Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/26824
Title: Removal of an Exotic Fish Influences Amphibian Breeding Site Selection
Contributor(s): Pollard, Carla J (author); Stockwell, Michelle P (author); Bower, Deborah S  (author)orcid ; Garnham, James I (author); Pickett, Evan J (author); Darcovich, Kerry (author); O'meara, Jenny (author); Clulow, John (author); Mahony, Michael J (author)
Publication Date: 2017-05
Early Online Version: 2017-04-09
DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21232
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/26824
Abstract: For pond-breeding species, the distribution of larvae is a reflection of habitat suitability and adult breeding site selection. Some species preferentially breed in ephemeral ponds, which can provide benefits for larvae. An alternative strategy used by adults to increase offspring survival is to detect aquatic predators and avoid them when selecting breeding sites. We investigated whether either of these types of breeding site selection are contributing to the negative correlation between the distributions of tadpoles of the threatened green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) and the introduced eastern gambusia (Gambusia holbrooki) in Sydney, Australia. From 2003 to 2012 we drained ponds to temporarily remove gambusia and examined the effect of removal on the numbers of male, female, and juvenile frogs, and tadpoles. We found that males preferentially selected fish-free ponds as breeding sites. In addition, the removal of gambusia increased tadpole abundance to over 140 times that of an undrained pond. Pond draining did not influence female or juvenile abundances. The ability to detect and avoid gambusia may be mitigating the effect of predation to a certain extent. We conclude that pond draining to remove exotic fish is an effective strategy that can be used to greatly increase the reproductive success of this and potentially other threatened amphibian species in the presence of exotic predators.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Grant Details: ARC/LP0989459
Source of Publication: Journal of Wildlife Management, 81(4), p. 720-727
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Place of Publication: United States of America
ISSN: 1937-2817
0022-541X
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 050103 Invasive Species Ecology
060207 Population Ecology
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 410202 Biosecurity science and invasive species ecology
310307 Population ecology
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 960807 Fresh, Ground and Surface Water Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 180303 Fresh, ground and surface water biodiversity
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Environmental and Rural Science

Files in This Item:
1 files
File SizeFormat 
Show full item record

SCOPUSTM   
Citations

20
checked on Mar 16, 2024

Page view(s)

950
checked on Mar 8, 2023

Download(s)

70
checked on Mar 8, 2023
Google Media

Google ScholarTM

Check

Altmetric


Items in Research UNE are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.