Artificial paradises: Man-made sites for the conservation of amphibians in a changing climate

Abstract

Mediterranean wetlands harbour a rich freshwater biodiversity but also rank among the most-climate and human-pressure sensitive habitats. Amphibians are a taxonomic group strongly dependent on wetlands and the most threatened class of vertebrates due to habitat loss and alteration. In the Mediterranean region, amphibians breed in a large variety of artificial water sites (AWS). We used a large dataset of amphibian breeding sites to model functional connectivity, graph theory and climate niche modelling. AWS are radically different in structure compared to natural ones (NWS). Thus, we have disclosed how AWS can serve as a key piece of the ecological connectivity for amphibian populations; AWS and NWS have comparable values at the landscape scale, but in some areas AWS are pivotal. Furthermore, many AWS contribute by buffering the effect of climate change in the near future. We emphasize that conservation management strategies would be strengthened by including a specific focus on human-made aquatic habitats.