Keywords :
niche overlap; habitat preference; invasive alien species; occupancy model; predation risk; water frogs; marsh frogs; Pelophylax ridibundus; France; ecological niche; detectability; LIssotriton helveticus; Triturus marmoratus; Alytes obstetricans; Pelodytes punctatus; Hyla meridionalis; palmate newt; marbled newt; midwife toad; European tree frog; parslay frog; aquatic features; ponds; limestone
Abstract :
[en] Invasive alien anurans are introduced worldwide in freshwater ecosystems where they can have a strong impact on native organisms such as amphibians. The risk for natives is dependent on the degree of niche overlap and co-occurrence in pond breeding sites. In the present study, we focused on alien marsh frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus) that are invading nationwide areas in Western Europe and which prey on both caudates and anurans. We assessed aquatic habitat preferences, pond use and environmental niche overlap between invasive populations of marsh frogs and five species of native amphibian prey of the Larzac plateau (southern France). Due to their large environmental niche, marsh frogs have become the most ubiquitous amphibians in the area. Occupancy models revealed that they had aquatic habitat preferences (e.g. water depth and aquatic vegetation) similar to most species of native amphibians. This resulted in a large overlap between the environmental niche of the invader and its potential prey. The frequent coexistence in ponds therefore exposed native species to predation risk and other potential disturbances caused by marsh frogs. Altogether, these results highlight on the risks posed by such opportunist invaders for native amphibians that occur in their wide invasion range.
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