1. Amphibian recovery after a decrease in acidic precipitation.
- Author
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Dolmen, Dag, Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt, and Skei, Jon Kristian
- Subjects
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METEOROLOGICAL precipitation , *ATMOSPHERIC physics , *TRITURUS cristatus , *LISSOTRITON , *SALAMANDRIDAE - Abstract
We here report the first sign of amphibian recovery after a strong decline due to acidic precipitation over many decades and peaking around 1980-90. In 2010, the pH level of ponds and small lakes in two heavily acidified areas in southwestern Scandinavia (Aust-Agder and Østfold in Norway) had risen significantly at an (arithmetic) average of 0.14 since 1988-89. Parallel with the general rise in pH, amphibians (
Rana temporaria ,R. arvalis ,Bufo bufo ,Lissotriton vulgaris , andTriturus cristatus ) had become significantly more common: the frequency of amphibian localities rose from 33% to 49% (n = 115), and the average number of amphibian species per locality had risen from 0.51 to 0.88. In two other (reference) areas, one with better buffering capacity (Telemark,n = 21) and the other with much less input of acidic precipitation (Nord-Trøndelag,n = 106), there were no significant changes in pH or amphibians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2018
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