Inter‐annual variation in amphibian larval interspecies interactions
Abstract The outcomes of species interactions can vary by life stage, year, and surrounding environmental conditions. Amphibian species are expected to compete most strongly during their tadpole stage when they exist in the highest densities. Changes in arrival timing, surrounding aquatic communitie...
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Wiley
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10221 |
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| author | Jessica Ford David M. Green |
| author_facet | Jessica Ford David M. Green |
| author_sort | Jessica Ford |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The outcomes of species interactions can vary by life stage, year, and surrounding environmental conditions. Amphibian species are expected to compete most strongly during their tadpole stage when they exist in the highest densities. Changes in arrival timing, surrounding aquatic communities, and yearly conditions could all affect the outcome of larval competition. In Long Point, Ontario, the Fowler's toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) is at the northern edge of its range and overlaps with the more common American toad (Anaxyrus americanus). Both species breed in ponds that encounter high inter‐annual variation. To determine whether these species compete strongly, and if this effect was replicated across multiple years, we raised both species as tadpoles together and, apart, in mesocosms in 2018 and 2021. We measured survivorship to, weight at, and time to metamorphosis for both species in both years. We determined that the presence of American toad tadpoles consistently had a detrimental effect on Fowler's toad tadpoles, even though this effect presented itself differently across years. Our study suggests that competitive exclusion by American toads could be occurring at the edge of the Fowler's toad's range. This study further demonstrates the importance of studying communities across multiple years to understand the full scope of species interactions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-59e261a0ea27491bb739e0e997f6c8b1 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-59e261a0ea27491bb739e0e997f6c8b12025-08-20T02:56:31ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582023-07-01137n/an/a10.1002/ece3.10221Inter‐annual variation in amphibian larval interspecies interactionsJessica Ford0David M. Green1Redpath Museum McGill University Montreal Quebec CanadaRedpath Museum McGill University Montreal Quebec CanadaAbstract The outcomes of species interactions can vary by life stage, year, and surrounding environmental conditions. Amphibian species are expected to compete most strongly during their tadpole stage when they exist in the highest densities. Changes in arrival timing, surrounding aquatic communities, and yearly conditions could all affect the outcome of larval competition. In Long Point, Ontario, the Fowler's toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) is at the northern edge of its range and overlaps with the more common American toad (Anaxyrus americanus). Both species breed in ponds that encounter high inter‐annual variation. To determine whether these species compete strongly, and if this effect was replicated across multiple years, we raised both species as tadpoles together and, apart, in mesocosms in 2018 and 2021. We measured survivorship to, weight at, and time to metamorphosis for both species in both years. We determined that the presence of American toad tadpoles consistently had a detrimental effect on Fowler's toad tadpoles, even though this effect presented itself differently across years. Our study suggests that competitive exclusion by American toads could be occurring at the edge of the Fowler's toad's range. This study further demonstrates the importance of studying communities across multiple years to understand the full scope of species interactions.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10221competitioninter‐annual variationtadpolestoads |
| spellingShingle | Jessica Ford David M. Green Inter‐annual variation in amphibian larval interspecies interactions Ecology and Evolution competition inter‐annual variation tadpoles toads |
| title | Inter‐annual variation in amphibian larval interspecies interactions |
| title_full | Inter‐annual variation in amphibian larval interspecies interactions |
| title_fullStr | Inter‐annual variation in amphibian larval interspecies interactions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inter‐annual variation in amphibian larval interspecies interactions |
| title_short | Inter‐annual variation in amphibian larval interspecies interactions |
| title_sort | inter annual variation in amphibian larval interspecies interactions |
| topic | competition inter‐annual variation tadpoles toads |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10221 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jessicaford interannualvariationinamphibianlarvalinterspeciesinteractions AT davidmgreen interannualvariationinamphibianlarvalinterspeciesinteractions |