I examined two amphibian communities to assess factors
that may impact amphibian biodiversity. The results suggest
that the potential factors which influence the maintenance
of amphibian biodiversity are multi-faceted and thus,
attempts to understand these factors must reflect these
complexities.
I investigated factors that influenced the susceptibility
of western toad...
The tadpoles of several anuran species with groupforming
larvae are relatively unpalatable to many of
their potential predators. To more fully understand the
role of palatability and its relationship to group
formation as an antipredator defense in anuran amphibian
larvae, I investigated the palatabilities of the larvae
of three species...
The earth is undergoing a “biodiversity crisis” characterized by loss of populations, species, genetic diversity, and ecosystem services. Part of this crisis consists of population declines, extinctions, and increased incidence of deformities in amphibians. It is unknown whether deformities contribute to these declines. Many cases of population declines in amphibians...
To assess the context dependence of kin discriminating
behavior, I examined kin-biased aggregation behavior in tadpoles
of R. cascadae in different ecological conditions. I manipulated food
distribution, predator presence, thermal heterogeneity, and
relatedness in a multifactorial mesocosm experiment. All four
factors interacted to influence tadpole dispersion. My results
suggest that...
Contemporary environmental change encompasses massive biodiversity loss and
increasing numbers of emerging diseases worldwide. As part of a global biodiversity
crisis, amphibians are disappearing at unprecedented rates. Batrachochytrium
dendrobatidis is an emerging infectious pathogen prominently associated with many
declines. Chapter 1 reviews the past decade of research on this system...
The current rate of global biodiversity loss and extinctions is unparalleled and a major concern. Freshwater organisms are facing particularly rapid rates of biodiversity loss. Amphibians, which require an aquatic environment for part of their life cycle, are one of the most vulnerable vertebrate groups. Amphibians are experiencing population declines,...
The results of my research suggest that tadpoles of the Western
toad (Bufo boreas) and the Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) display an
alarm response to chemicals from injured conspecific tadpoles.
Furthermore, results suggest that the Bufo boreas alarm response can
be elicited by a natural predator when it feeds on...
In the past decade, declines in amphibian populations have captured scientific and popular interest. The causes of the declines are likely to be complex and involve interactions between several environmental stressors. Using multifactorial experiments, I investigated the combined effects of several anthropogenic stressors on developing amphibians in Oregon, USA. In...
My thesis explored the effects of and potential mediating mechanisms for an important environmental stressor, ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation. UVB radiation has negative effects on organisms in both terrestrial and aquatic systems. I used meta-analysis to quantify the effects of UVB radiation on a diversity of aquatic organisms (Chapter 2). UVB...
Ultraviolet-B radiation (UVB) is an abiotic stressor in both terrestrial and aquatic systems. The stratospheric ozone layer, depleted due to anthropogenic activities and the cause of elevated UVB at earth's surface over the last four decades, is predicted to recover by 2065. However, UVB levels in aquatic systems may continue...