Effects of introduced salmonids on a montane population of Iberian frogs

Amphibians are declining worldwide because of multiple factors, including human-mediated introduction of fishes into naturally fishless areas. Although several studies have focused on the effect of exotic fishes on native amphibians breeding in ponds or lakes, little is known about their effects on...

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Veröffentlicht in:Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology. - 1999. - 20(2006), 1 vom: 10. Feb., Seite 180-9
1. Verfasser: Bosch, Jaime (VerfasserIn)
Weitere Verfasser: Rincón, Pedro A, Boyero, Luz, Martínez-Solano, Iñigo
Format: Aufsatz
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: 2006
Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk:Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology
Schlagworte:Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Amphibians are declining worldwide because of multiple factors, including human-mediated introduction of fishes into naturally fishless areas. Although several studies have focused on the effect of exotic fishes on native amphibians breeding in ponds or lakes, little is known about their effects on stream-breeding species. We studied the effects of introductions of native brown trout (Salmo trutta) and exotic brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) on the stream-breeding, endemic Iberian frog (Rana iberica) in a protected area in central Spain. We assessed occurrence patterns of tadpoles and salmonids and compared habitat use of the three species. We also determined experimentally whether chemical cues from salmonids elicited antipredator behavior in tadpoles. Finally, we assessed the relative influence of tadpole habitat preferences, differences in salmonid species, and invasion geography on tadpole occurrence. Despite widely overlapping habitat preferences, tadpoles and trout did not coexist, with the former restricted to fishless habitats. Tadpoles detected chemical cues from both trout species and reacted by decreasing their activity, although the response toward the native brown trout was stronger The residual distribution of Iberian frogs in Peñalara is better explained by the geography of fish invasions than by the fish species involved. Measures such as fish extirpation from certain areas, aimed at recovering lost habitat and improving connectivity among remaining populations of Iberian frogs, seem critical for the species' long-term survival in central Spain
Beschreibung:Date Completed 21.09.2006
Date Revised 10.11.2019
published: Print
Citation Status MEDLINE
ISSN:1523-1739