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Artificial wetlands as tools for frog conservation: stability and variability of reproduction characteristics in Sahara frog populations in Tunisian man-made lakes

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Abstract

Amphibian populations are in decline principally due to climate change, environmental contaminants, and the reduction in wetlands. Even though data concerning current population trends are scarce, artificial wetlands appear to play a vital role in amphibian conservation. This study concerns the reproductive biology of the Sahara frog over a 2-year period in four Tunisian man-made lakes. Each month, gonad state (parameters: K, GSI, LCI), fecundity, and fertility of females (using 1227 clutches) were evaluated in the field under controlled conditions. Clutches were present for 110–130 days at two of the sites, but only for 60–80 days at the other two. Maximum egg laying occurred in May, corresponding to the highest point in the gonad somatic index. Clutch densities were higher in the smaller lakes. Female fecundity was in relation to body size; mean clutch fecundity attained 1416 eggs, with no differences observed according to site. Egg fertility varied over a 1-year period, with a maximum in May followed by a decrease when water temperature was at its highest. Eggs were smaller at the beginning of spawning; maximum size was in May, which might explain the higher fertility, but no maternal influence was detected. Embryonic development was strictly dependent on temperature. The population at each site appeared as a small patch within a metapopulation in overall good health, as shown by the relative temporal stability in reproduction variables. Constructed wetlands may therefore play an important role in the conservation of amphibians, especially in semi-arid zones.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Hechmi Missaoui of the National Institute of Agronomy of Tunis for financial support for this study. This study is the result of a collaborative project between the Institut Supérieur de Pêche et d’Aquaculture de Bizerte, the UMR INRA 985, Agrocampus Rennes, and the Chrono-Environment Laboratory, Besançon, UMR CNRS 6249.

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  1. Institut Supérieur de Pêche et d’Aquaculture de Bizerte, Unité de recherche: 9 Exploitation des Milieux Aquatiques, Errimel, B.P.15, 7080, Bizerte, Tunisie

    Meher Bellakhal & Mouna Fertouna-Bellakhal

  2. INRA, Agrocampus Rennes, UMR 985, F-35042, Rennes, France

    André Neveu

  3. Université de Franche-Comté, Laboratoire de Chrono-Environnement, UMR CNRS 6249, Besançon, France

    Mouna Fertouna-Bellakhal & Lotfi Aleya

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  1. Meher Bellakhal
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  2. André Neveu
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  3. Mouna Fertouna-Bellakhal
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  4. Lotfi Aleya
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Correspondence to Lotfi Aleya.

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Bellakhal, M., Neveu, A., Fertouna-Bellakhal, M. et al. Artificial wetlands as tools for frog conservation: stability and variability of reproduction characteristics in Sahara frog populations in Tunisian man-made lakes. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 26658–26669 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0278-6

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