Influence of Demography and Environment on Persistence in Toad Populations

Abstract/Summary

Effective conservation of rare species requires an understanding of how potential threats impact population dynamics. Unfortunately, information about population demographics prior to threats (i.e., baseline data) is lacking for many species. Perturbations, caused by climate change, disease or other stressors can lead to population declines and heightened conservation concerns. A dearth of baseline information challenges our ability to anticipate and respond to agents of population decline. Boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) have undergone rangewide declines due mostly to the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), with only a handful of sizable populations remaining in the southern Rocky Mountains USA, very few of which are disease-free