Wetlands classification for amphibian conservation in Mediterranean landscapes.

Habitat fragmentation and alteration have been described as the major factors relating to the decline observed in several amphibian species. In Spain, these processes are mainly associated with the large agricultural land area, the widespread use of toxic substances, and the agricultural practices used. All these aggressions affect wetlands and their watersheds, which are essential aquatic systems for many amphibian species. In an effort to discover where conservation and specific action plans could be more necessary, this study relates the amphibian richness in 28 representative Mediterranean wetlands to their characteristics and the activities carried out on their watershed. The required information considers diverse wetland variables. Our results show that watershed habitat heterogeneity is significantly positively correlated with amphibian richness, while the percentage of the watershed area devoted to olive cultivation is negatively correlated with it. The results allow us to classify wetlands according to their importance for amphibian conservation. Our results also show that 80% of the studied wetlands need specific action plans. Especially, more sustainable cultivation methods are required considering drastic changes in current agricultural practices. Finally, our data provides a baseline to understand future alterations due to agricultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]