Friday, April 03, 2009
Limiting Cattle Has Few Short-term Effects on Spotted Frog Populations
Livestock grazing is a common land use across the western United States, but there is concern about the potential effects on resident amphibians. Although constructing watering ponds in semi-arid areas may enhance amphibian habitat, negative effects of livestock presence may include trampling, water quality degradation, and changes to vegetation and soil. USGS scientists and a U.S. Forest Service colleague studied the short-term effects of limiting cattle access to breeding ponds of Columbia spotted frogs in northeastern Oregon. There was no evidence that either full or partial exclosures affected egg production, larval survival, or juvenile growth in the first few years after installation. Vegetation height increased within the exclosures, indicating that grazing alters the habitat, but it did not translate into short-term effects on the frog populations. Monitoring of these ponds is ongoing as part of the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative.
Adams, M.J., Pearl, C.A., McCreary, B., Galvan, S.K., Wessell, S., Wente, W.H., Anderson, C.W., Kuehl, A.B., 2009, Short-term effect of cattle exclosures on Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) populations and habitat in northeastern Oregon: Journal of Herpetology, v. 43, no. 1, p. 132-138. [FullText] Catalog No: 1948
Contact:
Michael
Adams,
FRESC,
541-758-8857,
mjadams@usgs.gov
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