Importance of local weather and environmental gradients on demography of a broadly distributed temperate frog

Pilliod, David S.; McCaffery, Rebecca; Arkle, Robert S.; Scherer, Rick D.; Cupples, Jacqueline B.; Eby, Lisa A.; Hossack, Blake R.; Lingo, Hallie; Lohr, Kristin; Maxell, Bryce A.; McGuire, Megan; Mellison, Chad; Meyer, Marisa K.; Munger, James C.; Slatauski, Teri; Horne, Rachel Van

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.108648

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Among the conditions that influence the activity or distribution of frogs, the most important may be temperature and water [ 25 , 26 ]; in particular, low temperature may be a major inducer of post-reproductive dormancy in R. dybowskii [ 21 ]. In the present study, R. dybowskii live mainly under leaves, soil, and stones, and different dormant sites were significantly different.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many species, including R. dybowskii , require both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, yet there is insufficient information on patterns of fine selection in these habitats [ 30 ]. Moisture is a necessary requirement for nearly all amphibians [ 26 , 31 ], which select dormant habitats based on both humidity and temperature, especially humidity [ 22 ]. In the present study, after spawning, R. dybowskii was mostly dormant in terrestrial habitats near the spawning pools.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of fine-scale habitat quality on activity, dormancy, habitat use, and survival after reproduction in Rana dybowskii (Chordata, Amphibia)

Tong¹,

Dong²,

Long³

et al. 2023

BMC Zool

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Amphibians are facing population declines and extinctions, and protecting and supplementing refuges can help species survive. However, the microhabitat requirements of most species are unknown, and artificial shelters or burrows have not been well tested for amphibians. Some amphibians exhibit complex behaviour during the transition from post-reproductive dormancy to activity. However, little is known about the ecology, post-reproductive dormancy, and terrestrial activity of amphibians. Here, habitat site selection in experimental enclosures and the effects of shelters (stones, soil) and shade (with and without shade netting) on the activity, exposed body percentage, burrow depth, body-soil contact percentage, and survival of Rana dybowskii were investigated during post-reproductive dormancy and post-dormant activity. The results showed that R. dybowskii live individually under leaves, soil, stones or tree roots. Furthermore, although the dormant sites of frogs are significantly different, the distribution of male and female frogs in these sites is similar. Shading and shelter significantly affected the exposed body percentage, burrow depth and body-soil contact percentage of frogs compared with soil. In the stone group, soil and stone form the frog's refuge/burrow, whereas in the soil group, the refuge/burrow is composed entirely of soil. Even though the soil group has a deeper burrow and a larger area of soil contact with the body, it still has a higher exposure rate than the stone group. Frog activity frequency was affected by shelter and shade; the interaction of shelter and time and the interaction of shading and time were significant. The soil group had a higher activity frequency than the stone group, and the no-shade group had a higher activity frequency than the shade group. Shelter and shading differences do not significantly affect frog survival; however, the death rate during post-reproductive dormancy is lower than that during the active period.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of fine-scale habitat quality on activity, dormancy, habitat use, and survival after reproduction in Rana dybowskii (Chordata, Amphibia)

Tong¹,

Dong²,

Long³

et al. 2023

BMC Zool

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show abstract

“…Conversely, amphibian species inhabiting the western portion of the study area were predicted to experience distribution declines but were associated with summer temperatures between 15 and 20°C, and negatively impacted when winter precipitation exceeded 50 mm. The strong association with summer temperatures could re ect these cold-adapted species' dependence on growing season length and speci c water temperatures (Metter 1964, Claussen 1973, Pilliod et al 2022), whereas the association with winter precipitation (i.e., snow at higher elevations) likely re ects their need for insulation and the resulting snowmelt to replenish montane water resources (Dupuis et al 2000, Ray et al 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Random Frogs: Using future climate and land-use scenarios to predict amphibian distribution change in the Upper Missouri River Basin

Campbell¹,

Baltensperger

Kerby

2023

Preprint

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Context Climate change and anthropogenic stressors have contributed to rapid declines in biodiversity worldwide, particularly for amphibians. Amphibians play important ecological roles, yet little is known about how distribution hotspots may change or the factors influencing distribution patterns in the North American Great Plains. Objectives Ecological niche models improve understanding of biotic and abiotic factors associated with species' distributions and can highlight potential threats to species conservation. Here, we identify important predictors of amphibian distributions and predict how land use and climate change may alter distributions in the Upper Missouri River Basin. Methods We used publicly available occurrence data, 16 environmental and climatic predictors, and the machine-learning algorithm, Random Forests, to create spatially-explicit distribution models for eight amphibian species. Models were scored to current conditions (2005) and two future climate-change/land-use scenarios to predict changes in amphibian distributions for 2060. Results Models were highly accurate and revealed more pronounced distributional changes under the intensive RCP8.5/CONUS A2 scenario compared to the moderate RCP6.0/CONUS B2 scenario. Both scenarios predicted gains for most southeastern species (i.e., Blanchard’s cricket frogs, Plains leopard frogs, Woodhouse’s toads, and Great Plains toads) and declines for all western montane species. Overall, distribution changes were most influenced by climatic and geographic predictors, (e.g., summer temperature, precipitation, and elevation), and geography, versus anthropogenic land-use variables. Conclusions Changes in occurrence area varied by species and geography, however, high-elevation western species were more negatively impacted. Our distribution models provide a framework for future conservation efforts aiding the persistence of amphibian species across a warming, agriculturally dominated landscape.

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“…Within our own region, trends of increased adult apparent survival with increased elevation have been documented in boreal toads (Barrile et al, 2021; Muths et al, 2018). But the trade‐off in fecundity or recruitment has rarely been investigated until now (but see Pilliod et al, 2022). Our results support the notion of a common trend of increased adult survival at high elevations in the Rocky Mountains.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compensatory recruitment unlikely in high‐elevation amphibian populations challenged with disease

Hardy

Muths

Lambert

et al. 2022

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Understanding the causes of population variation in host response to disease, and the mechanisms of persistence, can serve as vital information for species conservation. One such mechanism of population persistence that has gained support is the demographic process of compensatory recruitment. Host populations may persist by increasing recruitment to compensate for reduced survival due to infection, thus limiting the negative effects of the disease on population trajectories. However, high‐elevation populations are inherently vulnerable to stochastic processes and may be limited in their ability to exhibit compensatory recruitment relative to lower elevation populations. We use long‐term mark–recapture data from five populations of boreal toads Anaxyrus boreas boreas, across an elevational gradient in Colorado, before and after pathogen arrival to assess whether populations can persist with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) via compensatory recruitment. Prior to pathogen arrival, we found a life‐history trade‐off between survival and recruitment across elevations, where high‐elevation toads have high survival but lower recruitment and vice versa at lower elevations. Pathogen arrival had a strong negative effect on apparent annual survival and recruitment leading to negative population growth rates and dramatically reduced host abundances. The data did not support the occurrence of compensatory recruitment. Synthesis and applications. Our unique dataset indicates that demographic responses to pathogens may be environmentally (i.e. elevationally) context dependent and highlights the value of long‐term monitoring. We recommend that practitioners verify that potential persistence mechanisms occur across multiple populations and relevant environmental gradients to counter any assumptions of the mechanism existing species‐wide. Quantifying variation in population responses to disease will aid in understanding the bounds of such persistence mechanisms and identify particularly vulnerable populations where mechanisms are nonexistent.

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Importance of local weather and environmental gradients on demography of a broadly distributed temperate frog

Cited by 8 publications

References 57 publications

Effects of fine-scale habitat quality on activity, dormancy, habitat use, and survival after reproduction in Rana dybowskii (Chordata, Amphibia)

Effects of fine-scale habitat quality on activity, dormancy, habitat use, and survival after reproduction in Rana dybowskii (Chordata, Amphibia)

Random Frogs: Using future climate and land-use scenarios to predict amphibian distribution change in the Upper Missouri River Basin

Compensatory recruitment unlikely in high‐elevation amphibian populations challenged with disease

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