From: Grover.Partee@p0.f58.n343.z1.fidonet.org (Grover Partee)
Newsgroups: k12.ed.science
Subject: Re: Frogs
Date: 2 Nov 92 20:58:09 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:343/58.0 - Silver Lake, Everett WA


 -=> Quoting Aaron Brown to Richard I. Purman <=-

 AB> so you want to know more about frogs?  We really don't know

Here's a piece of a posting on ENVTS-L, the Environmental Studies
discussion list at Brown University by Harold Ward, who invites your
comments on the theses. Full texts may also be available.  Email Ward
via Internet at halward@brownvm.brown.edu, I though it might be of
some interest to "frog freaks." :)

Subject: Environmental Theses - Brown University 1992

One of the original purposes of this conference was to share the
results of work done in Environmental Studies programs by posting
abstracts periodically. Brown Unversity's Environmental Studies
program requires that each candidate for the BA in ES prepare a
year-long senior thesis.
.... [Lots of text deleted]

AMPHIBIAN DECLINE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
by Robert Daniel Novo

There has been much public furor in the last few years over a possible
global decline in amphibians.  Numerous accounts of complete
disappearance or drastic number reductions have appeared in
newspapers, magazines, and science journals. Nobody has yet been able
to prove the existence of a global reason for the decline. Numerous
site specific causes have been identified, proving declines in certain
areas, but they do not command the attention of a worldwide population
loss. If there were such a decline, ever yone agrees it would have
incredible impact on all life on Earth. Not only would it affect the
amphibian ecosystem, but something that can hurt a whole class of
animals will inevitably affect other living things as well. In fact,
some say a decline in amphibians may be foreshadowing greater declines
in all species. In order to determine without a doubt what is
occurring, more studies are needed; long-term population studies to
supplement what is known of amphibian dynamics; geographical studies
of acidity or global warming over more than one habitat; comparisons
of decline characteristics from one site to another; further study of
the ecology surrounding amphibians, forested wetlands, ponds, streams,
etc. Efforts are underway to carry out some of that work, but slowly.

Attention should not be diverted from these studies even though there
is no proof of an extinction event. Amphibians are declining in some
regions of the world, indicating some kind of change in their
environment that is affecting them adversely. Though not much is known
about these changes, the chance that they are caused by man should
concern us. Saving the frogs and the salamanders is not the ultimate
goal we should be reaching for. Amphibians are a small part of the
biological diversity of our planet, and that diversity is slowly being
eliminated. Amphibians should not be our first concern, the
conservation of all wildlife and their habitats should be.
.... [Lots more text deleted]

... New Mail not found.  Start whine-pout sequence? (Y/N)

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