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Rowland FE, Muths E, Eagles-Smith CA, Stricker CA, Kraus JM, Harrington RA, Walters DM. Complex Life Histories Alter Patterns of Mercury Exposure and Accumulation in a Pond-Breeding Amphibian. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:4133-4142. [PMID: 36848500 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying how contaminants change across life cycles of species that undergo metamorphosis is critical to assessing organismal risk, particularly for consumers. Pond-breeding amphibians can dominate aquatic animal biomass as larvae and are terrestrial prey as juveniles and adults. Thus, amphibians can be vectors of mercury exposure in both aquatic and terrestrial food webs. However, it is still unclear how mercury concentrations are affected by exogenous (e.g., habitat or diet) vs endogenous factors (e.g., catabolism during hibernation) as amphibians undergo large diet shifts and periods of fasting during ontogeny. We measured total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg), and isotopic compositions (δ 13C, δ15N) in boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata) across five life stages in two Colorado (USA) metapopulations. We found large differences in concentrations and percent MeHg (of THg) among life stages. Frog MeHg concentrations peaked during metamorphosis and hibernation coinciding with the most energetically demanding life cycle stages. Indeed, life history transitions involving periods of fasting coupled with high metabolic demands led to large increases in mercury concentrations. The endogenous processes of metamorphosis and hibernation resulted in MeHg bioamplification, thus decoupling it from the light isotopic proxies of diet and trophic position. These step changes are not often considered in conventional expectations of how MeHg concentrations within organisms are assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freya E Rowland
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia, Missouri 65201, United States
| | - Erin Muths
- Fort Collins Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, United States
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States
| | - Craig A Stricker
- Fort Collins Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, United States
| | - Johanna M Kraus
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia, Missouri 65201, United States
| | - Rachel A Harrington
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8, Denver, Colorado 80202, United States
| | - David M Walters
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia, Missouri 65201, United States
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2
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Fiorillo BF, Faggioni GP, Cerezer FO, Becker CG, Díaz‐Ricaurte JC, Martins M. Effects of environmental factors on the ecology and survival of a widespread, endemic Cerrado frog. Biotropica 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno F. Fiorillo
- Herp Trips, Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Trápaga São Miguel Arcanjo Brazil
- Manacá Institute, Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Trápaga São Miguel Arcanjo Brazil
- Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Aplicada Universidade de São Paulo Piracicaba Brazil
| | | | - Felipe Osmari Cerezer
- Programa de Pós‐Graduacão em Biodiversidade Animal, Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, CCNE Universidade Federal de Santa Maria Santa Maria Brazil
| | - C. Guilherme Becker
- Department of Biology The Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
| | - Juan C. Díaz‐Ricaurte
- Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Aplicada Universidade de São Paulo Piracicaba Brazil
- Horae Gene Therapy Center University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester MA USA
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
- Semillero de investigación en Ecofisiologia y Biogeografía de Vertebrados (EcoBioVert), Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Desarrollo Amazónico (BYDA), Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas Universidad de la Amazonía Florencia Colombia
| | - Marcio Martins
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
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Rowland FE, Schyling ES, Freidenburg LK, Urban MC, Richardson JL, Arietta AZA, Rodrigues SB, Rubinstein AD, Benard MF, Skelly DK. Asynchrony, density dependence, and persistence in an amphibian. Ecology 2022; 103:e3696. [PMID: 35352342 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Understanding drivers of metapopulation dynamics remains a critical challenge for ecology and conservation. In particular, the degree of synchrony in metapopulation dynamics determines how resilient a metapopulation is to a widespread disturbance. In this study, we used 21 years of egg mass count data across 64 nonpermanent freshwater ponds in Connecticut, USA to evaluate patterns of abundance and growth and to assess regional as well as local factors in shaping the population dynamics of wood frogs (Rana sylvatica = Lithobates sylvaticus). In particular, we asked whether a species known to undergo metapopulation dynamics exhibited spatial synchrony in abundances. With the exception of a single year when breeding took place during severe drought conditions, our analyses revealed no evidence of synchrony despite close proximity (mean minimum distance <300 m) of breeding ponds across the 3213 ha study area. Instead, local, pond-scale conditions best predicted patterns of abundance and population growth rate. We found negative density dependence on population growth rate within ponds as well as evidence that larger neighboring pond populations had a negative effect on focal ponds. Beyond density, pond depth was a critical predictor; deeper ponds supported larger populations. Drought conditions and warm winters negatively affected populations. Overall, breeding ponds vary in critical ways that either support larger, more persistent populations or smaller populations that are not represented by breeding pairs in some years. The infrequency of spatial synchrony in this system is surprising and suggests greater resilience to stressors than would have been expected if dynamics were strongly synchronized. More generally, understanding the characteristics of systems that determine synchronous population dynamics will be critical to predicting which species are more or less resilient to widespread disturbances like land conversion or climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freya E Rowland
- School of the Environment, Yale University 370 Prospect St, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | | | - Mark C Urban
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Center of Biological Risk, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | | | - A Z Andis Arietta
- School of the Environment, Yale University 370 Prospect St, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Susan B Rodrigues
- Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Michael F Benard
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - David K Skelly
- School of the Environment, Yale University 370 Prospect St, New Haven, CT, USA.,Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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Ethier JP, Fayard A, Soroye P, Choi D, Mazerolle MJ, Trudeau VL. Life history traits and reproductive ecology of North American chorus frogs of the genus Pseudacris (Hylidae). Front Zool 2021; 18:40. [PMID: 34452622 PMCID: PMC8394169 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-021-00425-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibian biodiversity is declining globally, with over 40% of species being considered threatened to become extinct. Crucial to the success of conservation initiatives are a comprehensive understanding of life history and reproductive ecology of target species. Here we provide an overview of the Pseudacris genus, including breeding behaviour, reproduction, development, survival and longevity. We present an updated distribution map of the 18 species found throughout North America. We also summarize the conservation status at the national and subnational (state, provincial, and territorial) levels, in Canada, USA, and Mexico, to evaluate the relationship between life history traits and extinction risk. Results show a high degree of consistency in the life history traits of Pseudacris species considering their relative diversity and wide distribution in North America. However, data are lacking for several species, particularly in the Fat Frog and West Coast clades, causing some uncertainties and discrepancies in the literature. We also found that the most threatened populations of chorus frog were located in the east coast of the USA, potentially as a result of increased levels of anthropogenic disturbance. We suggest that the similarities in life history traits among chorus frog species provides an opportunity for collaboration and united efforts for the conservation of the genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey P Ethier
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | - Aurore Fayard
- Centre d'etude de la Foret, Département des Sciences du Bois et de la Forêt, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Peter Soroye
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Daeun Choi
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Marc J Mazerolle
- Centre d'etude de la Foret, Département des Sciences du Bois et de la Forêt, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Vance L Trudeau
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
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Bison M, Yoccoz NG, Carlson BZ, Klein G, Laigle I, Van Reeth C, Delestrade A. Earlier Snowmelt Advances Breeding Phenology of the Common Frog (Rana temporaria) but Increases the Risk of Frost Exposure and Wetland Drying. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.645585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Bendik NF, Chamberlain DA, Devitt TJ, Donelson SE, Nissen B, Owen JD, Robinson D, Sissel BN, Sparks K. Subterranean movement inferred by temporary emigration in Barton Springs salamanders ( Eurycea sosorum). PeerJ 2021; 9:e11246. [PMID: 33981501 PMCID: PMC8074841 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Movement behavior is an important aspect of animal ecology but is challenging to study in species that are unobservable for some portion of their lives, such as those inhabiting subterranean environments. Using four years of robust-design capture-recapture data, we examined the probability of movement into subterranean habitat by a population of endangered Barton Springs salamanders (Eurycea sosorum), a species that inhabits both surface and subterranean groundwater habitats. We tested the effects of environmental variables and body size on survival and temporary emigration, using the latter as a measure of subterranean habitat use. Based on 2,046 observations of 1,578 individuals, we found that temporary emigration was higher for larger salamanders, 79% of which temporarily emigrated into subterranean habitat between primary sampling intervals, on average. Body size was a better predictor of temporary emigration and survival compared to environmental covariates, although coefficients from lower ranked models suggested turbidity and dissolved oxygen may influence salamander movement between the surface and subsurface. Surface population dynamics are partly driven by movement below ground and therefore surface abundance estimates represent a fraction of the superpopulation. As such, while surface habitat management remains an important conservation strategy for this species, periodic declines in apparent surface abundance do not necessarily indicate declines of the superpopulation associated with the spring habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan F Bendik
- Watershed Protection Department, City of Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Dee Ann Chamberlain
- Watershed Protection Department, City of Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Thomas J Devitt
- Watershed Protection Department, City of Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America.,Current affiliation: University of Texas, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Center, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Sarah E Donelson
- Watershed Protection Department, City of Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Bradley Nissen
- Watershed Protection Department, City of Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America.,Current affiliation: Tennessee State University, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Jacob D Owen
- Watershed Protection Department, City of Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America.,Current affiliation: Randolph Air Force Base, AFCEC, JBSA ISS Natural Resource Support, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Donelle Robinson
- Watershed Protection Department, City of Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America.,Current affiliation: United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Austin Ecological Services Field Office, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Blake N Sissel
- Watershed Protection Department, City of Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America.,Current affiliation: Travis County, Department of Transportation and Natural Resources, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Kenneth Sparks
- Watershed Protection Department, City of Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America.,Current affiliation: Baer Engineering & Environmental Consulting, Inc., Austin, TX, United States of America
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