‘Climate change’ is a less likely culprit, no matter the spin from place like Potsdam. Whose very existence is dependent on selling the for profit agendaOne wonders how that toxic brew being promoted to carbonize the soil may negatively affect the amphibians and their insect sustenance.You know the "bio char" mentioned in the earlier post?
Recharging soils with carbon could make farms more productive
"Biochar is a substance formed of biomass—such as wood and crop waste, sewage sludge and paper waste—that is heated to 400-800°C under limited oxygen conditions to make a charcoal-like product"
As they say Garbage In, Garbage Out. PenStateNews
The researchers determined that, while climate change likely has been and will be a factor in the decline of some local populations such as in the Rocky Mountain West — where the effect of a warming climate seems to be more severe for amphibians — it is not responsible for the current declines that are occurring.
Climate change not responsible for current declines... What might be?
After analyzing many years of data for 81 North American amphibian species including more than 500,000 observations collected at more than 5,000 sites in 86 study areas by a broad coalition of herpetologists, it is clear a warming climate is not the primary driver in their disappearance, according to lead researcher David Miller, associate professor of wildlife population ecology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
Warming Climate NOT primary driver in their disappearance Spring Peeper- They sing/chirp I like these :)
That conclusion, of course, has scientists pondering the culprits most responsible for amphibian decline. Erin Muths, a scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey and a co-lead on the project, believes that the cause of declines comes down to a suite of local factors."It depends on the location whether habitat loss, disease, contaminants, climate, or a combination of these local factors is the culprit," she said. "Amphibians are challenged by a range of stressors that may be unique to location but in combination are leading to wide-range declines."
To better understand the causes of declines, Miller and colleagues from the USGS have initiated new work studying emerging pathogens that affect amphibians. A major concern for amphibian populations are new and deadly pathogens, mostly spread around the planet by humans — likely propelled by the pet trade.
Likely propelled by the pet trade- think about that?Grey Tree Frog
According to Evan Grant, with the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative, there are at least two new pathogens that researchers know of that are currently affecting North American amphibians."One is the chytrid fungus and the other is ranaviruses," he said. "We are trying to figure out how these affect populations of amphibians in the Northeast. We are still learning how infections are spread and why some species are more susceptible."
This past summer, for example, Miller's research group at Penn State watched the die-off of salamander larvae and tadpoles in the ponds they monitor in a Centre County, Pennsylvania, site called the Scotia Barrens. Preliminarily, Miller believes ranavirus caused the mortality event."Once these diseases make it to North America then the animals themselves can spread them around," he said. "But it really takes people to be involved in carrying the diseases from, say, Asia to the United States."