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1. Interplay of abiotic conditions, density, and body size in shaping demography in a high‐elevation toad population

Author

Omar Lenzi, Kurt Grossenbacher, Silvia Zumbach, Beatrice Lüscher, Sarah Althaus, Marco Thoma, Daniela Schmocker, Helmut Recher, Arpat Ozgul, and Benedikt R. Schmidt

Subjects
alpine environment, amphibian, capture–mark–recapture, demography, growth, vital rate, Ecology, QH540-549.5
Abstract

Abstract In natural populations, vital rates such as survival and reproduction are influenced by a complex interplay of abiotic conditions (e.g., environment), density dependence, and individual factors (e.g., phenotypic traits). Studies at the extremes of species distributions, particularly high elevations, offer unique insights due to the intensified effects of abiotic stressors, which can amplify both direct and indirect effects on vital rates. In this study, we focus on a high‐elevation population of the common toad (Bufo bufo) located near the upper limit of its elevational range in the Swiss Alps. This setting provides a critical context for examining how extreme abiotic conditions interact with density dependence and individual factors to influence life history traits. Utilizing 28 years of capture–mark–recapture data and individual body size measurements from nearly 2500 toads, we applied in a Bayesian statistical framework a Cormack–Jolly–Seber model for estimating male survival probabilities, and a multistate model for assessing female survival and breeding probabilities, alongside sex‐specific growth curves. Our analysis indicates that survival probabilities are significantly impacted by interactions between abiotic conditions such as the active season length and temperature at emergence from hibernation, density dependence, and individual phenotypic traits such as body size. The breeding patterns of females showed a biennial cycle, with temperature at hibernation emergence influencing the likelihood of skipping breeding events and density affecting the resumption of breeding. These results highlight the role of abiotic conditions and density in shaping physiological and reproductive strategies in a high‐stress ecological niche. Moreover, we uncovered indications of indirect effects, where both abiotic conditions and density potentially affect asymptotic growth and thus survival, mediated through changes in body size. Our findings illustrate the complex dynamics at play in high‐elevation populations and the importance of long‐term, individual‐based data in studying these processes. This study underscores the value of integrating multiple sources of variation to understand population dynamics comprehensively, particularly in understudied, extreme environments where traditional ecological models may not fully capture the nuanced interdependencies of natural systems.

Published
2024
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2. Shifts in amphibian population dynamics in response to a change in the predator community

Author

Benedikt R. Schmidt, Raluca I. Băncilă, Tibor Hartel, Kurt Grossenbacher, and Michael Schaub

Subjects
alternative stable state, density dependence, observation error, population growth rate, state‐space time series model, Ecology, QH540-549.5
Abstract

Abstract Predation can affect prey behavior, demography, abundance, and distribution, particularly in lentic freshwater ecosystems. Fish are predators known to reduce the abundance of their prey and to restrict the distribution of species. Using time series which spanned 43 and 22 yr, respectively, we analyzed the effect of a change in the fish predator community on the dynamics of two pond‐breeding amphibian populations (Rana temporaria and Rana dalmatina). Specifically, we used a state‐space time series model which allows for density dependence and observation error, to ask whether the change in predation risk affects population growth rate and the return point around which the populations fluctuate. The results showed that the type of observation error assumed did not affect the biological parameters. We found evidence for density dependence in both populations. The effect of the change in fish predation on population growth rate and the return point was strong in the population where fish invaded a previously fish‐free pond. The effect was weaker in the population where the change was from cyprinid fish to pike. The results showed that fish predation can have strong effects on amphibian population dynamics. The observed population dynamical pattern is phenomenologically similar to alternative stable states.

Published
2021
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3. Four decades of phenology in an alpine amphibian: trends, stasis, and climatic drivers

Author

Omar Lenzi, Kurt Grossenbacher, Silvia Zumbach, Beatrice Lüscher, Sarah Althaus, Daniela Schmocker, Helmut Recher, Marco Thoma, Arpat Ozgul, Benedikt R. Schmidt, and University of Zurich

Subjects
10127 Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, long, alpine, 570 Life sciences, biology, 590 Animals (Zoology), amphibian, term study, phenology, climate
Abstract

Strong phenological shifts in response to changes in climatic conditions have been reported for many species, including amphibians, which are expected to breed earlier. Phenological shifts in breeding are observed in a wide number of amphibian populations, but less is known about populations living at high elevations, which are predicted to be more sensitive to climate change than lowland populations.The goal of this study is to assess the main factors determining the timing of breeding in an alpine population of the common toad (Bufo bufo) and to describe the observed shifts in its breeding phenology.We modelled the effect of environmental variables on the start and peak dates of the breeding season using 39 years of individual-based data. In addition, we investigated the effect of the lunar cycle, as well as the individual variation in breeding phenology. Finally, to assess the individual heterogeneity in the timing of breeding, we calculated the repeatability of the timing of arrival at the breeding site.Breeding advanced to earlier dates in the first years of the study but the trend continued only until the mid 1990s, and stabilised afterwards. Overall, toads are now breeding on average around 30 days earlier than at the start of the study period. High temperatures and low snow cover in winter and spring, as well as reduced spring precipitation were all associated with earlier breeding. Additionally, we found evidence of males arriving on average before females at the breeding site but no clear and strong effect of the lunar cycle. We only found weak evidence of among-individual variation in shifts in the breeding phenology, as well as a low repeatability of arrival timing.Our findings show that the observed changes in breeding phenology are strongly associated with the environmental conditions. These results contribute to filling a knowledge gap on the effects ssof climate change on alpine amphibian populations. Moreover, we show that changes in phenology, especially in the mountains, can be hard to predict as local microclimatic conditions do not necessarily reflect the observed global climatic trends.

Published
2023
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4. Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity

Author

Beth A. Reinke, Hugo Cayuela, Fredric J. Janzen, Jean-François Lemaître, Jean-Michel Gaillard, A. Michelle Lawing, John B. Iverson, Ditte G. Christiansen, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, Gregorio Sánchez-Montes, Jorge Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, Francis L. Rose, Nicola Nelson, Susan Keall, Alain J. Crivelli, Theodoros Nazirides, Annegret Grimm-Seyfarth, Klaus Henle, Emiliano Mori, Gaëtan Guiller, Rebecca Homan, Anthony Olivier, Erin Muths, Blake R. Hossack, Xavier Bonnet, David S. Pilliod, Marieke Lettink, Tony Whitaker, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Michael G. Gardner, Marc Cheylan, Françoise Poitevin, Ana Golubović, Ljiljana Tomović, Dragan Arsovski, Richard A. Griffiths, Jan W. Arntzen, Jean-Pierre Baron, Jean-François Le Galliard, Thomas Tully, Luca Luiselli, Massimo Capula, Lorenzo Rugiero, Rebecca McCaffery, Lisa A. Eby, Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Frank Mazzotti, David Pearson, Brad A. Lambert, David M. Green, Nathalie Jreidini, Claudio Angelini, Graham Pyke, Jean-Marc Thirion, Pierre Joly, Jean-Paul Léna, Anton D. Tucker, Col Limpus, Pauline Priol, Aurélien Besnard, Pauline Bernard, Kristin Stanford, Richard King, Justin Garwood, Jaime Bosch, Franco L. Souza, Jaime Bertoluci, Shirley Famelli, Kurt Grossenbacher, Omar Lenzi, Kathleen Matthews, Sylvain Boitaud, Deanna H. Olson, Tim S. Jessop, Graeme R. Gillespie, Jean Clobert, Murielle Richard, Andrés Valenzuela-Sánchez, Gary M. Fellers, Patrick M. Kleeman, Brian J. Halstead, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Phillip G. Byrne, Thierry Frétey, Bernard Le Garff, Pauline Levionnois, John C. Maerz, Julian Pichenot, Kurtuluş Olgun, Nazan Üzüm, Aziz Avcı, Claude Miaud, Johan Elmberg, Gregory P. Brown, Richard Shine, Nathan F. Bendik, Lisa O’Donnell, Courtney L. Davis, Michael J. Lannoo, Rochelle M. Stiles, Robert M. Cox, Aaron M. Reedy, Daniel A. Warner, Eric Bonnaire, Kristine Grayson, Roberto Ramos-Targarona, Eyup Baskale, David Muñoz, John Measey, F. Andre de Villiers, Will Selman, Victor Ronget, Anne M. Bronikowski, David A. W. Miller, Northeastern Illinois University, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), Penn State System, Department of Ecology and Evolution [Lausanne], Université de Lausanne = University of Lausanne (UNIL), Iowa State University (ISU), W. K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS), Michigan State University [East Lansing], Michigan State University System-Michigan State University System, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive - UMR 5558 (LBBE), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement (VAS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Texas A&M University [College Station], Earlham College, Partenaires INRAE, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Universität Zürich [Zürich] = University of Zurich (UZH), Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales [Madrid] (MNCN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC), Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Department of Biological Sciences [Lubbock], Texas Tech University [Lubbock] (TTU), School of Biological Sciences [Wellington, New Zealand], Victoria University of Wellington, Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, Auteur indépendant, Department of Conservation Biology [UFZ Leipzig], Helmholtz Zentrum für Umweltforschung = Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems [CNR, Italy] (IRET), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Le Grand Momesson, Bouvron, France, Denison University, Fort Collins Science Center (FORT), US Geological Survey [Fort Collins], United States Geological Survey [Reston] (USGS)-United States Geological Survey [Reston] (USGS), University of Montana, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC), Info Fauna Karch 2000, Flinders University [Adelaide, Australia], Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM), University of Belgrade [Belgrade], Macedonian Ecological Society, University of Kent [Canterbury], Naturalis Biodiversity Center [Leiden], CEREEP-Ecotron Ile de France (UMS 3194), Département de Biologie - ENS Paris, École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement de Paris (iEES Paris ), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 (UPEC UP12)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation [Rome, Italy], Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Université de Lomé [Togo], Museo Civico di Zoologia, U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions [Australia], Parks and Wildlife Service of Northern Territory, Colorado State University [Fort Collins] (CSU), Redpath Museum, McGill University = Université McGill [Montréal, Canada], Kunming Institute of Botany [CAS] (KIB), Chinese Academy of Sciences [Beijing] (CAS), Macquarie University, Association Objectifs Biodiversités (OBIOS), Équipe 4 - Écophysiologie, Comportement, Conservation (E2C), Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés (LEHNA), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État (ENTPE)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État (ENTPE)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), CSIRO, EcoSciences Precinct, StatiPOP, scientific consulting, Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut Agro Montpellier, Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Université de Montpellier (UM), Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Ohio State University [Columbus] (OSU), Northern Illinois University, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Universidad de Oviedo [Oviedo], Department of Biology [Mato Grosso], Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz' (ESALQ), Universidade de São Paulo = University of São Paulo (USP), Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT University), University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), Naturhistorisches Museum [Bern], USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Deakin University [Waurn Ponds], Palmerston North Research Centre, Plant & Food Research, Station d'écologie théorique et expérimentale (SETE), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Universidad Austral de Chile, ONG Ranita de Darwin, U.S Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, SO Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences [Wollongong], Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health [Wollongong], University of Wollongong [Australia]-University of Wollongong [Australia], Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES), Office national des forêts (ONF), University of Georgia [USA], Centre de Recherche et de Formation en Eco-éthologie (2C2A-CERFE), Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA), Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi, University College of Kristianstad, Watershed Protection Department, Cornell Lab of Ornithology [New York], Cornell University [New York], Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana University System, University of Virginia, Auburn University (AU), University of Richmond, Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología y Medio Ambiente (CITMA), Pamukkale University, Stellenbosch University, Millsaps College, Éco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), This study was supported by National Institutes of Health grant R01AG049416 (to A.M.B., F.J.J., and D.A.W.M.). H.C. was supported as a postdoctoral researcher by the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant no. 31003A_182265)., Office National des Forêts (ONF), University of Virginia [Charlottesville], Éco-Anthropologie (EAE), National Research Council of Italy | Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM)-École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Rennes (UR), and Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology

Subjects
life history, demography, Aging, phenotype, [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio], Longevity, tetrapod, ectothermy, phylogeny, Amphibia, Amphibians, VERTEBRADOS, evolution, Animals, animal, Multidisciplinary, nonhuman, article, Reptiles, mortality, Biological Evolution, phylogenetics, reptile, GN, [SDE]Environmental Sciences, environmental temperature, body size
Abstract

Comparative studies of mortality in the wild are necessary to understand the evolution of aging; yet, ectothermic tetrapods are underrepresented in this comparative landscape, despite their suitability for testing evolutionary hypotheses. We present a study of aging rates and longevity across wild tetrapod ectotherms, using data from 107 populations (77 species) of nonavian reptiles and amphibians. We test hypotheses of how thermoregulatory mode, environmental temperature, protective phenotypes, and pace of life history contribute to demographic aging. Controlling for phylogeny and body size, ectotherms display a higher diversity of aging rates compared with endotherms and include phylogenetically widespread evidence of negligible aging. Protective phenotypes and life-history strategies further explain macroevolutionary patterns of aging. Analyzing ectothermic tetrapods in a comparative context enhances our understanding of the evolution of aging.

Published
2022
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5. Sex-related differences in aging rate areassociated with sex chromosome system inamphibians

Author

Hugo Cayuela, Jean‐François Lemaître, Jean‐Paul Léna, Victor Ronget, Iñigo Martínez‐Solano, Erin Muths, David S. Pilliod, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Gregorio Sánchez‐Montes, Jorge Gutiérrez‐Rodríguez, Graham Pyke, Kurt Grossenbacher, Omar Lenzi, Jaime Bosch, Karen H. Beard, Lawrence L. Woolbright, Brad A. Lambert, David M. Green, Nathalie Jreidini, Justin M. Garwood, Robert N. Fisher, Kathleen Matthews, David Dudgeon, Anthony Lau, Jeroen Speybroeck, Rebecca Homan, Robert Jehle, Eyup Başkale, Emiliano Mori, Jan W. Arntzen, Pierre Joly, Rochelle M. Stiles, Michael J. Lannoo, John C. Maerz, Winsor H. Lowe, Andrés Valenzuela‐Sánchez, Ditte G. Christiansen, Claudio Angelini, Jean‐Marc Thirion, Juha Merilä, Guarino R. Colli, Mariana M. Vasconcellos, Taissa C. V. Boas, Ísis da C. Arantes, Pauline Levionnois, Beth A. Reinke, Cristina Vieira, Gabriel A. B. Marais, Jean‐Michel Gaillard, David A. W. Miller, Swiss National Science Foundation, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Université de Lausanne = University of Lausanne (UNIL), Biodémographie évolutive, Département écologie évolutive [LBBE], Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive - UMR 5558 (LBBE), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement (VAS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement (VAS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive - UMR 5558 (LBBE), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement (VAS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Ecologie et évolution des populations, and Wiley Online Library

Subjects
Male, SELECTION, Aging, senescence, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, MODELS, Senescence, Amphibians, Y Chromosome, Genetics, Animals, sex chromosome, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, TREE, LIFE-SPAN, MORTALITY COSTS, [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment, Sex Characteristics, [SDV.GEN.GPO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Genetics/Populations and Evolution [q-bio.PE], Sex Chromosomes, amphibians, COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY, Life Sciences, Sex Determination Processes, EVOLUTION, INSIGHTS, [SDE]Environmental Sciences, 1181 Ecology, evolutionary biology, Female, [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology, General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Sex chromosome, [SDV.EE.IEO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment/Symbiosis, NATURAL-POPULATIONS
Abstract

Sex-related differences in mortality are widespread in the animal kingdom. Although studies have shown that sex determinationsystems might drive lifespan evolution, sex chromosome influence on aging rates have not been investigated so far, likely due toan apparent lack of demographic data from clades including both XY (with heterogametic males) and ZW (heterogametic females)systems. Taking advantage of a unique collection of capture–recapture datasets in amphibians, a vertebrate group where XY andZW systems have repeatedly evolved over the past 200 million years, we examined whether sex heterogamy can predict sexdifferences in aging rates and lifespans. We showed that the strength and direction of sex differences in aging rates (and notlifespan) differ between XY and ZW systems. Sex-specific variation in aging rates was moderate within each system, but agingrates tended to be consistently higher in the heterogametic sex. This led to small but detectable effects of sex chromosome systemon sex differences in aging rates in our models. Although preliminary, our results suggest that exposed recessive deleteriousmutations on the X/Z chromosome (the “unguarded X/Z effect”) or repeat-rich Y/W chromosome (the “toxic Y/W effect”) couldaccelerate aging in the heterogametic sex in some vertebrate clades., C was supported asa postdoctoral researcher by the Vanier-Banting postdoctoral fellowship program and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF grant number 31003A_182265).

Published
2022
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6. Thermal conditions predict intraspecific variation in senescence rate in frogs and toads

Author

Rebecca McCaffery, Erin Muths, Lisa A. Eby, David S. Pilliod, Johan Elmberg, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Jérôme M. W. Gippet, Thierry Frétey, Blake R. Hossack, Omar Lenzi, Jean-François Lemaître, Bernard Le Garff, Jean-Michel Gaillard, Brad A. Lambert, Kurt Grossenbacher, Juha Merilä, Hugo Cayuela, University of Zurich, Université de Lausanne = University of Lausanne (UNIL), Biodémographie évolutive, Département écologie évolutive [LBBE], Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive - UMR 5558 (LBBE), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement (VAS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement (VAS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive - UMR 5558 (LBBE), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement (VAS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Ecologie et évolution des populations, United States Geological Survey (USGS), Biodiversité et gestion des territoires, Université de Rennes (UR), University of Montana, Colorado State University [Fort Collins] (CSU), Kristianstad University College - HKR (SWEDEN), Helsingin yliopisto = Helsingfors universitet = University of Helsinki, The University of Hong Kong (HKU), H.C. was supported as a postdoctoral researcher by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant No. 31003A_182265). J.M. acknowledges financial support from the Academy of Finland and the University of Helsinki as well as logistic support provide by the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station of the University of Helsinki. J.E. was supported by the Verner von Heidenstam Fund, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, and the Swedish Natural Science Research Council. The funding for field work was supported by Boise State University, the Bureau of Land Management, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the University of Montana, the University of Nevada Reno, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Forest Service and US Geological Survey (USGS), and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment., Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Ecological Genetics Research Unit, University of Lausanne (UNIL), Université de Rennes 1 (UR1), Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES), and University of Helsinki

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, demography, senescence, Ranidae, Range (biology), [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio], Global Warming, 01 natural sciences, RANA-TEMPORARIA, LONGEVITY, Bufo, POPULATION, 0303 health sciences, amphibians, Multidisciplinary, biology, Ecology, Biodiversity, Biological Sciences, Europe, Ectotherm, 1181 Ecology, evolutionary biology, SURVIVAL, 590 Animals (Zoology), Anura, Senescence, SEX-DIFFERENCES, Climate Change, Context (language use), ectotherms, COMMON FROGS, 010603 evolutionary biology, Intraspecific competition, 10127 Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, 03 medical and health sciences, Temperate climate, Animals, TOLERANCE, AGING RATES, climate, Rana luteiventris, 030304 developmental biology, aging, temperature, biology.organism_classification, Bufonidae, 13. Climate action, North America, 570 Life sciences, amphibian, [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology
Abstract

International audience; Variation in temperature is known to influence mortality patterns in ectotherms. Even though a few experimental studies on model organisms have reported a positive relationship between temperature and actuarial senescence (i.e., the increase in mortality risk with age), how variation in climate influences the senescence rate across the range of a species is still poorly understood in free-ranging animals. We filled this knowledge gap by investigating the relationships linking senescence rate, adult lifespan, and climatic conditions using long-term capture–recapture data from multiple amphibian populations. We considered two pairs of related anuran species from the Ranidae ( Rana luteiventris and Rana temporaria ) and Bufonidae ( Anaxyrus boreas and Bufo bufo ) families, which diverged more than 100 Mya and are broadly distributed in North America and Europe. Senescence rates were positively associated with mean annual temperature in all species. In addition, lifespan was negatively correlated with mean annual temperature in all species except A. boreas . In both R. luteiventris and A. boreas , mean annual precipitation and human environmental footprint both had negligible effects on senescence rates or lifespans. Overall, our findings demonstrate the critical influence of thermal conditions on mortality patterns across anuran species from temperate regions. In the current context of further global temperature increases predicted by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scenarios, a widespread acceleration of aging in amphibians is expected to occur in the decades to come, which might threaten even more seriously the viability of populations and exacerbate global decline.

Published
2021
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7. Shifts in amphibian population dynamics in response to a change in the predator community

Author

Tibor Hartel, Raluca Ioana Băncilă, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Michael Schaub, Kurt Grossenbacher, University of Zurich, and Schmidt, Benedikt R

Subjects
observation error, Population, state‐space time series model, Biology, Freshwater ecosystem, Predation, alternative stable state, 10127 Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Abundance (ecology), Alternative stable state, population dynamics, Population growth, population growth rate, education, Predator, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, QH540-549.5, fish, education.field_of_study, Ecology, Density dependence, 1105 Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, density dependence, 570 Life sciences, biology, 590 Animals (Zoology), amphibian, predation, state-space time series model, 2303 Ecology
Abstract

Predation can affect prey behavior, demography, abundance, and distribution, particularly in lentic freshwater ecosystems. Fish are predators known to reduce the abundance of their prey and to restrict the distribution of species. Using time series which spanned 43 and 22 yr, respectively, we analyzed the effect of a change in the fish predator community on the dynamics of two pond-breeding amphibian populations (Rana temporaria and Rana dalmatina). Specifically, we used a state-space time series model which allows for density dependence and observation error, to ask whether the change in predation risk affects population growth rate and the return point around which the populations fluctuate. The results showed that the type of observation error assumed did not affect the biological parameters. We found evidence for density dependence in both populations. The effect of the change in fish predation on population growth rate and the return point was strong in the population where fish invaded a previously fish-free pond. The effect was weaker in the population where the change was from cyprinid fish to pike. The results showed that fish predation can have strong effects on amphibian population dynamics. The observed population dynamical pattern is phenomenologically similar to alternative stable states.

Published
2021

8. Density, climate and varying return points: an analysis of long-term population fluctuations in the threatened European tree frog

Author

Nicolas Perrin, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Jérôme Pellet, Kurt Grossenbacher, and Fabien Fivaz

Subjects
Conservation of Natural Resources, Animals, Anura/physiology, Climate, Conservation of Natural Resources/statistics & numerical data, Ecosystem, Longitudinal Studies, Models, Theoretical, Population Density, Population Dynamics, Switzerland, Population, Disequilibrium, Tree frog, medicine, education, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, education.field_of_study, biology, Ecology, Hyla arborea, biology.organism_classification, Population decline, Density dependence, Population viability analysis, Threatened species, Anura, medicine.symptom
Abstract

Experimental research has identified many putative agents of amphibian decline, yet the population-level consequences of these agents remain unknown, owing to lack of information on compensatory density dependence in natural populations. Here, we investigate the relative importance of intrinsic (density-dependent) and extrinsic (climatic) factors impacting the dynamics of a tree frog (Hyla arborea) population over 22 years. A combination of log-linear density dependence and rainfall (with a 2-year time lag corresponding to development time) explain 75% of the variance in the rate of increase. Such fluctuations around a variable return point might be responsible for the seemingly erratic demography and disequilibrium dynamics of many amphibian populations.

Published
2018

9. Genetic differentiation of the common toad (Bufo bufo) in the Swiss Alps

Author

Kurt Grossenbacher, Beatrice Lüscher, and Adolf Scholl

Subjects
biology, Ecology, Size dependent, Zoology, Toad, Subspecies, biology.organism_classification, Genetic differentiation, Gene flow, Northern italy, biology.animal, Animal Science and Zoology, Allele, Bufo, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Abstract

We analysed the genetic differentiation of tadpoles from 24 Swiss populations of Bufo b. bufo and B. b. spinosus, using horizontal starch gel electrophoresis of eight enzymes coded by ten loci. For comparison, we included ten populations from more distant localities. Populations of Bufo calamita were included as outgroup. A very low level of genetic differentiation was found among populations from the Alpine region, including B. b. bufo populations from the Czech Republic and northern Germany, and B. b. spinosus populations from northern Italy. Genetic differentiation within populations was much higher than differentiation among populations or regions. In contrast, the southern French B. b. spinosus populations were clearly differentiated by allele substitution at three out of ten loci scored. These alleles of the French populations, however, were also found in low frequencies in some populations from western Switzerland and Italy. This is interpreted to result from gene flow. Morphometric data of adult B. bufo (13 populations, 174 adult toads) turned out to be strongly size dependent. However, relative arm length and density of large warts ventral to the parotoids showed differences between the two subspecies.

Published
2001
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10. Analysis of three amphibian populations with quarter–century long time–series

Author

Kurt Grossenbacher, Andrea H. Meyer, and Benedikt R. Schmidt

Subjects
Amphibian, Periodicity, Climate, Rain, Rana temporaria, Population, Population density, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Quarter century, biology.animal, Animals, education, General Environmental Science, Population Density, education.field_of_study, Geography, General Immunology and Microbiology, biology, Ecology, Reproduction, Fishes, General Medicine, %22">Fish , General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Switzerland, Research Article
Abstract

Amphibians are in decline in many parts of the world. Long tme-series of amphibian populations are necessary to distinguish declines from the often strong fluctuations observed in natural populations. Time-series may also help to understand the causes of these declines. We analysed 23-28-year long time-series of the frog Rana temporaria. Only one of the three studied populations showed a negative trend which was probably caused by the introduction of fish. Two populations appeared to be density regulated. Rainfall had no obvious effect on the population fluctuations. Whereas long-term studies of amphibian populations are valuable to document population declines, most are too short to reveal those factors that govern population dynamics or cause amphibian populations to decline.

Published
1998
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