• Home
  • About
  • Email List
  • Past Speakers
  • SFNHS Coordinator
  • Upcoming Speakers

SF Natural History Series

A lecture series exploring nature in the San Francisco Bay Area

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« The Coyotes Are Already Here
The Plight of Amphibians »

Next Talk, Thursday February 18th, 7:30pm

February 14, 2010 by Adrian Cotter

Are We in the Midst of the Sixth Mass Extinction? A view from the world of amphibians
Guest Speaker: Vance Vrendenburg
Thursday February 18th, 7:30pm

sierran frog

Many scientists argue that we are either entering or in the midst of the sixth great mass extinction. Intense human pressure, both direct and indirect, is having profound effects on natural environments. SF State Professor, Vance Vrendenburg presents a view from the world of amphibians.

The amphibians—frogs, salamanders, and caecilians—may be the only major group currently at risk globally. A detailed worldwide assessment and subsequent updates show that one third or more of the 6,300 species are threatened with extinction.

This trend is likely to accelerate because most amphibians occur in the tropics and have small geographic ranges that make them susceptible to extinction. The increasing pressure from habitat destruction and climate change is likely to have major impacts on narrowly adapted and distributed species. Dalamanders on tropical mountains are particularly at risk.

A new and significant threat to amphibians is a virulent, emerging infectious disease, chytridiomycosis, which appears to be globally distributed, and its effects may be exacerbated by global warming. This disease, which is caused by a fungal pathogen and implicated in serious declines and extinctions of >200 species of amphibians, poses the greatest threat to biodiversity of any known disease.

Our data for frogs in the Sierra Nevada of California show that the fungus is having a devastating impact on native species, already weakened by the effects of pollution and introduced predators.

Vance Vrendenburg, SF State Professor, presents a general message from amphibians is that we may have little time to stave off a potential mass extinction. Learn more about his work at his website: http://web.me.com/vancevredenburg/Vances_site/Home.html

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in Upcoming Events |

  • SFNHS

    Our lecture series explores all aspects of nature in the Bay Area, and seeks to understand our impact both past and present on those natural systems, and their impact on us.
  • Find Us Elsewhere

    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Twitter
  • Local Science & History

    • Ask a Scientist SF
    • California Center for Natural History
    • California Naturalist Program
    • Friends of Five Creeks
    • Nature in the City
    • Shaping SF
    • The Long Now Seminars
    • Think Walks
    • Urban Adventures for Kids
  • Our Hosts

    • Exploratorium Bay Observatory Gallery
    • Green Apple Books
    • Rotary Nature Center
    • SF Public Library
    • The Randall Museum
  • Science in Other Cities

    • Bay to Beach Life
    • NYC Wildlife
  • Speaker

    • Cartographer's Notebook
    • Keith Hansen
    • Marin Carbon Project
    • Nowtopians
  • SF Naturalist

    • RT @Sierra_Jobs: Are you interested in developing web applications, and shaping technical solutions for complex use cases at a mission-cent… 6 months ago
    • @Longreads @jkehe @WIRED This does just essentially seem like a reboot of intelligent design. Why is it easier to b… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 11 months ago
    • My couple minutes of Corvid fame on @kalw's @CrosscurrentsFM this week -- shoutout to friends who clued me in to th… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 1 year ago
  • Archives

    • July 2018
    • January 2017
    • June 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
    • June 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • March 2013
    • February 2013
    • January 2013
    • December 2012
    • October 2012
    • August 2012
    • July 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • February 2012
    • January 2012
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • August 2011
    • July 2011
    • June 2011
    • May 2011
    • April 2011
    • March 2011
    • February 2011
    • January 2011
    • December 2010
    • November 2010
    • October 2010
    • September 2010
    • August 2010
    • July 2010
    • June 2010
    • May 2010
    • April 2010
    • February 2010
    • January 2010
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • September 2009
    • August 2009
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • May 2009
    • March 2009

Blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


  • Follow Following
    • SF Natural History Series
    • Join 35 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • SF Natural History Series
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
%d bloggers like this: