Amphibian Populations Cycles and Long-Term Data Sets

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2005-01-01
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Wissinger, Scott A.
Whiteman, Howard H.
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Amphibian declines , Arizona Tiger Salamanders , Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum , Mexican Cut Nature Preserve , amphibians , population declines , population cycles , population fluctuations
Abstract
Although most researchers agree that many amphibian populations are declining, there is debate about how to distinguish human-induced declines from natural population fluctuations. As with many species, amphibian populations are regulated by a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that can create cyclic population fluctuations. However, when compared to organisms such as insects and small mammals, there is a dearth of basic ecological information about the factors that underlie amphibian population cycles. This chapter argues that systematic, long-term research on amphibian populations is necessary to provide basic information about the amplitude and frequency of natural fluctuations. Such baseline information is essential for posing and testing alternative hypotheses to explain amphibian population declines. The chapter reviews twenty years of research on a population of Arizona tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum) at the Mexican Cut Nature Preserve in south-central Colorado. It also discusses the ability of long-term demographic studies to provide the background information necessary to distinguish natural fluctuations from human-induced declines.
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Biology
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This article is restricted by copyright. Please contact the author or publisher for access.
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Whiteman, H.H., and Wissinger, S.A. (2005). Amphibian population cycles and long-term data sets. [In] Lannoo, M. (2005). Amphibian declines: The conservation status of United States species. Berkeley, California: University of California Press.
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University Of California Press
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