Niche Species and a Warming Climate
A look at the effects Climate Change has on specialized species such as Amphibians
Research Questions
1. What specific impacts of Climate Change are
affecting niche species and to what extent?
2. How are amphibians more susceptible to a
changing climate than other species?
3. What affects are we already seeing on amphibian
populations?
 • Thermal safety margin
Threats to Niche Species
Some of the largest threats facing niche species are land
coverage and Climate Change. Niche species are
particularly vulnerable to changes in their environment
because of how carefully adapted they've become to
their settings up to this point. 

These graphs of California show relative species richness
currently (A and B) and the average change after a predicted
Climate Change scenario. As you can see, most areas will
experience a loss in species richness due to habitat loss and
temperature change.
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2015
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Claire Cantrell
Amphibian Vulnerability Impacts We’re Already Seeing
Amphibians have been accessed on many traits to determine how
vulnerable they will be to a changing climate. Some of the most important
Fowler’s Toad
factors in this assessment include
One species of toad, Fowler’s Toad, is highly dependent on annual
• Diel activity (Active during the day or night)
precipitation and temperatures to emerge from winter hibernation.
• Seasonal Activity (Winter or Summer dormancy)
They hibernate deep into the ground and warmer temperatures during
• Reproduction habits (Egg type, length of oviposition period, egg/larvel
period)
the winter mean an increase in rainfall which seeps into the ground and
freezes. This causes the toads have increasingly later emergence dates
Number of reptiles or amphibians ranked as extremely vulnerable (EV), highly
vulnerable (HV), moderately vulnerable (MV), presumed stable (PS), or increase likely
(IL)
These graphs compare the toads average emergence dates with annual temperature
and precipitation
Amphibians have narrow thermal safety margins resulting from air and
body temperatures close to their critical maxima. These graphs show the
relative area of thermally suitable habitat under a range of climate scenarios. Fowlers toad is native to North America and is found in many parts of the eastern
United States as well as adjacent parts of Canada.