The extinction to two amphibian species in the southeastern United States may be hastened by the combined effects of climate change and copper-contaminated wetlands, according to researchers at the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory.  The study has implications anywhere that global warming intersects with increased metals in the environment.

"Studies often examine the impact of single environmental stressors on a species, but, in reality, a species is often hit by several stressors at once," said study co-author Stacey Lance, an associate research scientist at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory.  "It could be multiple types of pollutants or, in this case, a metal pollutant that accumulates in wetlands along with wetland habitat changes associated with climate change."

The study is published in the journal Ecological Applications.  It shows that how the separate and combined effects of copper and climate change may increase the risk of population extinction, at varying levels for the southern toad and the southern leopard frog. 

"It doesn't take much," said study leader Scott Weir. "The amounts of copper that are safe for humans in drinking water can be lethal to amphibians due to a higher sensitivity."

"Studies often examine the impact of single environmental stressors on a species, but, in reality, a species is often hit by several stressors at once," said study co-author Stacey Lance, an associate research scientist at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. "It could be multiple types of pollutants or, in this case, a metal pollutant that accumulates in wetlands along with wetland habitat changes associated with climate change."

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-04-combined-effects-copper-climate-deadly.html#jCp
"Studies often examine the impact of single environmental stressors on a species, but, in reality, a species is often hit by several stressors at once," said study co-author Stacey Lance, an associate research scientist at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. "It could be multiple types of pollutants or, in this case, a metal pollutant that accumulates in wetlands along with wetland habitat changes associated with climate change."

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-04-combined-effects-copper-climate-deadly.html#jCp
Studies often examine the impact of single environmental stressors on a species, but, in reality, a species is often hit by several stressors at once," said study co-author Stacey Lance, an associate research scientist at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. "It could be multiple types of pollutants or, in this case, a metal pollutant that accumulates in wetlands along with wetland habitat changes associated with climate change."

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-04-combined-effects-copper-climate-deadly.html#jCp