PARENT SESSION
Oral Session # 94: Pathogens, Toxins, and Disease III.
Presiding: C Duffie
Friday, August 8. 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM, SITCC Meeting Room 200.
Are amphibians exposed to harmful levels of ultraviolet-B radiation?
Blaustein, Andrew*,1, Han, Barbara1, Lisa, Belden5, Kiesecker, Joseph6, Chivers, Doug3, Marco, Adolfo4, Fasy, Elizabeth1, Kats, Lee2, 1 Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA5 University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA6 Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA3 University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada4 Doņana Biological Station, Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain2 Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, USA
ABSTRACT- As part of an overall biodiversity crisis, populations of numerous species are in decline. This includes populations of amphibians from a wide variety of habitats and locations around the world. Various factors appear to be contributing to amphibian population declines. These include habitat destruction, pathogens, introduced non-native species, contaminants, and global environmental changes. The diversity of locations where amphibian populations have declined has lead to studies examining the role of atmospheric factors such as increasing ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. Both laboratory and field experiments have shown that UV-B harms many amphibian species. However, the effects of UV-B radiation on amphibians differ between species and are often dependent upon life history stage. Even short-term exposure to low levels of UV-B radiation can kill the embryos of some species, whereas the embryos of other species are resistant to long-term exposure and higher doses of UV-B radiation. Although the embryos of some species may not be noticeably affected by UV-B, they may accrue sublethal effects that appear in later life stages. The effects of UV-B on amphibians are influenced by ecological parameters, synergistic effects with other agents, amphibian behavior and amphibian defenses against UV-B. Recent surveys of hundreds of ponds and lakes in the Pacific Northwest suggest that many amphibians are subjected to harmful UV-B doses and corroborate the results of experiments that illustrate these effects in the field.
Key words: ultraviolet radiation, amphibians, population declines