Exploring the amphibian exposome in an agricultural landscape using telemetry and passive sampling
USGS and Iowa State University scientists quantified Northern Leopard frog exposure to pesticides in aquatic and terrestrial habitats using a novel combination of radio telemetry and passive sampling techniques to better understand factors affecting frog health and survival in agricultural landscapes. The results of this newly published research can inform conservation strategies by providing information about when and where the frogs are most likely exposed to pesticides. This unique approach can be utilized in other land-use settings and with other amphibian species to better understand if contaminant exposure affects growth, development, fitness, and survival.
Full article is available here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-28132-3
Northern Leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens) in a wetland in Worth County, Iowa. Scientists track 72 northern leopard frogs in two wetlands in an agricultural setting in Iowa for insights into where and when individual adult frogs are likely exposed to pesticides.
Photo by: Clay L. Pierce, USGS.
Scientist deploying a silicone passive sampler near a corn field in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. The science team used the passive samplers to quantify pesticide exposure in wetland, grassland, and agricultural habitats.
Photo by: Clay L. Pierce, USGS.