Amphibian conservation in Europe: the importance of pond condition

Abstract

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.

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