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Observations of Rapid Colonization of Constructed Ponds by Western Toads (bufo Boreas) in Oregon, Usa
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Pearl, Christopher A. Bowerman, Jay |
| Copyright Year | 2006 |
| Abstract | lations have declined from multiple portions of their historic range (Ross et al. 1995, Livo and Yeakley 1997, Corn 2003, Davis and Gregory 2003). Bufo boreas breeds in a wide variety of aquatic habitats including montane lakes (Nussbaum et al. 1983, Corn et al. 1997, Marnell 1997), ponds created by volcanic eruptions (MacMahon 1982, Karlstrom 1986), beaver impoundments (Corn et al. 1997, Marnell 1997), shifting side channels along lowland rivers (Carpenter 1953, Frissell and Cavallo 1997), and anthropogenic ponds and reservoirs (Nussbaum et al. 1983, Wente et al. 2005). Despite the diversity of habitats utilized by B. boreas, little is known about characteristics that make sites attractive for toad breeding. Improved understanding of breeding site selection and attributes of breeding habitat may be useful for conservation of B. boreas. Other north temperate Bufo species such as B. americanus and B. calamita are reported to colonize new and disturbed ponds (Banks and Beebee 1987, Lehtinen and Galatowitsch 2001, Phillips et al. 2002), but the ability of B. boreas to find and breed in early successional sites is less well documented. Here we describe rapid colonization of newly excavated ponds by B. boreas in semiarid landscapes of central and eastern Oregon. We documented breeding use by B. boreas in 6 newly constructed ponds (hereafter colonization) as part of ongoing amphibian monitoring in Deschutes and Baker Counties, Oregon (Table 1, Fig. 1). The ponds were between 1265 m and 1348 m in elevation and located in the High Lava Plains and Blue Mountain physiographic regions (Franklin and Dyrness 1973). Most (80%–90%) of the annual precipitation (30–40 cm) falls between October and May (Franklin and Dyrness 1973). All ponds were surrounded by uplands of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), lodgepole pine (P. contorta), and sage (Artemisia sp.) or bitterbrush (Purshia spp.). Two ponds (Dilman A and Sunriver Golf Hazard) were bordered by a wet meadow and an irrigated golf course, respectively, before grading into ponderosa–lodgepole forest at distances >50 m. Two ponds (Pine A and B) were in a dry gulch in moderately sloping foothill topography (slope along temporary stream ~7%; slope of bordering hillsides 9%–22%). Terrain surrounding the remaining 4 ponds was flat or gently sloping (<3%). All ponds were in forest openings that allowed high insolation and held water throughout the summer in each year of observation. We confirmed breeding of B. boreas by directly observing eggs, larvae, or metamorphic individuals (Table 1). We determined month of breeding either through direct observation of eggs or hatchlings or by comparison of developmental stages with other sites in the region. Pond dimensions were estimated visually or by pacing. We estimated straightline distance from each new pond to the nearest known B. boreas breeding site from USGS topographic quadrangle maps. We have surveyed all known ponds and lakes within 10 km of the colonized ponds, so it is unlikely that B. boreas breeding regularly occurred closer than our estimates. Bufo boreas bred in all 6 ponds in the 1st spring following construction (range 2–9 months after construction; Table 1). Five of 6 colonized ponds were small (≤500 m2 of surface area), and all ponds had little or no aquatic macrophytic vegetation. Based on numbers of egg Western North American Naturalist 66(3), © 2006, pp. 397–401 |
| Starting Page | 397 |
| Ending Page | 401 |
| Page Count | 5 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Volume Number | 66 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2065&context=wnan&httpsredir=1&referer= |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://bioone.org/JournalArticle/PreviewFirstPage?fullDOI=10.3398/1527-0904(2006)66%5B397:OORCOC%5D2.0.CO%3B2 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://doi.org/10.3398/1527-0904%282006%2966%5B397%3AOORCOC%5D2.0.CO%3B2 |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
