The impacts of urbanization on the distribution and body condition of the rice-paddy frog (Fejervarya multistriata) and gold-striped pond frog (Pelophylax plancyi) in Shanghai, China

Previous studies have suggested that urbanization presents a major threat to anuran populations. However, very few studies have looked at the relationship between urbanization and anuran body condition. We investigated whether the distribution and body condition of the rice-paddy frog (Fejervarya multistriata) and gold-striped pond frog (Pelophylax plancyi) are influenced by increasing urbanization in Shanghai, China. Four study sites with six indicators of the major land-cover types were scored to indicate their position on an urbanization gradient. We found that both the density and body condition of F. multistriata declined significantly along this gradient. Although we observed a significant difference in body condition of P. plancyi among study sites with different degrees of urbanization, we did not find any corresponding significant differences in population density. Our results indicate that both the densities and body condition of these two anuran species show a negative relationship with increasing urbanization, but that the density of P. plancyi was only slightly affected in Shanghai.