Pesticides represent an important threat for natural populations. While their effects are assessed on short terms acute exposure, some of their harmful consequences may only become apparent when combined with other stressors, notably natural ones, such as predation. Here, we investigated in a laboratory experiment how exposure to a common fungicide (fenpropimorph) would affect the responses to predation in the common frog Rana temporaria. The concentrations of fungicide we used were comparable to those found in nature (0, 2, or 11 microg/L). The higher concentration of fungicide reduced tadpole activity late in the experiment, and only 7% of the tadpoles reached metamorphosis. In the lower concentration, the ability to respond adaptively to predator presence was not affected, but the costs (delayed metamorphosis, smaller relative body size) of this response were increased. Our results highlightthe need to investigate sublethal effects of pesticides on organismal performance if assessment of pesticides real impact is to be obtained.
Effects of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation on amphibian embryonic and larval development have been investigated in a number of studies, but the effects on later life-stages (metamorphosis) have received less attention. Hence, the effects of UV-B radiation treatments (control (no UV-B), normal and 26% enhanced levels of UV-B) on the development of the common frog Rana temporaria embryos from fertilization until metamorphosis were investigated. Survival until metamorphosis was significantly higher among individuals exposed to normal, as compared to individuals sheltered from, UV-B or those exposed to enhanced levels of UV-B radiation. There were no effects of normal or enhanced levels of UV-B radiation on the frequency of developmental anomalies. However, UV-B radiation delayed the timing of metamorphosis in a dose-dependent fashion, and the individuals from the normal and enhanced UV-B treatments metamorphosed at smaller size than those raised in the absence of UV-B radiation. These results suggest that UV-B radiation experienced through embryonic and larval stages can have negative effects on the growth and development of R. temporaria. Delayed metamorphosis at reduced size is also likely to lower the fitness during later life-stages.
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