I guess I was not paying that much attention as it was only within the last two weeks that I discovered 2008 had been designated the Year of the Frog.  Well, with a little more than a month to go I thought I would make a contribution to the plight of our amphibian cohabitants.  In the early days of mining, canaries were used as indicators of the presence of poisonous gases.  Acting as an early warning system, miners were alerted to the existence of undetectable noxious gases when the canary died or passed out in its cage.  Upon this observation, the miners would flee the underground cavern to avoid asphyxiation.  Although we have all heard these stories at some point in our lives and through life have been trained to recognize warning signs, our society seems to be overlooking another undetectable danger.

Just like the mine canaries of the past, today’s amphibians are providing an early warning system of the health, or lack of health of their environments.  Frogs, salamanders, toads and other amphibians are quite sensitive to the contamination that is steadily increasing and being released into the environment.  Fertilizers, herbicides, detergents and pesticides, etc. are wreaking havoc on their populations and exponentially increasing the presence of deformities and abnormalities.

Because amphibians breathe, in part, and absorb water through their skin, pollutants are easily entering their bodies.  In addition to the susceptibility of adults to environmental hazards, eggs and larvae are at an even greater risk.  As described by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “Exposure to contaminants during development can lead to frogs with many different types of malformations, including frogs without eyes, with extra or missing legs and, in some cases, the malformations may be deadly.”

As indictor species, scientists and conservationists are scrambling to determine the cause and effect relationship between the increased number of amphibian malformations and deformities, the health quality of the environment and those species dependent on amphibians for survival; simply stated, the preservation of biodiversity and sustainability of the ecosystem. 

What can you do to protect amphibians?

1. Avoid the use of herbicides and weed killers.  Try mulching and pulling weeds
2. Minimize the use of fertilizers.  Over fertilizing is a common urban problem that results in excesses being carried away by water runoff (as well as pesticides and herbicides) and pollutes critical habitats.  Researchers at Oregon State found low levels of nitrates are enough to kill some species of amphibians (U.S. FWS 2003). 
3. Reduce the use of pesticides.  Homeowners use approximately 10 times more chemical pesticides per acre on their lawns than farmers use on their crops.
4. Plant native species, they are often tolerant to the pests and diseases found in your region.
5. Avoid pesticides that contain DEET (a chemical very harmful to amphibians)
6. Dispose of household products, paints, auto fluids and detergents properly.  Dumping them into sewers and drains often results in contamination of waterways.

Before we completely asphyxiate our wetlands, estuaries, ponds, streams, and environments, let’s take the time to recognize the warning signs currently on display. Promoting responsible actions and working to protect the wildlife and habitats of our communities will ensure survival, rehabilitation and healthier, cleaner environments that benefit all residents who share this planet.

Tags: amphibians, Biodiversity, contamination, frogs, pollution, Year of the Frog

This entry was posted by Scott on Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 at 7:33 pm and is filed under Biodiversity. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.