Amphibian Declines : The Conservation Status of United States Species

This benchmark volume documents in comprehensive detail a major environmental crisis: rapidly declining amphibian populations and the disturbing developmental problems that are increasingly prevalent within many amphibian species. Horror stories on this topic have been featured in the scientific and popular press over the past fifteen years, invariably asking what amphibian declines are telling us about the state of the environment. Are declines harbingers of devastated ecosystems or simply weird reflections of a peculiar amphibian world? This compendium--presenting new data, reviews of current literature, and comprehensive species accounts--reinforces what scientists have begun to suspect, that amphibians are a lens through which the state of the environment can be viewed more clearly. And, that the view is alarming and presages serious concerns for all life, including that of our own species. The first part of this work consists of more than fifty essays covering topics from the causes of declines to conservation, surveys and monitoring, and education. The second part consists of species accounts describing the life history and natural history of every known amphibian species in the United States. Documents In Comprehensive Detail A Major Environmental Crisis: Rapidly Declining Amphibian Populations And The Disturbing Developmental Problems That Are Increasingly Prevalent Within Many Amphibian Species. Diverse Phenomena Influencing Amphibian Population Declines / Tim Halliday -- Why Are Some Species In Decline But Others Not? / Martha L. Crump -- Philosophy, Value Judgments, And Declining Amphibians / Sarah Aucoin, Robert G. Jaeger And Steve Giambrone -- Embracing Human Diversity In Conservation / Whit Gibbons -- Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force / W. Ronald Heyer And James B. Murphy -- Meeting The Challenge Of Amphibian Declines With An Interdisciplinary Research Program / James P. Collins [and Others] -- Biology Of Amphibian Declines / David M. Green -- Declines Of Eastern North American Woodland Salamanders (plethodon) / Richard Highton -- Decline Of Northern Cricket Frogs (acris Crepitans) / Robert H. Gray And Lauren E. Brown -- Overwintering In Northern Cricket Frogs (acris Crepitans) / Jason T. Irwin -- Repercussions Of Global Change / Jamie K. Reaser And Andrew Blaustein -- Lessons From Europe / K. Henle ; Translation By William T. Leja -- Risk Factors And Declines In Northern Cricket Frogs (acris Crepitans) / Val R. Beasley [and Others] -- Ultraviolet Radiation / Andrew R. Blaustein And Lisa K. Belden -- Xenobiotics / Christine M. Bridges And Raymond D. Semlitsch -- Variation In Pesticide Tolerance / Christine M. Bridges And Raymond D. Semlitsch -- Lucké Renal Adenocarcinoma / Robert G. Mckinnell And Debra L. Carlson -- Malformed Frogs In Minnesota : History And Interspecific Differences / David M. Hoppe -- Parasites Of North American Frogs / Daniel Sutherland -- Parasite Infection And Limb Malformations : A Growing Problem In Amphibian Conservation / Pieter T.j. Johnson And Kevin B. Lunde -- Pine Silviculture / D. Bruce Means -- Commercial Trade / Anthony B. Wilson -- Houston Toads And Texas Politics / Lauren E. Brown And Ann Mesrobian -- Amphibian Conservation Needs / Edward D. Koch And Charles R. Peterson -- Amphibian Population Cycles And Long-term Data Sets / Howard H. Whiteman And Scott A. Wissinger -- Landscape Ecology / David E. Naugle [and Others] -- Conservation Of Texas Spring And Cave Salamanders (eurycea) / Paul T. Chippindale And Andrew H. Price -- Lessons From The Tropics / Karen R. Lips And Maureen A. Donnelly -- Taxonomy And Amphibian Declines / Sherman A. Minton -- Conservation Systematics : The Bufo Boreas Species Group / Anna M. Goebel -- Factors Limiting The Recovery Of Boreal Toads (bufo B. Boreas) / Cynthia Carey [and Others] -- Southwestern Desert Bufonids / Brian K. Sullivan -- Amphibian Ecotoxicology / Raymond D. Semlitsch And Christine M. Bridges -- Museum Collections / John W. Ferner, Jeffrey G. Davis And Paul J. Krusling -- Critical Areas / Hugh R. Quinn And Colleen Scott -- Creating Habitat Reserves For Migratory Salamanders / Suzanne C. Fowle And Scott M. Melvin -- Population Manipulations / C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr. -- Exotic Species / Walter E. Meshaka, Jr. -- Protecting Amphibians While Restoring Fish Populations / Debra Patla -- Reflections Upon Amphibian Conservation / Thomas K. Pauley -- Distribution Of South Dakota Anurans / David E. Naugle [and Others] -- Nebraska's Declining Amphibians / David S. Mcleod -- Museum Collections Can Assess Population Trends / Jeff Boundy -- Monitoring Salamander Populations In Great Smoky Mountains National Park / Erin J. Hyde And Theodore R. Simons -- North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (naamp) / Linda A. Weir And Michael J. Mossman -- Evaluating Calling Surveys / Sam Droege And Paige Eagle -- Geographical Information Systems And Survey Designs / Charles R. Peterson, Stephen R. Burton And Debra A. Patla -- Impacts Of Forest Management On Amphibians / Rochelle B. Renken -- Monitoring Pigment Pattern Morphs Of Northern Leopard Frogs / Robert G. Mckinnell, David M. Hoppe And Beverly K. Mckinnell -- The National Amphibian Conservation Center / Andrew T. Snider And Elizabeth Arbaugh -- A Thousand Friends Of Frogs : Its Origins / Tony P. Murphy -- Of Men And Deformed Frogs : A Journalist's Lament / William Souder -- Species Accounts : Introduction / Michael Lannoo [and Others] -- Anura -- Caudata -- Factors Implicated In Amphibian Population Declines In The United States / David F. Bradford. Edited By Michael Lannoo. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 927-1075) And Index. CONTENTS......Page 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 10 ADVISORY BOARD......Page 12 CONTRIBUTORS......Page 14 PREFACE......Page 20 CONSERVATION ESSAYS......Page 24 INTRODUCTION......Page 25 Diverse Phenomena Influencing Amphibian Population Declines......Page 26 Why Are Some Species in Decline but Others Not?......Page 30 Philosophy, Value Judgments, and Declining Amphibians......Page 33 Embracing Human Diversity in Conservation......Page 38 Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force......Page 40 DECLINES......Page 45 Meeting the Challenge of Amphibian Declines with an Interdisciplinary Research Program......Page 46 Biology of Amphibian Declines......Page 51 Declines of Eastern North American Woodland Salamanders......Page 57 Decline of Northern Cricket Frogs......Page 70 Overwintering in Northern Cricket Frogs......Page 78 CAUSES......Page 82 Repercussions of Global Change......Page 83 Lessons from Europe......Page 87 Risk Factors and Declines in Northern Cricket Frogs......Page 98 Ultraviolet Radiation......Page 110 Xenobiotics......Page 112 Variation in Pesticide Tolerance......Page 116 Lucké Renal Adenocarcinoma......Page 119 Malformed Frogs in Minnesota: History and Interspecific Differences......Page 126 Parasites of North American Frogs......Page 132 Parasite Infection and Limb Malformations: A Growing Problem in Amphibian Conservation......Page 147 Pine Silviculture......Page 162 Commercial Trade......Page 169 CONSERVATION......Page 172 Houston Toads and Texas Politics......Page 173 Amphibian Conservation Needs......Page 191 Amphibian Population Cycles and Long-Term Data Sets......Page 200 Landscape Ecology......Page 208 Conservation of Texas Spring and Cave Salamanders......Page 216 Lessons from the Tropics......Page 221 Taxonomy and Amphibian Declines......Page 229 Conservation Systematics: The Bufo boreas Species Group......Page 233 Factors Limiting the Recovery of Boreal Toads......Page 245 Southwestern Desert Bufonids......Page 260 Amphibian Ecotoxicology......Page 264 Museum Collections......Page 267 Critical Areas......Page 270 Creating Habitat Reserves for Migratory Salamanders......Page 283 Population Manipulations......Page 288 Exotic Species......Page 294 Protecting Amphibians While Restoring Fish Populations......Page 298 Reflections Upon Amphibian Conservation......Page 300 SURVEYS AND MONITORING......Page 305 Distribution of South Dakota Anurans......Page 306 Nebraska’s Declining Amphibians......Page 315 Museum Collections Can Assess Population Trends......Page 318 Monitoring Salamander Populations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park......Page 323 North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP)......Page 330 Evaluating Calling Surveys......Page 337 Geographical Information Systems and Survey Designs......Page 343 Impacts of Forest Management on Amphibians......Page 349 Monitoring Pigment Pattern Morphs of Northern Leopard Frogs......Page 351 EDUCATION......Page 361 The National Amphibian Conservation Center......Page 362 Its Origins......Page 364 A PERSPECTIVE......Page 366 Of Men and Deformed Frogs: A Journalist’s Lament......Page 367 SPECIES ACCOUNTS......Page 372 Introduction......Page 374 Species List of U.S. Amphibians, in Alphabetical Order by Family......Page 390 Species with Terrestrial Eggs......Page 396 Species of U.S. Amphibians that Exhibit Some Form of Parental Care or Communal Nesting......Page 398 Genera or Species with Aquatic Egg, Larval, and Adult Life History Stages......Page 400 U.S. Amphibians that Breed in Seeps, Springs, or Small Streams......Page 401 Species of Amphibians Found in Caves......Page 402 List of Federally Listed Species......Page 403 ANURA......Page 404 CAUDATA......Page 624 Factors Implicated in Amphibian Population Declines in the United States......Page 938 CONCLUSION......Page 949 LITERATURE CITED......Page 950 INDEX......Page 1100 Comprehensive coverage of environmental degradation in the US as seen through the lens of amphibian ecologies. Over recent decades a massive decline has been sustained by many amphibian species, an indication of serious problems that are only now beginning to be properly appreciated