Variation in age, body size, and reproductive traits among urban and rural amphibian populations

Although amphibians use human-created habitats in urban landscapes, few studies have investigated the quality of these habitats. To assess habitat quality of stormwater management ponds and adjacent urban uplands for wood frogs ( Lithobates sylvaticus ) and American toads ( Anaxyrus americanus ), we...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Urban ecosystems 2019-02, Vol.22 (1), p.137-147
Main Authors: Jennette, Matthew A., Snodgrass, Joel W., Forester, Don C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Age
Amphibians
Animal behavior
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Body size
Breeding
Conspecifics
Ecology
Environmental Management
Environmental quality
Frogs
Habitats
Investment
Landscape
Life history
Life Sciences
Nature Conservation
Populations
Quality assessment
Reptiles & amphibians
Rural areas
Rural populations
Stormwater
Stormwater management
Stormwater quality
Toads
Urban areas
Urban Ecology
Urban environments
Urban populations
Urbanization
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Summary:Although amphibians use human-created habitats in urban landscapes, few studies have investigated the quality of these habitats. To assess habitat quality of stormwater management ponds and adjacent urban uplands for wood frogs ( Lithobates sylvaticus ) and American toads ( Anaxyrus americanus ), we compared life history characteristics between populations breeding across an urbanization gradient. Specifically, we compared body size, ages of breeding adults, and female reproductive investment among urban, suburban, and rural populations in Baltimore County, Maryland, USA. Although there was variation in age at maturity among populations, ages of breeding adults did not differ among urban, suburban, and rural areas. Maternal body size strongly influenced reproductive investment in both species, but relationships did not vary among urban, suburban, and rural populations. Adult wood frogs and American toads from more urbanized landscapes were significantly smaller at age than conspecifics from rural landscapes; the magnitude of differences was similar across adult age classes. Our results suggest that in the urban and rural landscapes that we studied, adult habitats are similar in quality, but either larval or juvenile habitats may be of lower quality in urban areas.
ISSN:1083-8155
1573-1642
DOI:10.1007/s11252-018-0801-7