Publication Details |
| Category | Text Publication |
| Reference Category | Journals |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03942 |
Licence  |
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| Title (Primary) | Unreclaimed mines are key habitats for pioneer specialists: a case study on natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita) microhabitat occupancy |
| Author | Bolte, L.; Henle, K.; Grimm-Seyfarth, A.
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| Source Titel | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| Year | 2025 |
| Department | NSF |
| Volume | 64 |
| Page From | e03942 |
| Language | englisch |
| Topic | T5 Future Landscapes |
| Supplements | https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S235198942500544X-mmc1.pdf https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S235198942500544X-mmc2.pdf https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S235198942500544X-mmc3.pdf |
| Keywords | Occupancy modelling; habitat management; mine restoration; pioneer amphibians; juveniles; artificial cover board |
| Abstract | Post-mining areas are populated by many taxa and are particularly important for pioneer species whose primary habitats, such as dynamic floodplains, have largely been degraded. For such species, habitats must be optimally managed beyond the end of mining activities to preserve their populations; therefore knowledge of their habitat requirements is needed. To provide such evidence, we investigated the microhabitat selection of juvenile and (sub)adult natterjack toads (Epidalea calamita), a pioneer amphibian with high conservation priority, at two structurally contrasting lignite mining sites (unreclaimed vs. reclaimed) in Central Germany. Over three years, we conducted multiple surveys using artificial coverboards complemented by microclimate measurements. We applied multi-season occupancy models to examine the effects of microhabitat characteristics, such as vegetation cover, slope, and distance to breeding ponds, on the detection and occupancy probabilities for different life stages. While the unreclaimed sites supported high rates of occupancy and low rates of local extinction — especially for (sub)adults — few (sub)adult toads remained in the reclaimed area after a first year with high recruitment. Moreover, we found that microhabitat preferences between juveniles and (sub)adults partly diverged, as juveniles preferably occupied flat areas near breeding ponds, while (sub)adults preferred steeper microhabitats further from ponds. These findings provide evidence that management strategies must consider life stage-specific habitat requirements to maintain viable populations of pioneer species like E. calamita. We conclude that preserving unreclaimed, structurally diverse post-mining landscapes is vital in conservation of pioneer amphibians. |
| Persistent UFZ Identifier | https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=31498 |
| Bolte, L., Henle, K., Grimm-Seyfarth, A. (2025): Unreclaimed mines are key habitats for pioneer specialists: a case study on natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita) microhabitat occupancy Glob. Ecol. Conserv. 64 , e03942 10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03942 |
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