across B. andrewsi populations, neither latitude nor altitude correlated with this variability in age and body size. We found that age at sexual maturity, mean age, and longevity increased with decreasing annual mean temperature, whereas age at sexual maturity increased with decreasing temperature seasonality, implying that temperature was a crucial habitat characteristic that modulated age structure traits. Moreover, we revealed positive associations between age structure and UV-B seasonality, and negative relationships between both mean age and longevity and precipitation seasonality. We also found that body size increased with increasing precipitation in the driest month and UV-B seasonality. However, body size did not covary with temperature, signifying no support for Bergmann's rule. These findings help us to understand amphibians' abilities to adapt to environmental variation, which is particularly important in order to provide a theorical basis for their conservation.
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Morphological Variation and Its Environmental Correlates in the Taihangshan Swelled-Vented Frog across the Qinling Mountains. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12182328. [PMID: 36139189 PMCID: PMC9495075 DOI: 10.3390/ani12182328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Amphibians have weak dispersal abilities and are sensitive to environmental changes, resulting in their disproportionately high risk of extinction, with many species’ populations rapidly declining. Therefore, it is critical for amphibian conservation to understand their adaptive potential by exploring how amphibians respond to environmental changes based on morphological variations. Our results showed that morphological traits of Feirana taihangnica significantly differed among ages. Along with the increase in annual mean temperature, snout-vent length showed an anti-hump trend, indicating no support for Bergmann’s rule. Mean ultraviolet-B of the highest and lowest months were positively and negatively correlated with head width, thigh length and tibia width, respectively. The present study can help understand the effects of environmental changes on morphological variations of this mountain frog species and its adaptive potential, providing important implications for species conservation. Abstract The Taihangshan swelled-vented frog (Feirana taihangnica), an endemic species to the Qinling Mountains, central China, has experienced a dramatic population decline over the last few decades. The aim of this work was to quantify morphological variation in F. taihangnica across the Qinling Mountains and examine environmental correlates of this variation of morphological traits. We implemented a hierarchical partitioning to estimate the independent contribution of each environmental variable on morphological variations. Temperature seasonality was the greatest contributor in variations of snout-vent length (SVL) and head width, and ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation of the lowest month was the most influential on both thigh length and tibia width. Then, we used generalized additive models to analyze the relationship between each environmental factor and morphological trait variations. Along the increasing of annual mean temperature, SVL decreased firstly and then increased, indicating no support for Bergmann’s rule. Furthermore, SVL was negatively correlated with annual precipitation, while positively with temperature seasonality. The mean UV-B of the highest and lowest months was positively and negatively correlated with head width, thigh length and tibia width, respectively. The results of this study help us to understand adaptive potential of this mountain frog species via morphological variations in the light of environmental changes.
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Cogălniceanu D, Stănescu F, Székely D, Topliceanu TS, Iosif R, Székely P. Age, size and body condition do not equally reflect population response to habitat change in the common spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11678. [PMID: 34316392 PMCID: PMC8286710 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization impacts biodiversity both directly through physical expansion over land, and indirectly due to land use conversion and human behaviors associated with urban areas. We assessed the response of a common spadefoot toad population (Pelobates fuscus) to habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from urban development by studying changes in size, body condition and age parameters. We compared samples collected in the early 2000s (sample A) and later on during 2012-2014 (sample B). The terrestrial habitats in the study area were severely reduced and fragmented due to the expansion of the human settlement. We found no significant differences in the age parameters between the two sampling periods; the median lifespan shortened from 3.5 (sample A) to 3.0 years (sample B), while the other age parameters were similar in both samples. In contrast, snout-vent length, body mass and body condition experienced a significant decrease over time. Our results suggest that changes in body size and body condition, rather than age parameters, better reflect the response of the common spadefoot toad population to declining habitat quality. Therefore, body measurements can provide reliable estimates of the impact of habitat degradation in amphibian populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Cogălniceanu
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,Asociația Chelonia Romania, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Florina Stănescu
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,Black Sea Institute for Development and Security Studies, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,CEDMOG-Center for Morphological and Genetic Studies of Malignant Pathology, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania
| | - Diana Székely
- Asociația Chelonia Romania, Bucharest, Romania.,Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos (EcoSs Lab), Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Theodor-Sebastian Topliceanu
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,Black Sea Institute for Development and Security Studies, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,CEDMOG-Center for Morphological and Genetic Studies of Malignant Pathology, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania
| | - Ruben Iosif
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanța, Constanța, Romania.,Asociația Chelonia Romania, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Paul Székely
- Asociația Chelonia Romania, Bucharest, Romania.,Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos (EcoSs Lab), Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
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Altunışık A, Gül S, Özdemir N. Impact of various ecological parameters on the life-history characteristics of Bufotes viridis sitibundus from Turkey. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 304:1745-1758. [PMID: 33190367 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we used the skeletochronology method to estimate various growth parameters, such as age structure, minimum and maximum life span, age of sexual maturity, and the relationship between body size and weight of eight different populations of the variable toad, Bufotes viridis sitibundus, in Turkey. Further, we determined the relationship between these parameters and ecologic factors using the partial Mantel test. A significant difference was found among the populations with respect to age, body size, and body weight in both males and females. On average, the maximum life span was recorded as 10 years for males and 11 years for females. In the studied populations, the average age of sexual maturity ranged between 2 and 4 years for both sexes. Sexual dimorphism in terms of snout-vent length (SVL) was not observed between males and females in all the populations. Toads from the higher altitudes tended to be significantly larger, older, and heavier than those from lower altitudes. We concluded that altitude and temperature have an impact on the growth rate, body size, and body mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Altunışık
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, Turkey
| | - Serkan Gül
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, Turkey
| | - Nurhayat Özdemir
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, Turkey
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The Frog Fauna of Southwestern Australia: Diverse, Bizarre, Old, and Polyandrous. J HERPETOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1670/19-024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Comas M, Reguera S, Zamora-Camacho FJ, Moreno-Rueda G. Age structure of a lizard along an elevational gradient reveals nonlinear lifespan patterns with altitude. Curr Zool 2019; 66:373-382. [PMID: 32939218 PMCID: PMC7485750 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Lifespan is one of the main components of life history. Shorter lifespans can be expected
in marginal habitats. However, in the case of ectotherms, lifespan typically increases
with altitude, even though temperature—one of the main factors to determine ectotherms’
life history—declines with elevation. This pattern can be explained by the fact that a
shorter activity time favors survival. In this study, we analyzed how lifespan and other
life-history traits of the lizard Psammodromus algirus vary along a
2,200 m elevational gradient in Sierra Nevada (SE Spain). Populations at intermediate
altitudes (1,200–1,700 m), corresponding to the optimal habitat for this species, had the
shortest lifespans, whereas populations inhabiting marginal habitats (at both low and at
high altitudes) lived longest. Therefore, this lizard did not follow the typical pattern
of ectotherms, as it also lived longer at the lower limit of its distribution, nor did it
show a longer lifespan in areas with optimal habitats. These results might be explained by
a complex combination of different gradients along the mountain, namely that activity time
decreases with altitude whereas food availability increases. This could explain why
lifespan was maximum at both high (limited activity time) and low (limited food
availability) altitudes, resulting in similar lifespans in areas with contrasting
environmental conditions. Our findings also indicated that reproductive investment and
body condition increase with elevation, suggesting that alpine populations are locally
adapted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mar Comas
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain.,Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, Sevilla, E-41092, Spain
| | - Senda Reguera
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain
| | - Francisco J Zamora-Camacho
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain.,Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Gregorio Moreno-Rueda
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain
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Environmental stress shapes life-history variation in the swelled-vented frog (Feirana quadranus). Evol Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-019-09980-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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9
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Reynolds JJ, McCrea SM. Environmental constraints on the functionality of inhibitory self-control: Sometimes you should eat the donut. SELF AND IDENTITY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/15298868.2017.1354066] [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]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sean M. McCrea
- Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
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Guo R, Zhang W, Yang Y, Ding J, Yang W, Zhang Y. Variation of fitness and reproductive strategy in male Bufo raddei under environmental heavy metal pollution. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 164:253-260. [PMID: 30121500 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.08.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Environmental pollution is known to adversely affect amphibian reproduction and survival, however, the knowledge of environmental heavy metal pollution on fitness of male amphibian is largely unknown. The present study aimed to explore the variation in fitness of male Bufo raddei, a widespread anuran in northwest China, subjected to long-term heavy metal stress in Baiyin (BY) city. BY is heavily polluted by heavy metals mainly copper, zinc, lead and cadmium; meanwhile, Liujiaxia (LJX), a relatively unpolluted area, was chosen as control. Differences in advertisement call, larynx size, breeding glands size, as well as forearm force during courtship and amplexus in male B. raddei between the two populations were analyzed. The results revealed a competitive advantage in advertisement call in BY population, together with larger breeding glands size and forearm force, which demonstrated a relatively higher fitness. Using skeletochronological analysis, we found that more than 40% of males from BY began to breed at 2 years old, which was only 6.93% for males from LJX. Correspondingly, the average age for all males participate in breeding was younger from BY than from LJX. Not surprisingly, males from BY showed a relatively lower body condition. All these results illustrated males from BY invested more in reproduction to increase fitness at the cost of health and survival. This reproductive trade-off might ultimately influence stability of B. raddei population because of the environmental heavy metal pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Guo
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Wenya Zhang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China.
| | - Ying Yang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Jian Ding
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Wenzhi Yang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Yingmei Zhang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China.
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Zhang W, Guo R, Ai S, Yang Y, Ding J, Zhang Y. Long-term heavy metal pollution varied female reproduction investment in free-living anura, Bufo raddei. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 159:136-142. [PMID: 29734069 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 04/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Environment contamination is known to affect the growth, reproduction, and even mortality of anuran species, and hence modulate their life history traits. Although knowledge of the ability of amphibians to cope with harsh environments has gained ongoing research, the reproductive strategy of free-living amphibians subjected to long-term heavy metal pollution is largely unknown. This study aimed to explore the variation in the life history traits, including age structure, maturation age, reproductive investment, and reproduction trade-off, in female Bufo raddei, a widespread anuran in Baiyin (BY) in northwest of China, subjected to sublethal heavy metal pollution. B. raddei collected from Liujiaxia (LJX), a relatively unpolluted area, were used as control. Skeletochronological analysis revealed variation in the average breeding age of females: more than 70% of females from BY began to breed 1 year before the toads collected from LJX. Females from BY tended to prioritize reproduction over survival and invested more in their first reproductive event. Further, females in BY with a high fluctuating asymmetry index showed a relatively lower reproductive investment. For trade-off in offspring number and size, BY population optimize larger clutch sizes with smaller egg size compared with population in LJX. Changes in female reproductive investment caused by heavy metal pollution might ultimately alter the structural stability of amphibian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenya Zhang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China.
| | - Rui Guo
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Shiwei Ai
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Ying Yang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Jian Ding
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Yingmei Zhang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China
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Amat F, Meiri S. Geographical, climatic and biological constraints on age at sexual maturity in amphibians. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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Veysey Powell JS, Babbitt KJ. Despite Buffers, Experimental Forest Clearcuts Impact Amphibian Body Size and Biomass. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0143505. [PMID: 26600386 PMCID: PMC4658104 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Forest buffers are a primary tool used to protect wetland-dependent wildlife. Though implemented widely, buffer efficacy is untested for most amphibian species. Consequently, it remains unclear whether buffers are sufficient for maintaining amphibian populations and if so, how wide buffers should be. We present evidence from a six-year, landscape-scale experiment testing the impacts of clearcutting, buffer width, and hydroperiod on body size and condition and biomass of breeding adults for two amphibian species at 11 vernal pools in the northeastern United States. We randomly assigned treatments (i.e., reference, 100m buffer, 30m buffer) across pools, clearcut to create buffers, and captured all spotted salamanders and wood frogs. Clearcuts strongly and negatively impacted size, condition, and biomass, but wider buffers mitigated effect magnitude and duration. Among recaptured individuals, for example, 30m-treatment salamanders were predicted to be about 9.5 mm shorter than, while 100m-treatment salamanders did not differ in length from, reference-treatment salamanders. Similarly, among recaptured frogs, mean length in the 30m treatment was predicted to decrease by about 1 mm/year, while in the 100m and reference treatments, length was time-invariant. Some, but not all, metrics recovered with time. For example, female new-captured and recaptured salamanders were predicted, respectively and on average, to weigh 4.5 and 7 g less in the 30m versus reference treatment right after the cut. While recaptured-female mass was predicted to recover by 9.5 years post-cut, new-captured-female mass did not recover. Hydroperiod was an important mediator: in the 100m treatment, cutting predominately affected pools that were stressed hydrologically. Overall, salamanders and female frogs were impacted more than male frogs. Our results highlight the importance of individualized metrics like body size, which can reveal sublethal effects and illuminate mechanisms by which habitat disturbance impacts wildlife populations. Individualized metrics thus provide critical insights that complement species occurrence and abundance-based population assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S. Veysey Powell
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Kimberly J. Babbitt
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, United States of America
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