The role of artificial breeding sites in amphibian conservation: a case study in rural areas in central spain

Amphibians in rural landscapes often utilize various types of artificial constructions originally designed for irrigation, livestock supply, or other purposes (e.g., water tanks or cattle troughs) as breeding sites. These sites potentially function as local refugia; however, their importance for amphibian communities has yet to be widely assessed. Here we evaluate the role of artificial constructions in the persistence of amphibian populations in rural areas of central Spain, focusing on two species of conservation concern: the Common Midwife Toad, Alytes obstetricans (Laurenti 1768), and the Parsley Frog, Pelodytes punctatus (Daudin 1802). We surveyed 130 water bodies at 113 localities in an area of 1,450 km(2) during the breeding season of 2018 and documented the type of breeding site, species abundance, amphibian community structure, and any detectable threats. We found nonrandom patterns of breeding site selection and amphibian species co-occurrence in which A. obstetricans tended to inhabit artificial water tanks with simpler amphibian communities, whereas P. punctatus tended to co-occur in naturalized ponds in abandoned quarries with complex amphibian community structures. We discuss the relevance of artificial breeding sites for the resilience of amphibian populations and propose conservation measures to improve their efficiency in the face of detected threats, including trap effects, alien species, and chytridiomycosis.