Geology topics
Publications and source records attributed to Michael Lannoo.
This section features the Anura, which includes the families Ascaphidae, Bufonidae, Dendrobatidae, Hylidae, Leptodactylidae, Microhylidae, Pelobatidae, Pipidae, Ranidae, and Rhinophrynidae. It provides information on their historical versus current distribution, historical versus current abundance, life history features, and conservation.
This section features the Caudata, which includes the families Ambystomatidae, Amphiumidae, Cryptobranchidae, Dicamptodontidae, Plethodontidae, Proteidae, Rhyacotritonidae, Salamandridae, and Sirenidae. It provides information on their historical versus current distribution, historical versus current abundance, life history features, and conservation.
Many species of amphibians have declined substantially in distribution or number of populations in the United States and globally, and a variety of anthropogenic and natural factors have been suggested as causal agents in these declines. Evidence for the causal action of these agents derives from many types of sources, all of which are important in seeking to understand amphibian population declines. This chapter evaluates the relative frequency of factors implicated as adversely affecting amphibian populations in the United States and examines taxonomic and geographic patterns in species status. It relies on species accounts to compile the factors implicated as adversely affecting populations and then assesses the status of each of these species with regard to the stability of its distribution and number of populations. Land use was identified as the most frequently implicated factor among both anurans and caudates.
This book has presented what is known about the extent and causes of amphibian population declines in the United States and what can be done about them. It has also examined life history and natural history features needed to manage for amphibians, with a current assessment of their distribution. In assembling the literature for this project, and with a quick look at the species accounts, what is immediately noticeable is that a few species are well known and have a large literature, some species are better known and have a modest literature, and many species are almost unknown. An existing scientific literature creates a future scientific literature and results in a species bias. Workers are strongly encouraged to explore species that are not well known and to seek questions from field observations. Scientists must also explore creative new techniques for observing and monitoring inconvenient animals.