Pesticide exposure affects reproductive capacity of common toads (Bufo bufo) in a viticultural landscape

Amphibian populations are declining worldwide at alarming rates. Among the large variety of contributing stressors, chemical pollutants like pesticides have been identified as a major factor for this decline. Besides direct effects on aquatic and terrestrial amphibian stages, sublethal effects like impairments in reproduction can affect a population. Therefore, we investigated the reproductive capacity of common toads (Bufo bufo) in the pesticide-intensive viticultural landscape of Palatinate in Southwest Germany along a pesticide gradient. In a semi-field study, we captured reproductively active common toad pairs of five breeding ponds with different pesticide contamination level and kept them in a net cage until spawning. Toads from more contaminated ponds showed an increased fecundity (more eggs) but decreased fertilization rates (fewer hatching tadpoles) as well as lower survival rates and reduced size in Gosner stage 25, suggesting that the higher exposed populations suffer from long-term reproductive impairments. In combination with acute toxicity effects, the detected sublethal effects, which are mostly not addressed in the ecological risk assessment of pesticides, pose a serious threat on amphibian populations in agricultural landscapes.

Automated summary

Chemical pollutants, especially pesticides, pose a serious threat to amphibian populations worldwide. This study found that in pesticide-intensive environments, the reproductive capacity of common toads is severely affected, with increased fecundity but decreased fertilization rates, as well as reduced survival rates and size in later developmental stages.