Abstract
The Colorado Plateau in the western U.S. has been in a drought for the past 20 years due to global warming. Desert rock pools are simple systems that are especially susceptible to drought. The number of macroinvertebrate species has declined from ~15 prior to the drought to 8 species in recent years. A decline in primary production has likely been an important factor. These pools are oligotrophic systems and nitrogen from terrestrial species, especially rabbit droppings, can greatly increase primary production in pools. The drought has caused a drastic decline in grass and is likely the primary reason pools containing rabbit droppings have also greatly declined. Plus, drought has had a negative effect on semi-aquatic and terrestrial species. That is, the number of desert toads that feed and reproduce in rock pools have drastically declined along with the ant colonies that depend on dead tadpoles in dry pools as food. In 2006, 22 out of 53 pools (42%) contained tadpoles, whereas adult toads and tadpoles were confined to 6 Tinajas in 2024. Similarly, ant colonies have declined from 23 in 2006 to 11 in 2024. Tadpoles (and fairy shrimp) have come to inhabit pools in canyons where they were once absent because canyon pools used to frequently flood. Aquatic-terrestrial linkages are very strong in dryland ecosystems and climate change is breaking those linkages, which appears to have caused a decline in abundance and diversity in both aquatic and terrestrial systems.
Presenters
Russell RaderProfessor of Aquatic Ecology, Biology, Brigham Young University, Utah, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Unseen Unsustainability: Addressing Hidden Risks to Long-Term Wellbeing for All
KEYWORDS
AQUATIC-TERRESTRIAL LINKAGES, ROCK POOLS, AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES, TADPOLES, ANTS
