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Determination of suitable breeding sites for Asiatic toads (Bufo gargarizans Cantor, 1842) (Anura, Bufonidae) using ecological modeling

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  • Seung-Min Park,
  • Seung-Ju Cheon,
  • Choong-Ho Ham,
  • Su-Wan Park,
  • Ha-Cheol Sung
Seung-Min Park
Chonnam National University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/a_h-17271

Published 2025-09-02

Keywords

  • AIC modeling,
  • breeding sites selection,
  • suitable breeding site,
  • waterside depth,
  • barren and Waterland

How to Cite

Park, S.-M., Cheon, S.-J., Ham, C.-H., Park, S.-W., & Sung, H.-C. (2025). Determination of suitable breeding sites for Asiatic toads (Bufo gargarizans Cantor, 1842) (Anura, Bufonidae) using ecological modeling. Acta Herpetologica. https://doi.org/10.36253/a_h-17271

Copyright (c) 2025 Seung-Min Park, Seung-Ju Cheon, Choong-Ho Ham, Su-Wan Park, Ha-Cheol Sung

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

Efforts to protect habitats and breeding sites for amphibian conservation are increasing, with ecological modeling used to predict suitable habitats and establish effective protection strategies. Using the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), this study investigated breeding site characteristics of the Asiatic toad (Bufo gargarizans Cantor, 1842), widely distributed in South Korea and increasingly vulnerable to human impact and climate change. Field surveys identified 124 reservoirs across Gwangyang, Cheongju, and Paju, sites with and without the presence of B. gargarizans tadpoles. For the modeling, 17 variables were collected directly or through the Geographic Information System. Using the collected variables, 30 models were combined and analyzed. As a result, the six most important factors for suitable B. gargarizans breeding sites were found to be water temperature, dissolved oxygen, the average depth of waterside, reservoir area, percentage of barren land within 1 km, and percentage of water within 1 km. An area with an average water depth at the edge of approximately 48 cm, a percentage of barren land within 1 km of 3%, and a percentage of water within 1 km of 3% was considered suitable compared with non-breeding sites. This information will be important for developing protective measures and conserving B. gargarizans.

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