Effects of Nitrate on the Tadpoles of Two Ranids (Rana catesbeiana andR. clamitans)

Smith, Geoffrey R.; Temple, Kathleen G.; Vaala, David A.; Dingfelder, Haley A.

doi:10.1007/s00244-005-0004-0

Cited by 29 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Within ephemeral ponds and wetlands, amphibian larvae often feed near the top of the food webs and may be particularly sensitive to changes in water chemistry (Freda & Dunson, 1986;Smith et al, 2006) and in the supply of food (Kupferberg, 1997;Pryor, 2003). Recently, Maerz et al (2010) demonstrated that the elemental composition (carbon-to-nitrogen ratio) of detrital litter in ephemeral ponds can directly affect the development and survival of larval amphibians.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthropogenic changes to leaf litter input affect the fitness of a larval amphibian

2013

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Summary Human activities, invasive species and climate change have altered the composition of native forest plant communities in North America. These changes have, in turn, altered the composition of leaf litter in woodland ponds with consequences for the organisms they harbour, such as amphibian larvae. We used mesocosms to assess how 10 species of allochthonous litter, which differ in their regional abundance and chemical composition, affect ephemeral ponds. We were particularly interested in effects on larval amphibian fitness, including metamorphic mass, larval period and survival. Litter had strong effects on the fitness of larval wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus), water chemistry, and phytoplankton and periphyton biomass in the mesocosms. Litter from green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), a tree species in decline, enabled frog larvae to grow larger, develop faster and survive better than larvae from other litter treatments. Interestingly, three invasive wetland plant species produced heavy metamorphs, with shorter larval periods and higher survival relative to native wetland plants. Litter from red maple (Acer rubrum, now among the most abundant native trees in the eastern United States), cattail (Typha latifolia) and sedge (Carex stricta) produced metamorphs that were small and survived poorly. Mass at metamorphosis was best explained by litter quality (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus content) and primary producer biomass, while survival and larval period were best explained by a combination of litter quality, primary producer biomass and water chemistry (polyphenolics and pH). Additionally, litter quality and primary producer biomass explained differences in the elemental composition of metamorphs. Lastly, our data suggest that litter nitrogen may be a limiting resource that affects the export of metamorphic frog biomass from ephemeral ponds. Overall, our results indicate that anthropogenic changes in plant communities lead to changes in the quality of allochthonous litter input and strongly affect amphibian fitness.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthropogenic changes to leaf litter input affect the fitness of a larval amphibian

2013

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“…The global decline of amphibians has spurred interest in understanding how various environmental contaminants, including pesticides and fertilizers, impact the growth and development of amphibians [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. This is because contamination of surface waters in agricultural landscapes by nitrogenous-or phosphorus-based fertilizers is widespread [9][10][11] and likely to continue or even increase [12], and pesticides frequently run off into local surface waters.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the effects of pesticide exposure can vary among species of amphibians, and a variety of direct and indirect effects may be observed [3,[13][14][15]. Nitrate, a common fertilizer, has been shown to affect feeding, locomotion, development, and survival of amphibians [4][5][6][16][17][18]. However, the effects of nitrate can vary among species, with some species appearing to be relatively tolerant of nitrate exposure [4,19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth, abnormalities, and mortality of tadpoles of American toad exposed to combinations of malathion and nitrate

Krishnamurthy

Smith

2010

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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American toad tadpoles (Bufo americanus) were exposed to malathion and nitrate in a fully factorial experiment that crossed four concentrations of malathion ranging between 0 and 1,000 µg malathion/L, and five concentrations of nitrate ranging from 0 to 16 mg NO(3) -N/L to identify single and interactive effects. In this 21-d experiment, we recorded tadpole length, mass, survivorship, and frequencies of diamond-shaped and stiff-tail abnormalities. Malathion increased frequency of diamond-shaped and stiff-tail abnormalities, and negatively affected survivorship, but did not affect tadpole size. Nitrate did not affect survivorship but did have sublethal effects, including effects on tadpole length and the frequency of both abnormalities. The interaction of malathion and nitrate has no effect on survivorship or tadpole size but did affect the frequency of abnormalities, with nitrate reducing malathion's effect. Results of the present study suggest that at the environmentally realistic concentrations used in our experiment, malathion has both lethal and sublethal effects, but nitrate had only sublethal effects on American toad tadpoles. The combination of malathion and nitrate had limited effects at the tested concentrations under laboratory conditions. However, the effect of the combined treatments on the frequency of tadpole developmental abnormalities suggests that such interactions may play a role under field conditions, in which pesticide and nitrate fertilizers are typically applied simultaneously.

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“…Although ammonia is the predominate form of nitrogenous waste produced by fish, fish may actually be more susceptible to ammonia toxicity than invertebrates [98]. Ammonia also causes decreased fitness in amphibians [99,100,101]. In general, direct amphibian mortality occurs at concentrations that would be considered high even in an agricultural setting [100].…”

Section: Impacts Of Agricultural Expansionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Not surprisingly, however, toxicity varies among species. Green frog tadpoles ( Rana clamitans ) exposed concentrations of nitrate 5 mg/L–20 mg/L demonstrated a significant increase in mortality compared to those reared at lower concentrations [101]. Even aquatic plants, such as rice ( Oryza sativa ) which would be expected to thrive under a high-nitrogen regime, can display toxicity under high concentrations of ionic ammonium [102].…”

Section: Impacts Of Agricultural Expansionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing Artificially Drained Low-Gradient Agricultural Headwaters for Enhanced Ecosystem Functions

Pierce

Kröger

Pezeshki

2012

Biology

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Large tracts of lowlands have been drained to expand extensive agriculture into areas that were historically categorized as wasteland. This expansion in agriculture necessarily coincided with changes in ecosystem structure, biodiversity, and nutrient cycling. These changes have impacted not only the landscapes in which they occurred, but also larger water bodies receiving runoff from drained land. New approaches must append current efforts toward land conservation and restoration, as the continuing impacts to receiving waters is an issue of major environmental concern. One of these approaches is agricultural drainage management. This article reviews how this approach differs from traditional conservation efforts, the specific practices of drainage management and the current state of knowledge on the ecology of drainage ditches. A bottom-up approach is utilized, examining the effects of stochastic hydrology and anthropogenic disturbance on primary production and diversity of primary producers, with special regard given to how management can affect establishment of macrophytes and how macrophytes in agricultural landscapes alter their environment in ways that can serve to mitigate non-point source pollution and promote biodiversity in receiving waters.

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Effects of Nitrate on the Tadpoles of Two Ranids (Rana catesbeiana andR. clamitans)

Cited by 29 publications

References 24 publications

Anthropogenic changes to leaf litter input affect the fitness of a larval amphibian

Anthropogenic changes to leaf litter input affect the fitness of a larval amphibian

Growth, abnormalities, and mortality of tadpoles of American toad exposed to combinations of malathion and nitrate

Managing Artificially Drained Low-Gradient Agricultural Headwaters for Enhanced Ecosystem Functions

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