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Amphibian Conservation
From deep in the rain forests of Central America to the backyard ponds of Minnesota, alarming accounts of disappearing and deformed populations of amphibians keep surfacing in the media. The amphibian crisis has been headline news from New York to Europe to Australia, featuring pictures of grotesque frogs and reports from scientists visiting once healthy ponds only to find them absent of amphibian life.
What about these stories is real and what is media hype? Should valuable time and resources be allocated to uncovering why some populations produce five-legged frogs—or is it a natural aberration? Is the loss of ozone a threat to amphibians globally or can depleted populations be explained by other factors? Leading amphibian biologist Raymond D. Semlitsch has assembled experts to tackle these timely and sometimes tricky issues. What were once seen as likely causes now appear to be inadequate explanations, and Semlitsch and his colleagues take us closer to the truth as they explore the amphibian crisis point by point. Every environmentalist will find Amphibian Conservation an accessible and deeply informative examination of what many scientists have called one of the major threats to the world's biodiversity.
What about these stories is real and what is media hype? Should valuable time and resources be allocated to uncovering why some populations produce five-legged frogs—or is it a natural aberration? Is the loss of ozone a threat to amphibians globally or can depleted populations be explained by other factors? Leading amphibian biologist Raymond D. Semlitsch has assembled experts to tackle these timely and sometimes tricky issues. What were once seen as likely causes now appear to be inadequate explanations, and Semlitsch and his colleagues take us closer to the truth as they explore the amphibian crisis point by point. Every environmentalist will find Amphibian Conservation an accessible and deeply informative examination of what many scientists have called one of the major threats to the world's biodiversity.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published June 17, 2003
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November 12, 2012
In the mid- to late-1980s, a phenomenon was being widely reported among professional herpetologists. This was the severe depletion and/or disappearance of many species of frogs and toads throughout the world. The most famous species was the Golden Toad (Bufo periglenes) of Monteverde, Costa Rica. This spectacular toad, often seen in numerous breeding choruses in the early 1980s, was last seen in 1987-1989, and is now believed extinct in a relatively pristine habitat. These disappearances were discussed at an international conference in 1990 in Irvine CA. Attending that conference was a journalist, Kathryn Phillips. Ms. Phillips wrote a well-regarded book, Tracking the Vanishing Frogs (St. Martins Press, 1994), about what she learned there. This book was, in a sense, the first call of alarm to the general public.
Although the professional herpetological community has been studying the problems involved with the possible disappearances and/or declines of many species of amphibians, these discussions and studies have not been readily available to the general public. This situation has finally been rectified with the publication of Amphibian Conservation (Smithsonian Books, 2003), edited by Dr. Ray Semlitsch. Dr. Semlitsch is a Professor of Biology at the University of Missouri. This well-written book contains chapters written by worldwide experts in the various areas of concern.
The book opens with an introduction to what the concerns are and what the general causes are believed to be. There are six major causes believed to be affecting amphibians, and more generally, all animals. These six causes are: Habitat Destruction and Alteration, Global Climate Change, Chemical Contamination, Disease and Pathogens, Invasive Species, and Commercial Exploitation. Dr. Semlitsch gives a brief description of what these are and how amphibians are affected.
The following five chapters are a survey of the problems and conservation of amphibians worldwide. Chapters 2-4 discuss primarily North American amphibians that have different lifestyles: pond-breeding amphibians, stream amphibians, and terrestrial salamanders. Then there is a chapter on amphibians in the New World tropics, written by Martha Crump (famous for her studies on the Golden Toad). Finally, a survey of amphibians in the Old World tropics concludes the examinations of the general situation.
The next chapter, Natural Population Fluctuations and Human Influences: Null Models and Interactions, although short, is also possibly the hardest chapter to read. It is the most theoretical. The chapter deals with the hypotheses used to test the effects of human interactions and amphibian populations. In statistics, when testing hypotheses, one must first develop a hypothesis that represents the status quo (known as the null hypothesis) and then statistically test it against a hypothesis (the alternate hypothesis) which the researcher believes might actually be true. The four null hypotheses discussed are: The correlation between population size and time averages zero, the ration of declines to increases is one-to-one, the mean regional and global trends equals zero, and population disappearances are random and follow a binomial distribution. As I said, this chapter is fairly technical in nature and if there is a chapter I would recommend skipping, this would be it.
The rest of the chapters are detailed discussions of each of the main causes of amphibian declines mentioned in the introduction. Chapter 8 deals with habitat destruction and alteration. Chapter 9 looks at the problems of invasive species, especially the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), the cane toad (Bufo marinus), and the introduction of predatory fish into formerly fishless ponds and lakes. Chapters 10 and 11 deal with infectious diseases and pathogens, especially a fungal pathogen (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) and ranaviruses. Chapters 12 and 13 discuss the effects of chemical contamination on amphibians. This is especially of concern in heavy agricultural regions where pesticides are used and leak into the water supply. Chapter 14 discusses global climate changes such as the El Nino that is thought to be responsible for the disappearance of several Costa Rican species (Golden Toad, et. al.). Chapter 15 discusses the human use and exploitation of amphibians. Examples would be the indiscriminate collection of species for the pet trade and commercial use in food products (such as frog legs).
The remaining three chapters act as summaries and prods to spur our thinking about possible solutions. Many of the declines noted in the book and elsewhere are not thought to have a single cause. Usually, the actual cause is an amalgamation of the causes noted above. The fact that many of these causes are acting together make solutions to the declines difficult. Treating one cause may exacerbate another cause and make the overall situation worse. To be most effective, our solutions require that we have a firm grasp on the overall situation. This, we quite often do not have. Therefore, one action that can and should be taken is long-range comprehensive studies of amphibian populations. The difficulty is that in some cases, species are in severe peril and there may not be time to fully research the overall picture. A first step is changing the way society looks at amphibians. Chapter 16 looks at the history of societal values and how these views influence society’s movement towards conservation. Chapter 17 looks at conservation of ecosystems necessary for amphibian survival. And finally, Chapter 18, written by Dr. Semlitsch, looks at a foundation for the conservation and management of amphibians.
The book concludes with an extensive bibliography of research papers, journal articles and books for further research by the interested reader. This bibliography is especially important for anyone wanting to delve deeper into any of these topics. The book, although written by specialists, is written to be read by all interested in the issues of amphibian conservation. In a way, for me, Kathryn Phillips’ book, Tracking the Vanishing Frogs was in many ways the first call to all of us regarding these issues. This book then is the experts’ answer to Ms. Phillips’ book. If you are hoping that frogs, toads, salamanders, and other amphibians are still in the wild when your grandchildren are growing up, this is an important book to read.
Although the professional herpetological community has been studying the problems involved with the possible disappearances and/or declines of many species of amphibians, these discussions and studies have not been readily available to the general public. This situation has finally been rectified with the publication of Amphibian Conservation (Smithsonian Books, 2003), edited by Dr. Ray Semlitsch. Dr. Semlitsch is a Professor of Biology at the University of Missouri. This well-written book contains chapters written by worldwide experts in the various areas of concern.
The book opens with an introduction to what the concerns are and what the general causes are believed to be. There are six major causes believed to be affecting amphibians, and more generally, all animals. These six causes are: Habitat Destruction and Alteration, Global Climate Change, Chemical Contamination, Disease and Pathogens, Invasive Species, and Commercial Exploitation. Dr. Semlitsch gives a brief description of what these are and how amphibians are affected.
The following five chapters are a survey of the problems and conservation of amphibians worldwide. Chapters 2-4 discuss primarily North American amphibians that have different lifestyles: pond-breeding amphibians, stream amphibians, and terrestrial salamanders. Then there is a chapter on amphibians in the New World tropics, written by Martha Crump (famous for her studies on the Golden Toad). Finally, a survey of amphibians in the Old World tropics concludes the examinations of the general situation.
The next chapter, Natural Population Fluctuations and Human Influences: Null Models and Interactions, although short, is also possibly the hardest chapter to read. It is the most theoretical. The chapter deals with the hypotheses used to test the effects of human interactions and amphibian populations. In statistics, when testing hypotheses, one must first develop a hypothesis that represents the status quo (known as the null hypothesis) and then statistically test it against a hypothesis (the alternate hypothesis) which the researcher believes might actually be true. The four null hypotheses discussed are: The correlation between population size and time averages zero, the ration of declines to increases is one-to-one, the mean regional and global trends equals zero, and population disappearances are random and follow a binomial distribution. As I said, this chapter is fairly technical in nature and if there is a chapter I would recommend skipping, this would be it.
The rest of the chapters are detailed discussions of each of the main causes of amphibian declines mentioned in the introduction. Chapter 8 deals with habitat destruction and alteration. Chapter 9 looks at the problems of invasive species, especially the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), the cane toad (Bufo marinus), and the introduction of predatory fish into formerly fishless ponds and lakes. Chapters 10 and 11 deal with infectious diseases and pathogens, especially a fungal pathogen (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) and ranaviruses. Chapters 12 and 13 discuss the effects of chemical contamination on amphibians. This is especially of concern in heavy agricultural regions where pesticides are used and leak into the water supply. Chapter 14 discusses global climate changes such as the El Nino that is thought to be responsible for the disappearance of several Costa Rican species (Golden Toad, et. al.). Chapter 15 discusses the human use and exploitation of amphibians. Examples would be the indiscriminate collection of species for the pet trade and commercial use in food products (such as frog legs).
The remaining three chapters act as summaries and prods to spur our thinking about possible solutions. Many of the declines noted in the book and elsewhere are not thought to have a single cause. Usually, the actual cause is an amalgamation of the causes noted above. The fact that many of these causes are acting together make solutions to the declines difficult. Treating one cause may exacerbate another cause and make the overall situation worse. To be most effective, our solutions require that we have a firm grasp on the overall situation. This, we quite often do not have. Therefore, one action that can and should be taken is long-range comprehensive studies of amphibian populations. The difficulty is that in some cases, species are in severe peril and there may not be time to fully research the overall picture. A first step is changing the way society looks at amphibians. Chapter 16 looks at the history of societal values and how these views influence society’s movement towards conservation. Chapter 17 looks at conservation of ecosystems necessary for amphibian survival. And finally, Chapter 18, written by Dr. Semlitsch, looks at a foundation for the conservation and management of amphibians.
The book concludes with an extensive bibliography of research papers, journal articles and books for further research by the interested reader. This bibliography is especially important for anyone wanting to delve deeper into any of these topics. The book, although written by specialists, is written to be read by all interested in the issues of amphibian conservation. In a way, for me, Kathryn Phillips’ book, Tracking the Vanishing Frogs was in many ways the first call to all of us regarding these issues. This book then is the experts’ answer to Ms. Phillips’ book. If you are hoping that frogs, toads, salamanders, and other amphibians are still in the wild when your grandchildren are growing up, this is an important book to read.
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