A framework to identify priority wetland habitats and movement corridors for urban amphibian conservation

Abstract

Cities worldwide are expanding in area and human population, posing multiple challenges to amphibian populations, including habitat loss from removal of wetlands and terrestrial upland habitat, habitat fragmentation due to roads and the built environment, and habitat degradation from pollutants, extensive human use and introduced species. We developed an eight‐step urban amphibian conservation framework based on established monitoring, analytical methods and community engagement to enable amphibian conservation in a large urban centre. The framework outlines a process used to conserve biodiversity in a complex landuse and decision‐making environment supported by a series of successive complementary modelling techniques to measure amphibian presence, priority habitat and functional connectivity. We applied the framework in Calgary, Alberta, Canada to illustrate its potential. Here, urbanization has reduced wetlands by 90% and ecological knowledge on amphibians was poor. We improved knowledge on amphibian diversity and distribution, identified core wetlands and movement pathways for amphibian species and identified barriers in the wetland network where construction or restoration measures could re‐establish amphibians or increase their densities. This knowledge was shared with ecologists and city planners for implementation through appropriate policies and plans. Our framework provides a series of stepwise products to improve an urban municipality's ability to restore or conserve priority habitat and movement pathways necessary for amphibian survival under pressure from multiple land uses. The framework provides a platform to identify city plans, policy and or programmes and to derive necessary information to support amphibian conservation.

Caracterización Física Y Biológica, Y Servicios Ecosistémicos Del Humedal San Pedro De Quilcay, Lurín, Lima, Perú

“…y humedales, lo cual ocasiona casos de fragmentación del hábitat por la instalación de vías y la conversión de su suelo a uso agropecuario o urbano, hábitat que ofrecen los humedales para la fauna residente y migratoria (Moschella, 2012;Wasserman & Dalu, 2022). Los humedales albergan una importante biodiversidad y constituyen el hábitat de numerosas especies de animales y plantas, muchas de las cuales se encuentran hoy en día amenazadas o al borde de la extinción como consecuencia de la destrucción de sus hábitats y la explotación irracional a la que se ven sometidas (Lee et al, 2022).…”

High Evolutionary Potential Maintained in Common Frog (Rana temporaria) Populations Inhabiting Urban Drainage Ponds

“…Amphibians are a useful model taxon for investigating the value of such waterbodies within wider blue-green infrastructure. They use urban ponds for reproduction and depend on surrounding terrestrial habitats for foraging, hibernation, Diversity 2023, 15, 738 2 of 12 aestivation, and dispersal [17][18][19][20][21][22]. The occurrence and abundance of amphibians are generally shaped by small-scale landscape features, which makes them particularly suited for studying the consequences of habitat fragmentation for the structure of wildlife populations [23,24].…”