Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2011 Mar;1223:108-19. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05909.x.
Population losses and extinctions of species are occurring at unprecedented rates, as exemplified by declines and extinctions of amphibians worldwide. However, studies of amphibian population declines generally do not address the complexity of the phenomenon or its implications for ecological communities, focusing instead on single factors affecting particular amphibian species. We argue that the causes for amphibian population declines are complex; may differ among species, populations, and life stages within a population; and are context dependent with multiple stressors interacting to drive declines. Because amphibians are key components of communities, we emphasize the importance of investigating amphibian declines at the community level. Selection pressures over evolutionary time have molded amphibian life history characteristics, such that they may remain static even in the face of strong, recent human-induced selection pressures.
人口减少和物种灭绝正以前所未有的速度发生，例如全球范围内两栖动物的减少和灭绝。然而，两栖动物种群减少的研究通常没有涉及到这一现象的复杂性，也没有涉及到它对生态群落的影响，而是侧重于影响特定两栖动物物种的单一因素。我们认为，两栖动物种群减少的原因是复杂的；可能因物种、种群和种群内的生命阶段而异；并且是依赖于上下文的，多个压力源相互作用导致减少。由于两栖动物是群落的关键组成部分，我们强调在群落层面上研究两栖动物减少的重要性。在进化过程中的选择压力塑造了两栖动物的生活史特征，即使面对强烈的、最近由人类引起的选择压力，它们也可能保持静态。
