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Testing for intraspecific and interspecific larval competition between two anurans: Hyla savignyi and Bufotes viridis

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Abstract

Intraspecific and interspecific competition can be important factors affecting anuran tadpoles in temporary pools. We focus on two co-occurring anuran species that are of conservation concern in Israel and may negatively interact: Bufotes viridis (Laurenti, 1768) and Hyla savignyi (Audouin, 1829). We conducted a replacement design mesocosm experiment to examine intraspecific and interspecific competition between tadpoles of these two species. Plastic tubs were assigned to five replacement design treatments: 0 Hyla + 20 Bufotes; 0 Hyla + 40 Bufotes; 20 Hyla + 20 Bufotes; 20 Hyla + 0 Bufotes; and 40 Hyla + 0 Bufotes, and a control with no tadpoles which was used to test for effects of the tadpoles on invertebrate community structure. While H. savignyi was significantly affected by intraspecific density, with smaller body mass and longer time to metamorphosis at the high-density treatment, B. viridis showed no intraspecific or interspecific density-dependent effects. However, B. viridis time to metamorphosis was negatively correlated with water temperature, while its survivorship was positively correlated with water temperature. The tadpoles affected neither abundance nor taxon richness of invertebrates. Our results suggest that stronger intraspecific competition than interspecific competition may contribute to the common co-occurrence of these two anurans in the same pools.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Anna Gershberg Hayoon and Ronen Shapir for logistical help, Lital Sharvit for fruitful discussion and two anonymous reviewers for very helpful comments. The study was conducted with permission by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority [permit number 2013/38822], Haifa University Ethics committee [permit number 002-11] and was funded by Israel Science Foundation grant 891/12 awarded to Leon Blaustein.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Community Ecology Laboratory, Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, 31498838, Haifa, Israel

    Meital Stein, Shomen Mukherjee, Claire Duchet, Gail M. Moraru & Leon Blaustein

  2. School of Liberal Studies, Azim Premji University, Electronics City, Bengaluru, India

    Shomen Mukherjee

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  1. Meital Stein
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  2. Shomen Mukherjee
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  3. Claire Duchet
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  4. Gail M. Moraru
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  5. Leon Blaustein
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Correspondence to Meital Stein.

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Handling editor: Chris Joyce

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Stein, M., Mukherjee, S., Duchet, C. et al. Testing for intraspecific and interspecific larval competition between two anurans: Hyla savignyi and Bufotes viridis . Hydrobiologia 795, 81–90 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3119-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3119-1

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