Experimental evidence for beneficial effects of projected climate change on hibernating amphibians

Bálint Üveges; Katharina Mahr; Márk Szederkényi; Veronika Bókony; Herbert Hoi; Attila Hettyey

doi:10.1038/srep26754

journal article Open Access May 27, 2016

Experimental evidence for beneficial effects of projected climate change on hibernating amphibians

Bálint Üveges

Katharina Mahr Márk Szederkényi Veronika Bókony

Herbert Hoi Attila Hettyey

Scientific Reports Vol. 6 No. 1 · Springer Science and Business Media LLC

View at Publisher Save 10.1038/srep26754

Abstract

AbstractAmphibians are the most threatened vertebrates today, experiencing worldwide declines. In recent years considerable effort was invested in exposing the causes of these declines. Climate change has been identified as such a cause; however, the expectable effects of predicted milder, shorter winters on hibernation success of temperate-zone Amphibians have remained controversial, mainly due to a lack of controlled experimental studies. Here we present a laboratory experiment, testing the effects of simulated climate change on hibernating juvenile common toads (Bufo bufo). We simulated hibernation conditions by exposing toadlets to current (1.5 °C) or elevated (4.5 °C) hibernation temperatures in combination with current (91 days) or shortened (61 days) hibernation length. We found that a shorter winter and milder hibernation temperature increased survival of toads during hibernation. Furthermore, the increase in temperature and shortening of the cold period had a synergistic positive effect on body mass change during hibernation. Consequently, while climate change may pose severe challenges for amphibians of the temperate zone during their activity period, the negative effects may be dampened by shorter and milder winters experienced during hibernation.

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Details

Published: May 27, 2016
Vol/Issue: 6(1)
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Authors

Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology (KLIVV), University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna , Savoyenstraße 1a, A-1160 Vienna , Austria

A

Attila Hettyey

Cite This Article

Bálint Üveges, Katharina Mahr, Márk Szederkényi, et al. (2016). Experimental evidence for beneficial effects of projected climate change on hibernating amphibians. Scientific Reports, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep26754

Experimental evidence for beneficial effects of projected climate change on hibernating amphibians

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