Amphibian breeding phenology influences offspring size and response to a common wetland contaminant.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Increases in temperature variability associated with climate change have critical implications for the phenology of wildlife across the globe. For example, warmer winter temperatures can induce forward shifts in breeding phenology across taxa ("false springs"), which can put organisms at risk of freezing conditions during reproduction or vulnerable early life stages. As human activities continue to encroach on natural ecosystems, it is also important to consider how breeding phenology interacts with other anthropogenic stressors (e.g., pollutants). Using 14 populations of a widespread amphibian (wood frog; Rana sylvatica), we compared 1) growth; 2) tolerance to a common wetland contaminant (NaCl); and 3) the ability of tadpoles to acclimate to lethal NaCl exposure follow

SUBMITTER: Buss N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8228996 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature