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Abstract
When natural wetlands are destroyed, many anuran species are forced to breed in alternative habitats such as rice paddies. We conducted field surveys for the endangered Dryophytes suweonensis and the numerous D. japonicus, from the beginning of the breeding season until two weeks after its peak. We recorded the presence, number of individuals and calling indices for each species. We hypothesized that D. japonicus would start breeding earlier than D. suweonensis, which would have originally been breeding solely in floodplains. The results of our analyses demonstrate that the rice cultivation phase was the most important factor in predicting the calling activities of both species. Furthermore, peak calling activities of both species matched the optimal hydroperiod in rice paddies. In addition, D. japonicus breeding behaviour was influenced by environmental variables such as temperature, whereas D. suweonensis seemed to require the planting of rice seedlings to initiate breeding. Therefore, as both Dryophytes species’ breeding activities are influenced by agro-environmental variables, this study highlights the importance of also preserving anthropogenically modified landscapes for the conservation of species.
Highlights
Most amphibian species are found in wetlands, typically situated in low-lying plains[1,2,3]
Land use conversion to rice paddies since the development of human agriculture might have affected the functional equilibrium between the endangered Dryophytes suweonensis and the numerous D. japonicus[46], a genus previously attributed to Hyla[47]
It is highly likely that D. japonicus relies on forested habitats during the non-breeding season[48], while D. suweonensis might be restricted to wetlands for both breeding and non-breeding seasons[49]
Summary
Most amphibian species are found in wetlands, typically situated in low-lying plains[1,2,3]. With the largest rice plantations in the world, sees the same association between rice cultivation and anuran biomass[16,20,38], the amphibian biomass and species richness in the same areas before agricultural development is largely unknown. We try to understand whether and how the breeding biology of Korean treefrogs is limited by farming practices including water availability at rice paddies. Land use conversion to rice paddies since the development of human agriculture (such as described by Fuller et al.44,45) might have affected the functional equilibrium between the endangered Dryophytes suweonensis and the numerous D. japonicus[46], a genus previously attributed to Hyla[47]. The secondary purpose of this study was to assess the viability of rice paddies and to understand the impact of agricultural practices on the survival of the endangered D. suweonensis and the numerous D. japonicus
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