Influence of midsummer drainage and agricultural modernization on the survival of Zhangixalus arboreus tadpoles in Japanese paddy fields.

Abstract

Previous studies reported that habitat degradation and alteration (e.g., urbanization, agricultural intensification, and abandonment, as well as contaminants) led to frog population decline, which has become a serious global ecological issue. However, the combined effects of midsummer drainage and agricultural modernization on tadpole populations are rarely investigated. In this study, we evaluated the effects of human activity-induced water management and the type of drainage system in paddy fields on the survival of Zhangixalus arboreus in central Japan. Our results revealed that the midsummer drainage negatively affected tadpole survival, whereas the modern drainage system showed no influence. This study provides a useful way to better understand the survival of frog populations in the paddy field ecosystems.