Ambient ultraviolet radiation causes mortality in salamander eggs
- Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States); and others
Previous research has shown that amphibian species have differential sensitivity to ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. In some anuran species, ambient levels of UV-B cause mortality in embryonic stages and hatching success is significantly reduced. Projected increases in UV-B may affect an increasing number of species. The adverse effects of UV-B may eventually be manifested at the population level and may ultimately contribute to population declines. Using field experiments, we investigated the effects of ambient UV-B on salamander (Ambystoma gracile) embryos developing at natural oviposition sites. We show that the hatching success of eggs of A. gracile shielded from UV-B is significantly higher than those not shielded from UV-B. 27 refs., 1 fig.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 96330
- Journal Information:
- Ecological Applications, Vol. 5, Issue 3; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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