Drought, deluge and declines: the impact of precipitation extremes on amphibians in a changing climate

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The Class Amphibia is one of the most severely impacted taxa in an ongoing global biodiversity crisis. Because amphibian reproduction is tightly associated with the presence of water, climatic changes that affect water availability pose a particularly menacing threat to both aquatic- and terrestrial-breeding amphibians. The authors explore the impacts that one facet of climate change—that of extreme variation in precipitation—may have on amphibians. This variation means an increase in the incidence and severity of both drought and major storm events. The authors stress the need to consider not only total precipitation amounts but also the pattern and timing of rainfall events. Such rainfall “pulses” will likely become increasingly more influential on amphibians, especially in relation to seasonal reproduction. Changes in reproductive phenology can strongly influence the outcome of competitive and predatory interactions, and therefore potentially alter community dynamics in assemblages of co-existing species. The authors present a conceptual model to illustrate possible landscape and metapopulation consequences of alternative climate change scenarios for pond-breeding amphibians, using the Mole Salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum) as an example. Although amphibians have evolved a variety of life history strategies that enable them to cope with environmental uncertainty, it is unclear whether adaptations can keep pace with the escalating rate of climate change. Climate change, especially in combination with other stressors, is a daunting challenge for amphibian persistence and thus for the conservation of global biodiversity.

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ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology