Calling phenology and detectability of a threatened amphibian (Litoria olongburensis) in ephemeral wetlands varies along a latitudinal cline: Implications for management

Abstract

Amphibian reproductive biology and activity are highly sensitive to environmental cues. For amphibian conservation in the face of climate change, a clear priority is to investigate impacts of variable weather on breeding activity and detectability. This study assessed variation in the phenology, intensity and detectability of calling for a threatened temporary wetland breeding species, Litoria olongburensis. Acoustic and visual surveys were conducted monthly from August 2009 to July 2011 over the species latitudinal range in eastern Australia. Calling phenology of L. olongburensis varied spatially and temporally within and among latitudinal clusters. Detectability of frogs also varied among months and transects, and also with the type of survey conducted (visual vs. acoustic). Air temperature was a strong predictor for the onset of the calling season (early spring); however, peaks in calling abundances were primarily driven by monthly accumulated rainfall. The duration of the calling season varied among latitudinal clusters, becoming narrower moving south, reflecting clinal variation in weather patterns. This study presents a framework for amphibian species management using a combination of survey techniques and the climatic conditions influencing detectability. Applied along the latitudinal gradient, it provides data for predicting the likely impacts of climate change on amphibian activity and reproduction.

Bioacoustic monitoring of animal vocal behavior for conservation

“…Many animals vocally announce their readiness to mate, often in conspicuous displays. Like songbirds, male frogs are well known for their advertisement calls during the breeding season, and these can be monitored in relation to local environmental factors (Plenderleith et al, 2017) or latitudinal gradients (Lowe, Castley, & Hero, 2016), which may help to predict how a species' breeding output will be affected by environmental change. Furthermore, vocal activity may indicate reproductive success (Höbel, 2017), including how these differ over time or among areas.…”

Assessing acoustic competition between sibling frog species using rhythm analysis

“…Male wallum sedgefrog calling activity typically peaks immediately following wetland inundation and is therefore highly seasonal and strongly influenced by the timing and amount of rainfall (Griffith et al, 2008;Lowe et al, 2015Lowe et al, , 2016. This period typically occurs in the summer between October and March (Lowe et al, 2016).…”

“…Male wallum sedgefrog calling activity typically peaks immediately following wetland inundation and is therefore highly seasonal and strongly influenced by the timing and amount of rainfall (Griffith et al, 2008;Lowe et al, 2015Lowe et al, , 2016. This period typically occurs in the summer between October and March (Lowe et al, 2016). Similar to the wallum sedgefrog, male eastern sedgefrogs are at their most vocal in the summer between September and March, particularly on warm nights following rain (Lemckert et al, 2013).…”

Biología reproductiva de <i>Boana pulchella</i> y <i>Boana punctata</i> (Anura: Hylidae) en poblaciones simpátricas de humedales templados

“…Los autores declaran que no tienen conflicto de intereses. período reproductivo, la extensión de períodos larvales, el aumento del tamaño de las larvas y de los adultos, una mayor edad a la primer reproducción, un menor número de puestas por año y producción de huevos y posturas más grandes (Morrison y Hero 2003, Lowe et al 2016. Sin embargo, estas generalizaciones deben considerarse con cautela, debido a la pequeña cantidad de estudios que las respaldan en relación al gran número de especies de anfibios existentes y su gran diversidad de estrategias reproductivas (Crump 1974(Crump , 2015.…”