Abstract
Roads and their associated effects (road-kill, pollution, etc.) have a largely negative impact on animals, especially amphibians, but not all species are affected to the same degree. Variation in life histories may explain some of these differences. Here, we examine how abundance of anuran species in roadside habitats is correlated with an aspect of reproductive life history: number of eggs produced by a female per year. Using data from a 1.5-year monitoring project in Central Florida, we found a positive correlation between the number of eggs produced by an average female of a species and the proportion of individuals found in roadside habitats compared to control habitats. This implies either that populations of species with a greater reproductive rate are able to rebound more quickly from negative road impacts, or that there is a strong selective pressure on species with low reproductive rates to avoid roads.
Highlights
The field of road ecology still seeks answers to fundamental questions, including which species are most at risk when roads are created and why
is the proportion of adult frogs of a species found at roadside traps against the average number
of eggs laid by a female of that species
Summary
The field of road ecology still seeks answers to fundamental questions, including which species are most at risk when roads are created and why. Roads have a negative effect on animal populations (reviewed in Fahrig and Rytwinski, 2009). Some species are more negatively impacted than others. One of the most common effects of roads is reduced abundance. A recent meta-analysis found that the magnitude of this effect varies with life history traits; in particular, roadside abundance decreases as reproductive rate decreases (Rytwinski and Fahrig, 2012). Species with low reproductive rates and late ages at maturity are more vulnerable than species which breed prolifically and mature quickly
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