Mediterranean temporary ponds as amphibian breeding habitats: the importance of preserving pond networks

Gómez‐Rodríguez, Carola; Díaz‐Paniagua, Carmen; Serrano, Laura; Florencio, Margarita; Portheault, Alexandre

doi:10.1007/s10452-009-9235-x

Cited by 71 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…The high rate of temporal turnover in amphibian communities has previously been documented in the literature (Werner et al 2007b), which can be affected by the variability of hydrological conditions (Jakob et al 2003, Gómez-Rodríguez et al 2010. A high variability of ponds in a region can increase the persistence of metapopulations (Gómez-Rodríguez et al 2009), e.g. fishless habitats (including temporary ponds) can be used as refuges by amphibian species sensitive to fish predation (Hartel and Oellerer 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Metacommunity dynamics of amphibians in years with differing rainfall

Péntek

Vad

Zsuga³

et al. 2016

Aquat Ecol

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Many studies investigated the habitat preference and behaviour ecology of individual amphibian species while we know less about how their community assembly reflects changes in environmental factors, including the role of climatic extremes. Communitylevel studies also allow us to apply trait-based analyses that are crucial for a better understanding of the functioning of amphibian communities and metacommunities. In two years with contrasting rainfall (2012 and 2013), we found amphibian species in 85 different waterbodies of a heterogeneous landscape in Central Europe (Hungary). Within the metacommunity framework, the contributions of local, landscape and spatial variables to community assembly were assessed. We also measured the local extinction-colonisation rates in the ponds for all species between the two years. To investigate the role of dispersal traits in explaining the spatial distribution of species, we studied the relationship between body size and the pure spatial fraction of variation. According to our results, the main drivers were the same in both the dry and wet year, but their relative contribution changed. Local variables played a predominant role in the assembly of the amphibian metacommunity. Spatial signals were more evident in the dry year. This implies not only the adverse effect of decreased connectivity due to the drying out of several habitats but also a loss of breeding sites for the studied amphibians. Local colonisation rates were higher in primarily terrestrial species (Hyla arborea, Pelobates fuscus, Bufo bufo) which only visit ponds during breeding. We found a negative relationship between the pure spatial effect and body size, suggesting an increased level of dispersal limitation in small-bodied species. Our results showed that while the strength and relative role of local and spatial processes changed between years, the role of dispersal traits in explaining the spatial distribution of species was similar. Specialisation to different habitats seems to be a major process in determining vertebrate metacommunities in landscapes. Dispersal traits of different species should be taken more into consideration in the practical conservation of amphibian habitats.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Metacommunity dynamics of amphibians in years with differing rainfall

Péntek

Vad

Zsuga³

et al. 2016

Aquat Ecol

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“…A detailed description of these temporary ponds can be found elsewhere [43]. Filling dates and flooding duration of temporary ponds are highly variable among years depending on rainfall pattern and quantity.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The conservation value of Doñana National Park for pond-breeding species lies on its heterogeneity across space and time [43], since communities in wetland ecosystems require from spatial variability in order to be able to persist under high environmental variability [78]. Areas with such a high density and heterogeneity of natural temporary ponds are not common in Europe, where the number of temporary ponds are probably a mere fraction of what they would naturally had been in the past [79].…”

Section: The System Of Mediterranean Temporary Ponds In Doñana Nationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of Hydroperiod Shortening in a Preserved System of Temporary Ponds

2010

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Based on field data simultaneous with Landsat overpasses from six different dates, we developed a robust linear model to predict subpixel fractions of water cover. The model was applied to a time series of 174 Landsat TM and ETM+ images to reconstruct the flooding regime of a system of small temporary ponds and to study their spatio-temporal changes in a 23-year period. We tried to differentiate natural fluctuations from trends in hydrologic variables (i.e., hydroperiod shortening) that may threaten the preservation of the system. Although medium-resolution remote sensing data have rarely been applied to the monitoring of small-sized wetlands, this study evidences its utility to understand the hydrology of temporary ponds at a local scale. We show that the temporary ponds in Doñana National Park constitute a large and heterogeneous system with high intra and inter-annual variability. We also evidence that the conservation value of this ecosystem is threatened by the observed tendency to shorter annual hydroperiods in recent years, probably due to aquifer exploitation. This system of temporary ponds deserves special attention for the high density and heterogeneity of natural ponds, not common in Europe. For this reason, management decisions to avoid its destruction or degradation are critical.

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“…The surveys were carried out in visually homogenous 4 m 2 quadrates where each species percent cover was recorded, sampling ponds' vegetation belts. It is important to note that data were obtained over different sampling times within each year, in early and late spring, thus covering the ponds' temporal dynamics and ensuring the representativeness of the data (Gómez-Rodríguez et al, 2009). Plant nomenclature follows Flora Iberica (Castroviejo et al, 1986(Castroviejo et al, -2010 and Nova Flora de Portugal (Franco, 1984;Franco andRocha Afonso, 1994-2003).…”

Section: Study Area and Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, as the persistence and conservation of habitats depends upon the consistency of environmental conditions across time and space (Gómez-Rodríguez et al, 2009), the selected environmental variables reflect stable environmental parameters or are derived from averages of several years. The explanatory variables range from local (fine) to large (broad) scale, most of them being spatially structured, but also correlated (e.g.…”

Section: Relationship Between Temporary Pond Types and Environmental mentioning

confidence: 99%

Biotic and abiotic parameters that distinguish types of temporary ponds in a Portuguese Mediterranean ecosystem

Pinto-Cruz

Barbosa

Molina

et al. 2011

Ecological Indicators

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a b s t r a c tTemporary ponds are seasonal wetland habitats subjected to extreme and unstable ecological conditions. Some are classified as priority habitats for conservation by the European Union Habitats Directive. Our study area was the coastal plain of southwest Portugal, which spans across 100 km north to south and hosts a large number of temporary ponds as a consequence of climatic and edaphic characteristics. Field sampling of floristic and edaphic data was carried out in 24 temporary ponds every spring between 2005 and 2008. We recorded a total of 174 plant species identified within visually homogeneous plots. We included the data in a geographic information system and classified ponds according to their floristic composition, using a biotic regionalization analysis based on species presence/absence, which is a practical and unambiguous criterion. We found three significantly different groups of ponds which corresponded to an eco-physiognomic pond typology: Mediterranean temporary ponds, marshlands, and disturbed ponds. For the first two pond types we defined characteristic or indicator plant species. We searched also for relationships between pond type and a series of large-scale climatic, geographic, and geological variables, as well as local-scale physical and chemical properties of the soil. Pond type was distinguished by a complex combination of some of these variables, including environmental energy, soil texture, nitrogen content of the soil and pH. A practical way of discriminating between different types of ponds is important so that management and conservation measures can be defined accordingly.

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Mediterranean temporary ponds as amphibian breeding habitats: the importance of preserving pond networks

Cited by 71 publications

References 43 publications

Metacommunity dynamics of amphibians in years with differing rainfall

Metacommunity dynamics of amphibians in years with differing rainfall

Evidence of Hydroperiod Shortening in a Preserved System of Temporary Ponds

Biotic and abiotic parameters that distinguish types of temporary ponds in a Portuguese Mediterranean ecosystem

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