Biology 2483A Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Ribeiroia Ondatrae, Field Experiment, Ecological Study

• School: Western University
• Department: Biology
• Course: Biology 2483A
• Professor: Hugh Henry

Document Summary

Case study: deformity and decline in amphibian populations. Worldwide, the frequency of amphibian deformities was rising, and the global amphibian populations were declining. Researchers were worried about amphibians declining for three reasons. The decline appeared to have started recently across wide regions of the world. Some of the populations in devline were located in protected or pristine regions far from the effects of human activities. Many scientists view amphibians as good biological indicators of environmental conditions for a number of its characteristics: Permeable skin with no hair/scales/feathers protecting them, and their eggs also lacked protection. Spends most of their life in the water and partly on land therefore exposed to a wide range of threats such as pollution, changes in temperature, and amount of uv. Many do not move from their birthplace, therefore a decline in the population indicates the deterioration of the environment.