Amphibian Chemical Concentration

Oils, smoke, and pesticides often have different chemicals. When these substances are dumped into the environment by factories and other corporations, they pollute the environment. The chemicals in these substances can often reside in an area for extended periods of time, with even longer lasting side effects (Martinez-Haro, et. al., 2013). This means that if the soil of a pillbug habitat is contaminated to become more or less acidic by these chemicals, the effects on that population of pillbugs may be permanent, and should be investigated to see their long term effect. Lastly, concrete, which is often poured onto the ground and hardened by humans in cities, can cause a potentially harmful change in pH. Concrete has a pH of about 9. Over time, concrete may erode into the ecosystem of a pillbug, increasing the normal pH of it’s habitat. This may harm the organisms in that soil, including pillbugs (Kawahara, et. al., 2016). Pillbugs (Armadillidium vulgare) are a terrestrial isopod that live under rotting wood and fallen leaves, in a habitat whose water content is greater than 10% (Smigel & Gibbs,

Rain washes the pesticides that are used in our Australians households and then become run-off in drains and sewers. They then make their way into nearby water bodies, wether that be creeks, rivers or even oceans and settle within the soil by sticking to small particles, including tiny living organisms like phytoplankton (M. Barwick, 2003, pp. 471-502). Small fish consume these tiny organisms, which may then be eaten by a larger organism and this continues until the top order consumer is reached. The concentration that first began in the phytoplankton and has multiplied sufficiently as it moves along the food chain. The amount of the pesticide has reached a highly toxic level in the top order predator, whether that is birds or even humans. As a result of the biomagnification of pesticides and other chemical the marine environment and the organisms that live within it are heavily affected. The build up of heavy metals, for example, it interferes with the formation of red blood cells, creates liver and kidney implications and forms reproductive defects in many organisms. This hinders an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce and can create a decline in species

The importance of El Valle De Anton spurred the movement to create systems to preserve frogs worldwide. In Panama a town name El Valle De Anton once deeply respected their golden tree frogs, and ironically they were not disturb when the frogs started disappearing. When the corpses started to pile up, the scientific community began to become concerned and began an effort to preserve the golden frog species and what they found was that frogs from around the world had been plagued by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis-batrachos (or “Bd” for short). This plague is very hard to stop, as we cannot purge the entire planet of the disease, and the plague spreads incredibly quickly.

Chapter One details the ancestry of frogs and examines the timeline of amphibians on Earth, as well as the increase in frog extinction rate. Kolbert argues that the observed extinction rates which are exceeding expected background extinction rates suggest that catastrophe is ahead for Earth. Humans are key to the extinction of Panamanian frogs due to their spreading of the Chtrid fungus, which is not native to Panama. Thus, Kolbert sees humans

The purpose of this course is to provide the fundamental knowledge of the effects of environmental chemicals on living systems, and the toxic responses of the human and plant systems. Students will discuss risk, ethics, and social responsibility with regard to environmental toxicology.

Many sources say that the initial spread of this invasive species began at the end of the 1800's when bullfrogs were shipped to California to fill hungry loggers appetite for frog legs. The frogs competed with the other native species with the supply of natural resources while also consuming and exploiting the native amphibian species as well. Worldwide Rana catesbeiana has driven over one-hundred native species of frogs to extinction (Save The Frogs! et al. 2013). This is a huge impact on amphibian wildlife worldwide because there are about 4,800 species of frogs. Over the past hundred years the bullfrog has wiped out over 2% of the world's species of frogs. Studies have shown one of the reasons bullfrogs will cripple Arizonian ecosystems and the native amphibian species directly is because a female bullfrog’s physiology

Nowhere near a plethora of evolution has adorned the history of the poison dart frog, yet the evolutionary history will fascinate one. The toxic amphibians are beautifully constructed creatures, their magnificent colors, the highly poisonous oil on their skin, and their hasty, yet graceful, movements. But where did it all begin? It began with the ancestor of the poison dart frog, the primitive frogamander.

Chemicals harm the growth of plants and animals, chemicals can lead animals to death. Many of the water animals

          As water pollution increases and water quality declines so do the hellbender populations. The large amphibians breath entire through their skin, and like any amphibian, can absorb nearly anything through it. Chemical runoff from pesticides and herbicides, and siltation from nearby

Researchers are currently trying to gain knowledge on the extent of the problem; how the parasite works, what species can be infected, and once infected, what species experience the least amount of symptoms. They believe that by infecting native tree frogs with this parasite, they may be able to increase the amount of parasites while decreasing the amount of toads. L.Pizzatto and R. Shine (2011) had three assumptions. “(1) The parasite has no detrimental effect on the frogs; (2) the frogs are capable of maintaining a lungworm infection long term; and (3) infective larvae passed in the frog’s faeces are capable of infecting toads and reducing their viability.” (p.546)

The chemicals that are sprayed on the ground, even household weed killers, have a tendency to wash into local streams and rivers with the first rain. This has caused many incidents of fish, numerous miles down a river, to be found dead due to the toxins in the water. Carson states that the best way to eliminate a pest problem is to use natural predators, which are non-toxic, and a better long-term solution then pesticides, since many pests will become immune to most chemicals.

When ammonia is present in water at high enough levels, it is difficult for aquatic organisms to sufficiently excrete the toxicant, leading to toxic buildup in internal tissues and blood, and potentially death. Environmental factors, such as pH and temperature which affects the solubility of ammonia (NH4 to NH3) in water making it toxic, can affect the lives of aquatic animals. It is observed in the results that temperature was high than normal leading the ammonia concentration to be high as about 2.0mg/l in the sample water from Dandenong Creek which is not suitable of aquatic life to live in for a long time. Toxic levels of ammonia are both pH and temperature dependent. Toxicity increases when pH and as temperature increases. Mammals are

Overall for this change project, we have learned that the population of frogs has been decreasing all over the world. There are many factors that decrease their population like agriculture, invasive species, and the population of humans. Specifically, in California, only 40% of the historical sites in the Northwest area have Foothill Yellow-Legged Frogs, and this has the highest percentage out of all of California. These frogs are indicators for the environment, meaning they can determine if the area around them has changed dramatically due to their permeable skin. For our service project, we removed invasive plants like the Himalayan Blackberries and dug creek beds for the frogs. From this, we were able to improve the levelness of the area

Frogs, toads, caecilians, and salamanders are the members of the class Amphibian (amphi- meaning “on both sides” and bios- meaning “life”). These members always require water for reproduction. Most Amphibians undergo metamorphosis, which is a usually degenerative pathological change in the structure of a particular body tissue. And, in the case of Amphibians, it is the changing of a tadpole into

Industrial pollution has been identified as a major problem in Egypt and is addressed under the National Pollution Prevention Program (NIPPP). (Abou Elela, 2002). Fertilizers industry is considered a sub-sector of the chemical industries which is based on the usage of numerous types of chemicals in large quantities. Increase in fertilizer use has become unavoidable to achieve maximum agricultural harvest. For instance, due to increasing population pressure, the use of chemical fertilizers has become essential in increasing crop production efficiency and meets the high needs for agricultural products in countries with a growing population. Waste from fertilizer factories usually ends up in sediments and soils. This waste may disturb the health of soil ecosystems. Soil quality and productivity in these areas have been dramatically reduced. Heavy metals contamination due to the emission of fertilizer industry is significant problem, which leads to negative influence on soil characteristics and limitation of productive and environmental functions (Kassir et al., 2012). A number of field studies have described the reaction of microarthropods on heavy metal pollution (e.g. Bengtsson and Rundgren, 1988; Hågvar and Abrahamsen, 1990; Rabitsch, 1995; Russell and Alberti, 1998). Soil organisms may play an important role in the transfer of metals through the ecosystem in metal-polluted environments (Janssen et al., 1991). The most numerous groups of microarthropods