Man-made Mediterranean temporary ponds as a tool for amphibian conservation
dc.contributor.author
dc.date.accessioned
2013-05-07T11:02:33Z
dc.date.available
2013-05-07T11:02:33Z
dc.date.issued
2012-03
dc.identifier.issn
0003-4088
dc.identifier.uri
dc.description.abstract
Mediterranean temporary ponds (MTPs) are crucial breeding sites for local amphibians, a faunal group in decline in the Mediterranean mainly due to wetland destruction. Although the disappearance of lentic habitats in other regions of the world has been ameliorated by the creation and restoration of wetlands, these tactics remain untested in Mediterranean wetlands. To evaluate the amphibian colonization dynamics of artificial MTPs in the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula, we monitored two artificial MTPs (one in a highdiversity area and the other in a low-diversity area) over 2 years. We selected reference wetlands at each area, and amphibian communities of man-made MTPs were compared to those of reference wetlands. We found that, beginning in the first year, artificial MTPs were a valuable habitat for regional amphibian fauna. Posteriorly, we focused on the reproductive success of the natterjack toad, Bufo calamita. Using a drift fence equipped with pit-fall traps, we measured the abundance of both reproductive adults entering the pond and post-metamorphic individuals exiting the pond. Using mark-recapture methods, we analyzed the time and energy costs associated with reproduction in the artificial MTPs. We observed a highly variable colonization dynamics between sites, between hydroperiods, and within hydroperiods, and these dynamics often depended on meteorological factors. Our results suggest that even at a short timescale, native amphibian species such as B. calamita can benefit from wetland creation in the Mediterranean region
dc.format.mimetype
application/pdf
dc.language.iso
eng
dc.publisher
EDP Sciences
dc.relation.isformatof
Reproducció digital del document publicat a: http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/limn/2011059
dc.relation.ispartof
© Annales de Limnologie - International Journal of Limnology, 2012, vol. 48, núm. 1, p. 81-93
dc.relation.ispartofseries
Articles publicats (D-CCAA)
dc.rights
Tots els drets reservats
dc.title
Man-made Mediterranean temporary ponds as a tool for amphibian conservation
dc.type
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.rights.accessRights
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.embargo.terms
Cap
dc.type.version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.identifier.doi
dc.identifier.eissn
2100-000X