Insecticide can decimate tadpole populations....

[freerider]

From http://www.physorg.com/news141910175.html

(I attached an image of a Fowlers toad sitting on thumbnail. The size makes me realize how delicate the environment is. I thought there insects scattering about and it was tiny 1/4 inch or so toads, etc running for cover.)


Common insecticide can decimate tadpole populations

The latest findings of a University of Pittsburgh-based project to determine the environmental impact of routine pesticide use suggests that malathion—the most popular insecticide in the United States—can decimate tadpole populations by altering their food chain, according to research published in the Oct. 1 edition of Ecological Applications.

Gradual amounts of malathion that were too small to directly kill developing leopard frog tadpoles instead sparked a biological chain of events that deprived them of their primary food source. As a result, nearly half the tadpoles in the experiment did not reach maturity and would have died in nature. The research was funded by a National Science Foundation grant..........

 

[Ben Ruset]

Well they always say that the presence of toads and frogs is a good indication of whether or not an ecosystem is healthy. If their food source is killed off, they won't be there.

I've never seen a toad in that stage of development. It's always been either tadpoles or as adults. It's interesting to see how much you can see of each stage in that toad.

 

[freerider]

I was able to watch the changes in these vernal
ponds from May - late August.

The majority of inhabitants were Fowlers toads, tree frogs. Amazing to have seen the egg sacs that were left behind, and thousands of tadpoles that developed.

The ponds went through many changes, drying out several times, and numerous tiny tadpoles left engraved into the dry silt. Then some rain and more eggs sacs appeared, more tad poles, numerous nearby birds, and hognose snakes fed on the ponds too.

Many of the large puddles in the pines are filled with varying tadpoles. Many egg sacs, tadpoles etc were run over by vehicles going through the ponds.

Till mid september the PB tree frogs and Northern Gray tree frogs were still calling after the rains. Normally I had never heard the tree frogs past late June.

Has been one incredible experience for me this year.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Nice photo!
The problem is that we don't seem to realize that the most important organisms are the teeny ones. They are at the very foundation of the life support system, and they are often the most delicate. Heck, life on earth would not exist without bacteria. Without the tiniest of lives, anything above it must find a different niche, or that species will collapse. We have no idea how much of an impact we have on the earth's biota, heck, it didn't even occur to us what sort of impact we had on the oceans until 20 years ago.
There is no doubt that this one chemical shifts the niches and even kills a lot of organisms that we haven't even noticed yet. And that is just one chemical, and a chemical is just one force that has an effect on the biota. It's good that there is a face on it, and that face is a cute little guy. The more information we have like that, the better.

 

[whippoorbill]

I was able to watch the changes in these vernal
ponds from May - late August.

The majority of inhabitants were Fowlers toads, tree frogs. Amazing to have seen the egg sacs that were left behind, and thousands of tadpoles that developed.

The ponds went through many changes, drying out several times, and numerous tiny tadpoles left engraved into the dry silt. Then some rain and more eggs sacs appeared, more tad poles, numerous nearby birds, and hognose snakes fed on the ponds too.

Many of the large puddles in the pines are filled with varying tadpoles. Many egg sacs, tadpoles etc were run over by vehicles going through the ponds.

Till mid september the PB tree frogs and Northern Gray tree frogs were still calling after the rains. Normally I had never heard the tree frogs past late June.

Has been one incredible experience for me this year.

A couple of years ago, in early September, and after a very heavy rain, I visited the pine barrens and several species of frogs were in a vocal frenzy. I'd never heard anything like it. Compared to spring, they seemed extra robust -- like they were celebrating during an unexpected, wild party.

Regarding your hearing northern grays and pb treefrogs, did you by chance hear these together? I've only had the opportunity to do so once, in a vernal pond down in Belleplain State Forest -- there were dozens of grays, but only two pb treefrogs. I made several visits to this spot, but only heard the pb tree frogs there once.

As others have written, frogs are fragile and measure the health of their environment. I have a perpetual fear of going out there and no longer hearing them.

Bill

 

[Ben Ruset]

I would support whatever changes to the ecosystem happen if we could get rid of chiggers.

 

[dragoncjo]

Bill, when is the last time you heard pbtf in belleplain? I've recently heard that they haven't been heard there in a while, maybe 1-2 years.

 

[dragoncjo]

Ben, I spend loads of time in all the barrens of south jersey, I have not had that much of a problem with the chiggers this year. In fact I can only think of one instance were it caused some displeasure and that was very mild compared to the amount I see in cumberland and cape may counties. Has anyone gotten chigged real bad this year.

Freerider, that is a nice account of the life cycle....spend most of my freetime doing that sort of thing. Good stuff.

 

[freerider]

There is so much occurring in the pines at so many levels I am continuously fascinated. It is like I am in the garden of eden, paradise or heaven.

When a height is added to my observations. Basically on top of a tall ladder. There are views and sights which appear.

I think the road I have located these vernal pools needs to be closed to vehicles during certain times. To preserve the life breeding pools from vehicles.

Actually took up hiking and running miles at a time, lost 30 lbs, and have been hesitant to drive after what I have seen can be run over by my wheels.

Would like to know more of what you do?

Perhaps we can talk privately.

 

[dragoncjo]

I volunteer on the franklin parker preserve for Emile DeVito, primarily with reptiles and amphibians, and working to document what species are there, along with coming up with ways to better the habitat.

 

[whippoorbill]

Bill, when is the last time you heard pbtf in belleplain? I've recently heard that they haven't been heard there in a while, maybe 1-2 years.

Hi Chris,

I heard the pair this past spring. After they sounded off, I rather excitedly called Al from my cell ... at 2am. He yawned while saying he'd never heard pbtf's in Belleplain, before slamming his phone down. Ah, friendship. What thrilled me was the pbtf/northern grays combo; I've never heard northern grays further north in the barrens proper, nor had I before this night heard pbtf's this far south. Whenever there's unique bog-music going on, mild-mannered Whippoorbill, properly hipwadered and headlamped, is known to dance a barrens boogie in the middle of his bog. So I was that night, during a rainstorm, at an ungodly hour... an ecstatic dancing machine.

I have a recording of the chorus that night, including several pbtf interludes, but my equipment got wet in the rain and was acting very strange. Much of my spring focus was on this series of ponds in the same location in Belleplain, so I was there just about every weekend from mid-March until Memorial Day. I only heard the two pbtf's there the one (very wet) night.

Bill