Recovery of anuran community diversity following habitat replacement

Published source details Lesbarrères D., Fowler M.S., Pagano A. & Lodé T. (2010) Recovery of anuran community diversity following habitat replacement. Journal of Applied Ecology, 47, 148-156.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Create ponds for amphibians Action Link

Create ponds for amphibians

A replicated before-and-after site comparison study in 1999–2003 of eight ponds constructed to replace those lost during highway construction in western France (Lesbarreres et al. 2010) found that five of six species observed in the original ponds colonized created ponds within three years. Successful reproduction was observed for four of those species. Species richness did not differ significantly between the original (3.3 species/pond) and constructed ponds (3.6) by 2003. Diversity scores showed a similar pattern (original: 1.9; 2003: 1.8). Recovery differed between species and ponds. There was a significant increase in population size of agile frog Rana dalmatina and European toad Bufo bufo, and in the proportion of ponds occupied by them. Common midwife toad Alytes obstetricans disappeared from the area in 2001. Ponds were built with similar physical characteristics and within 80–120 m of destroyed original ponds. In January-July 1999–2003, ponds were surveyed up to three times per week and daily during the breeding season. Call and visual transect sampling and dip-netting was undertaken at night.