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Responses of amphibian populations to water and soil factors in experimentally-treated aquatic macrocosms

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
By: , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00208374

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Abstract

Survival of anuran embryos and tadpoles is reduced in acidic (pH<5.0) waters under laboratory conditions. However, field data on the presence-absence of amphibian species and acidity are equivocal. This study attempts to reconcile some of this discrepancy by using macrocosms to examine the interaction of soil type and water acidification on free-ranging tadpole populations. Tadpoles were caught with activity traps in 24 aquatic macrocosms experimentally treated with H2SO4 and Al2(SO4)3 and lined with either comparatively high metal, low organic matter clay soils or lower metal, higher organic matter loams. Northern cricket frog (Acris crepitans) tadpole abundance was less in acidified macrocosms than in circumneutral ones (p<0.05) and less in those with loam soils than in macrocosms with clay soils (p<0.04). Gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor) abundance was affected by an interaction between soil and acidification (p<0.07) in that treatment effects were only observed in macrocosms with clay soils (p<0.01). No differences were observed among treatments for green frog (Rana clamitans) or southern leopard frog (R. utricularia) tadpoles. The study shows that soil type may interact with water conditions to affect amphibian populations in acidified waters.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Responses of amphibian populations to water and soil factors in experimentally-treated aquatic macrocosms
Series title Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
DOI 10.1007/BF00208374
Volume 29
Issue 4
Year Published 1995
Language English
Publisher Springer
Contributing office(s) Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Description 7 p.
First page 455
Last page 461
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