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Forest mediated light regime linked to amphibian distribution and performance

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Abstract

The vegetation in and around the basins of ephemeral wetlands can greatly affect light environments for aquatic species such as amphibians. We used hemispherical photographs to quantify the light environment in terms of the global site factor (GSF), the proportion of available solar radiation that actually strikes the wetland. We compared GSF to the distribution and performance of two amphibian species (Pseudacris crucifer and Rana sylvatica) within 17 ephemeral wetlands in northeastern Connecticut, USA. We found that P. crucifer is restricted to lighter wetlands (GSF >0.34) and that its abundance is proportional to GSF. By contrast, R. sylvatica is found across the light gradient and its abundance is unrelated to GSF. For both species, GSF is a strong predictor of larval developmental rate. In addition, P. crucifer growth rate is higher in lighter wetlands. Through thermal effects, changes in resources, or other influences, light appears to be an important predictor of the distribution and performance of amphibians. Because the structure of canopies can change rapidly, and because amphibians can be strongly impacted by these changes, vegetation mediated effects on wetland light environments may be critical to understanding the dynamics of amphibian populations within forested biomes.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to C. Apse, C. Burns, J. Golon, G. Jones, J. Morton, E. Sagor, R. Schiff, S. Price, M. Urban and J. Virdin for help with field work. P.M.S. Ashton generously provided the use of his camera. H. zu Dohna, E. Palkovacs, C. Burns and M. Urban provided helpful comments on previous drafts of the manuscript. This research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation (Ecology of Infectious Diseases Grant 1R01ES11067–01) and by a gift to Yale University from Mrs. E.S. Dwyer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 370 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA

    M. A. Halverson & D. K. Skelly

  2. Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA

    J. M. Kiesecker

  3. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06265, USA

    L. K. Freidenburg

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  1. M. A. Halverson
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  2. D. K. Skelly
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  3. J. M. Kiesecker
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  4. L. K. Freidenburg
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Correspondence to M. A. Halverson.

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Halverson, M.A., Skelly, D.K., Kiesecker, J.M. et al. Forest mediated light regime linked to amphibian distribution and performance. Oecologia 134, 360–364 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-002-1136-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-002-1136-9

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