In 1990 an international group of biologists, meeting to discuss
rumors of declines in the number of amphibians, discovered that
amphibian disappearances once thought to be a local problem were
not--the problem was global. And, even more disturbing, amphibians
were disappearing not just from areas settled by humans but from
regions of the world once believed to be pristine. Under the mantle
of the Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force, this timely book
addresses three fundamental questions for the midwestern United
States: are amphibians declining; if so, why; and, if so, what can
be done to halt these losses?
In the Midwest--defined here as Missouri, Iowa, Illinois,
Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan--there can be no
doubt that the number of salamanders and frogs has declined with
Euro-American settlement and the conversion to an agriculturally
dominated landscape. Habitat loss and landscape fragmentation have
been major factors in this decline, as have aquacultural uses of
natural wetlands. Bullfrog introductions have eliminated
populations of native amphibians, and collecting for the biological
supply trade has reduced the number of individuals within many
populations. The goal of the forty-two essays in this
well-documented, well-illustrated book is to put between two covers
all we know now about the status of midwestern amphibians. By doing
this, the editor has created a readily accessible historical record
for future studies.
Organized into sections covering landscape patterns and
biogeography, species status, regional and state status, diseases
and toxins, conservation, and monitoring and applications, this
landmark volume will serve as the foundation for amphibian
conservation in the Midwest.
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