TY - JOUR
T1 - Amphibian conservation in Europe
T2 - the importance of pond condition
AU - López-de Sancha, A.
AU - Boix, D.
AU - Benejam, L.
AU - Briggs, L.
AU - Davidson, T. A.
AU - Fahy, J. C.
AU - Frutos-Aragón, V.
AU - Greaves, H. M.
AU - Lemmens, P.
AU - Mehner, T.
AU - Martín, L.
AU - Oertli, B.
AU - Sayer, C.
AU - Brucet, S.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Most amphibians found in Europe inhabit ponds, small aquatic ecosystems commonly threatened by habitat degradation and destruction. Despite this situation, ponds are rarely considered in conservation policies. Thus, their effective management may present a significant opportunity to alleviate the ongoing decline of amphibian populations. In this study, we assessed if the favourable condition of a pond and its conservation status promotes its amphibian species richness, which was determined by using environmental DNA metabarcoding. For this, we investigated the condition of 154 ponds across six European countries, considered through measurements of their conservation status (Shallow Lentic Ecosystem Conservation Status index, ECELS), water quality and trophic state, and physical characteristics. By utilising Generalised Linear Mixed Models, we determined that a higher amphibian species richness, and a higher number of protected ones, are found in shallow ponds with a better pond condition, meaning a higher conservation status and a better water quality. Specifically, we observed that non-eutrophic ponds characterized by permeable and shallow basins with smooth slopes, and without weirs, foster a higher amphibian diversity. Conservation efforts targeting the preservation of natural pond hydrological processes and mitigating nutrient pollution are critical for safeguarding amphibian biodiversity in Europe and contributing to broader freshwater conservation goals.
AB - Most amphibians found in Europe inhabit ponds, small aquatic ecosystems commonly threatened by habitat degradation and destruction. Despite this situation, ponds are rarely considered in conservation policies. Thus, their effective management may present a significant opportunity to alleviate the ongoing decline of amphibian populations. In this study, we assessed if the favourable condition of a pond and its conservation status promotes its amphibian species richness, which was determined by using environmental DNA metabarcoding. For this, we investigated the condition of 154 ponds across six European countries, considered through measurements of their conservation status (Shallow Lentic Ecosystem Conservation Status index, ECELS), water quality and trophic state, and physical characteristics. By utilising Generalised Linear Mixed Models, we determined that a higher amphibian species richness, and a higher number of protected ones, are found in shallow ponds with a better pond condition, meaning a higher conservation status and a better water quality. Specifically, we observed that non-eutrophic ponds characterized by permeable and shallow basins with smooth slopes, and without weirs, foster a higher amphibian diversity. Conservation efforts targeting the preservation of natural pond hydrological processes and mitigating nutrient pollution are critical for safeguarding amphibian biodiversity in Europe and contributing to broader freshwater conservation goals.
KW - Anthropogenic impacts
KW - Biodiversity
KW - ECELS
KW - eDNA
KW - Protected species
KW - TRIX
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85217741851&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10531-025-03033-w
DO - 10.1007/s10531-025-03033-w
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0960-3115
VL - 34
SP - 1559
EP - 1574
JO - Biodiversity and Conservation
JF - Biodiversity and Conservation
ER -