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Predators are a major influence on the breeding site selection decisions of anurans. Many species actively avoid breeding in habitat with predators when given the choice between predator and predator‐free sites. However, certain factors such as site fidelity or conflicting cues may preclude avoidance behavior. We conducted two experiments examining how western chorus frogs, Pseudacris triseriata, respond to predators, western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, using an array of artificial ponds located at two field sites. In one experiment, we added G. affinis to half of our experimental ponds and monitored subsequent colonization by frogs. We found that frogs laid significantly fewer eggs in ponds with fish compared to fishless ponds. In another experiment, we introduced an additional cue to complicate the decision‐making process and monitored colonization of ponds in response to treatments of conspecific breeding cues only (eggs), predators (G. affinis) only, and conspecific cues and predators. We found no significant differences in number of eggs deposited among these three treatments. Based on these results, P. triseriata does not always exhibit complete avoidance of fish predators, and avoidance may vary based on factors such as site fidelity or dispersal costs. This study represents a step toward understanding how multiple biotic factors at a breeding pond may influence anuran site selection behavior in the field.

If conservation priority birds are to persist in an increasingly anthropogenically altered world, suitable habitat must be created or preserved in potentially unsuitable landscapes. While natural areas in urban environments may provide habitat for declining groups of birds, little is known about effects of urbanization on the reproductive success of birds, such as grassland birds, that are typically thought to be associated with more rural landscapes. While typical conservation efforts have focused on conserving large patches of grassland in landscapes containing minimal amounts of woody vegetation and development, the assumption that habitat located in developed landscapes is of poor quality has not been tested and may wrongly devalue grasslands located in an urban matrix. To examine the influence of development on habitat quality for grassland birds, we studied grassland bird nest predation and brood parasitism in patches of varying size along an urbanization gradient in northeastern Illinois. Because nest predation is the primary cause of reproductive failure and a potentially limiting factor for grassland bird populations, we used miniature video cameras to identify predators at a subset of nests. From 2012 to 2013, we monitored 432 nests of 16 grassland bird species. Nest predation rates decreased with urbanization in the landscape as did probability of brood parasitism. We filmed 44 nests and documented 19 predation events. We found that coyotes Canis latrans, white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus and thirteen-lined ground squirrels Ictidomys tridecemlineatus were important nest predators in our study system. Contrary to prior assumptions, our results suggest that grasslands located in urban landscapes may provide habitat of equal or greater quality than many rural grasslands.

Amphibian populations are declining worldwide, with habitat loss and alteration being a primary driver of many declines. Management strategies to mitigate these declines include translocation and creation or restoration of breeding habitats, yet these techniques are not always effective. We examined whether conspecific attraction-a management tool frequently used in avian conservation-would be similarly valuable in management and conservation of anuran amphibians (i.e., frogs and toads). We broadcast conspecific chorus sounds at unoccupied, artificial breeding ponds for six anuran species across three field sites. We documented when frogs arrived at each pool and when eggs were laid. We compared differences in number of pools found with adults and egg masses between playback and control pools and examined latency to first colonization. We found that Mexican spadefoots colonized playback ponds faster and more often than control ponds, while Cope's gray treefrogs, Arizona treefrogs, green frogs, spring peepers, and wood frogs exhibited weak or non-existent responses. We discuss why breeding ecology may influence tendency to exhibit conspecific attraction and how this behavior could be used in amphibian management and conservation.

Growing recognition of the importance of wetlands to human and ecosystem well-being has led countries worldwide to implement wetland protection policies. Different countries have taken different approaches to wetland protection by implementing various policies, including territorial exclusion, market-based offsetting, and incentive programs for land users. Our objective was to describe the relationship between components of national-level wetland protection policies and national characteristics, including natural resource, economic, social, and political factors. We compiled data on the wetland policies of all 193 countries recognized by the U.N. and described the relationships among wetland policy goals and wetland protection mechanisms using non-metric multidimensional scaling. The first non-metric multidimensional scaling axis strongly correlated with whether a country had a wetland-specific environmental policy in place. Adoption of a comprehensive, wetland-specific policy was positively associated with degree of democracy and a commitment to establishing protected areas. The second non-metric multidimensional scaling axis defined a continuum of policy goals and mechanisms by which wetlands are protected, with goals to protect wetland ecosystem services on one end of the spectrum and goals to protect biodiversity on the other. Goals for protecting ecosystem services were frequently cited in policy documents of countries with agriculture-based economies, whereas goals associated with wetland biodiversity tended to be associated with tourism-based economies. We argue that the components of a country's wetland policies reflect national-level resource and economic characteristics. Understanding the relationship between the type of wetland policy countries adopt and national-level characteristics is critical for international efforts to protect wetlands.