Habitat loss and climate change make it tough to be an amphibian. Some humans are helping
HONEOYE, N.Y. (AP) — On a rainy March evening, John Bateman puts on his boots and a headlamp and heads to a wetland cut through by a busy road. As he walks, he scans the pavement for spring peepers, toads, salamanders and newts making their slow way as they migrate to new habitat each spring, and leans down occasionally to help guide one across.
It's a small act that makes a big difference for these amphibians, who need different habitats for different stages of their life cycle — sometimes wetlands, sometimes drier uplands. Roads often separate these habitats, and migrating amphibians can get squished.
They already face challenges from habitat lost to development. That's especially true for vernal pools, the small pools that show up each spring in forested ecosystems as snow melt and rainwater collect at low points on the ground. These pools hold water as late as July, and provide essential breeding habitat for amphibians like salamanders and frogs.
Larger wetlands can enjoy federal protections, but not the vernal pools, which are too small and temporary.
'Unfortunately, with urban sprawl and development, a lot of the forests are being cleared for new housing developments as people move out of the cities and into the suburbs," said Bateman, a professor of environmental conservation and horticulture at Finger Lakes Community College. "When they clear these forest habitats, vernal pools are going to be buried and become new houses, condominiums, and neighborhoods.'
___
The U.S. Geological Survey calls amphibian declines 'a global phenomenon' and one that's been underway in the U.S. since at least the 1960s. The agency said populations are dropping almost 4% each year in the U.S.
Development isn't the only threat. Amphibians are being affected by Earth's changing climate. The Appalachian region is particularly rich in salamander species, and with temperatures rising, their range is shifting northward, Bateman said.
That concerns him.
'At one point you hit the top and there is nowhere else to go," Bateman said.
A warming climate also requires cold-blooded amphibians to spend more time hunting to get the food they need to maintain their metabolism, said Karen Lips, a University of Maryland biology professor whose research found salamanders becoming smaller as a result.
Bateman isn't the only conservationist working to help amphibians.
Margot Fass owns A Frog House, a center for frog advocacy in Pittsford, New York. In April, she raised money and worked with 70 volunteers to build three vernal pools as part of Save the Frogs Day. The pools should help amphibians, but will also be a source of water for birds and other wildlife.
Fass grows animated as she talks about chemical-free gardens and their importance to amphibians: 'One spray of pesticides can kill a frog within an hour. It's just horrible."
Both she and Bateman are strong believers in educating their communities to help amphibians. They often give talks in schools, libraries and to various groups.
'It's amazing how few people really know that frogs are endangered or that a third of them have gone extinct," Fass said.
The Genesee Land Trust, a not-for-profit conservation organization, is another active member in preserving and protecting land in the greater Rochester region. It owns Cornwall Preserve in Pultneyville, New York, on the edge of Lake Ontario. The trust bought the 77-acre property in 2016, becoming the first non-farmers to own the land in 200 years. They're preserving the historical farmland and in doing so have restored some wetlands and vernal pools.
'The wetland immediately served a population of birds after we first started digging,' said Elliotte Bowerman, the trust's director of communications.
Catching amphibians may just be a nostalgic childhood memory for most, but for Bateman it never lost its magic. He believes preserving wetlands and vernal pools is critical not only for the amphibians and the environment, but for the next generation to experience the childlike wonder of discovering these hidden creatures.
'I think that the future generations are absolutely going to be at a loss to not have those experiences that I did as a child, to have that connection with nature," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lava fountains over 1,000 feet high shoot from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano sent jets of lava shooting over 1,000 feet into the air early Friday morning, marking another explosive episode for the active volcano. The volcanic activity began at 11:30 p.m. local time Thursday, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, which is operated by the U.S. Geological Survey. At first, the activity was "small, sporadic spattering" and lava outflows, the observatory said. But as time went on, the activity "continued to increase in intensity." By 1:40 a.m. Friday, the lava fountains erupting from the volcano's north vent were reaching heights of over 1,000 feet, the observatory said. That intensity overlapped with an increase in seismic activity, the observatory said. Fifteen minutes later, at 1:55 a.m. local time, the volcano was continuing to emit 800-foot-high fountains of lava. A camera at the volcano continued to livestream images of impressive lava fountains shooting into the air. The fountains are feeding a lava flow, the observatory said. The lava flow remains contained in the Halema'uma'u caldera, a crater at the top of the volcano, the observatory said. The volcano also released a volcanic cloud about 15,000 feet into the air. The observatory warned that the plume may include hazards, including strands of volcanic glass known as Pele's hair and rock fragments called tephra. These hazards, along with volcanic gas, can have "far-reaching effects downwind," the observatory said. Winds around the volcano are blowing from the north, so these fragments may be distributed south of the caldera, the observatory said. This is the volcano's 26th lava fountaining episode since December 2024. Most episodes have lasted for a day or less, and are separated by pauses of at least several days, the observatory said. Kilauea, located on the Big Island's Hawaii Volcanoes National Park about 200 miles from Honolulu, is one of six active volcanoes in Hawaii. It is also one of the world's most active volcanoes. Its eruptions have become a popular attraction. The USGS also offers multiple YouTube livestreams of the volcanic activity. Hawaii is also home to the largest active volcano in the world, Mauna Loa. The volcano is also located in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and last erupted in 2022. SpaceX Starship upper stage blows up Hurricane Erick approaches Mexico with destructive winds, major storm surge Video shows man driving car down Rome's Spanish Steps
San Francisco Chronicle
7 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
NASA spacecraft around the moon photographs the crash site of a Japanese company's lunar lander
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA spacecraft around the moon has photographed the crash site of a Japanese company's lunar lander. NASA released the pictures Friday, two weeks after ispace's lander slammed into the moon. The images show a dark smudge where the lander, named Resilience, and its mini rover crashed into Mare Frigoris or Sea of Cold, a volcanic region in the moon's far north. A faint halo around the area was formed by the lunar dirt kicked up by the impact. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured the scene last week. The crash was the second failure in two years for Tokyo-based ispace. Company officials plan to hold a news conference next week to explain what doomed the latest mission, launched from Cape Canaveral in January. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
The Hill
7 hours ago
- The Hill
NASA spacecraft around the moon photographs the crash site of a Japanese company's lunar lander
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA spacecraft around the moon has photographed the crash site of a Japanese company's lunar lander. NASA released the pictures Friday, two weeks after ispace's lander slammed into the moon. The images show a dark smudge where the lander, named Resilience, and its mini rover crashed into Mare Frigoris or Sea of Cold, a volcanic region in the moon's far north. A faint halo around the area was formed by the lunar dirt kicked up by the impact. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured the scene last week. The crash was the second failure in two years for Tokyo-based ispace. Company officials plan to hold a news conference next week to explain what doomed the latest mission, launched from Cape Canaveral in January. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
