Steps Toward Protection

The loss of such a potentially valuable amphibian species--as well as those species whose primary value was in preserving life in wetland communities--emphasizes the importance of protecting these vulnerable creatures. The most important step we can take is to preserve amphibian habitats. In the upper Midwest, my colleagues and I have found that the ideal amphibian habitat is a series of wetlands containing no fish and connected by stretches of undisturbed landscape. In other regions of the United States and the world, ideal amphibian habitats include old-growth forests, diverse prairies, open savannas, flowing streams, and vegetation-fringed lakes.

Another important step that could protect amphibians, and people as well, is a further reduction of chemical pollutants in the environment. By the mid-1990's, a number of nations had taken action to reduce the use of chemicals responsible for acid rain and ozone depletion. However, some other chemicals suspected of harming amphibians--including endocrine disrupters--were still being widely used in the United States and other countries.

I and other scientists affiliated with the DAPTF acknowledge that more research is needed before the extent and causes of amphibian disappearances and deformities are fully understood. Nonetheless, we believe that the findings to date clearly show that there is indeed a problem and that humans are partly to blame for it. Habitat destruction, pesticide use, and ozone depletion seem to be magnifying such natural factors as disease and drought. Perhaps the possibility that amphibians are sounding an early warning of environmental damage with potential human consequences may prompt people to practice better stewardship of the Earth as we enter a new millennium.