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Somewhere within the weedy edge of the little pond a bullfrog bellowed in the night.
It was a calming sound, one that’s common around every pond and swamp during a warm summer night.
In an nearby woodlot, gray treefrogs broke into the nighttime chorus with their shrill, yet soothing call. And like the call of the bullfrog, the sound of the treefrog is common during any summer night.
But could there be a day when the swamps are silent and the bullfrog is heard no more?
Will the call of the treefrog no longer emanate from the trees?
Could it be possible?
Yes.
According to a recent national study by the U.S. Geological Survey, which included assistance from Penn State researchers, amphibian populations are declining in every region of the country. The average national decline is 3.79 percent per year, continuing a trend that was reported in a 2013 study.
Researchers believe if the current trend continues, some amphibian species will disappear from half of the habitats they occupy in 20 years.
Looking at all of this from a non-biologist perspective, if amphibians are declining by 3.79 percent annually, that means a 75 percent drop in population numbers in 20 years. Some species are more threatened than others, and such a rate of decline could be all it takes before they vanish in regions where the impact is severe, such as the West Coast and Rocky Mountains.
The drop in amphibian numbers has been happening for a while. It was first documented in the early 1960s and, if the 20-year prediction holds up, appears to be spiraling toward an unfortunate end.
Imagine a world where spring peepers no longer serenade the springtime nights, puddles are devoid of tadpoles, salamanders are no longer found under rocks and newts cease to float lazily beneath the surface of a pond.
When it comes to environmental issues, sometimes it’s best to take a cautious approach rather than sounding the alarm. But in the case of amphibians, the evidence is concrete and we should all be concerned.
It’s been proven that amphibians are declining, but why? The trend has been occurring for quite some time and now we have a figure – 3.79 percent, to gauge the decrease.
But unfortunately we don’t have a cause.
The study lists several threats to amphibian populations across the country – human influence, climate change, disease and pesticide use, but the science has yet to determine a large-scale common denominator.
Still, addressing the situation on a national level may not be the answer. The aforementioned threats impact amphibians differently in each region of the country. Searching for answers at the local level, rather than nationally, is what’s needed to reverse the disturbing drop in amphibian populations.
Since we’re talking local, how are amphibians faring right here in Pennsylvania?
According to the book “Terrestrial Vertebrates of Pennsylvania,” which identifies species of conservation concern, there are 38 amphibian species in the state and 14 (five salamander species and nine frogs and toads) have declined to the point where they’re listed in the state’s Wildlife Action Plan. They include the hellbender, Northern cricket frog and Jefferson salamander.
One could argue that our daily lives wouldn’t change if, say, the Jefferson salamander became extinct. We’d still go about our routines and probably wouldn’t notice.
But such an approach is an ignorant one. If there’s something causing these species to decline, it means that we have a serious problem with our environment that, if not remedied, could impact a lot more than frogs and salamanders.
For now, the calls of bullfrogs in ponds and treefrogs in trees are common, but they are sounds we better not take for granted.