A Unified Approach to Analysis of Body Condition in Green Toads
Body condition is increasingly used to assess the status of populations and as a proxy for individual fitness. A common, quick and non-invasive approach is to estimate condition from the relation between body length and mass. Among the methods developed for this purpose, the Scaled Mass Index (SMI)...
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| author | Lukas Landler Stephan Burgstaller Magdalena Spießberger Andras Horvath Zhivko Zhelev Ivelin Mollov Ulrich Sinsch Johannes Nepita Florian Schwabel Wolfgang Kuhn Christian Köbele Heinz Sedlmeier Cornelia Amon Joanna Mazgajska Tomasz D. Mazgajski Amir Sistani Rieke Schluckebier Eberhard Andrä Moritz Ott Günter Gollmann |
| author_facet | Lukas Landler Stephan Burgstaller Magdalena Spießberger Andras Horvath Zhivko Zhelev Ivelin Mollov Ulrich Sinsch Johannes Nepita Florian Schwabel Wolfgang Kuhn Christian Köbele Heinz Sedlmeier Cornelia Amon Joanna Mazgajska Tomasz D. Mazgajski Amir Sistani Rieke Schluckebier Eberhard Andrä Moritz Ott Günter Gollmann |
| author_sort | Lukas Landler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Body condition is increasingly used to assess the status of populations and as a proxy for individual fitness. A common, quick and non-invasive approach is to estimate condition from the relation between body length and mass. Among the methods developed for this purpose, the Scaled Mass Index (SMI) appears best suited for comparisons among populations. We assembled data from 17 populations of European green toads (<i>Bufotes viridis</i>) with the aim of devising a standard formula applicable for monitoring this species. The mean value of the exponents describing length–mass allometry in these samples was 3.0047. Hence, we propose using 3 as a scaling coefficient for calculating the SMI in green toads. From the contrast of SMI values for both sexes within populations, estimated with either the population-specific or the standard coefficient, we conclude that applying the standard formula not only facilitates comparisons among populations but may also help to avoid misinterpretation of variation within populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:02:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cc7c2d5f75804e54b4f64c0d6bf52f13 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:02:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-cc7c2d5f75804e54b4f64c0d6bf52f132023-11-30T21:53:10ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182022-12-011514310.3390/d15010043A Unified Approach to Analysis of Body Condition in Green ToadsLukas Landler0Stephan Burgstaller1Magdalena Spießberger2Andras Horvath3Zhivko Zhelev4Ivelin Mollov5Ulrich Sinsch6Johannes Nepita7Florian Schwabel8Wolfgang Kuhn9Christian Köbele10Heinz Sedlmeier11Cornelia Amon12Joanna Mazgajska13Tomasz D. Mazgajski14Amir Sistani15Rieke Schluckebier16Eberhard Andrä17Moritz Ott18Günter Gollmann19Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, AustriaInstitute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, AustriaInstitute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, AustriaInstitute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”, 24 Tzar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, BulgariaDepartment of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, Faculty of Biology, University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”, 24 Tzar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, BulgariaDepartment of Biology, AG Zoology, Institute of Integrated Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, 56070 Koblenz, GermanyDepartment of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, AustriaWissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan für Ernährung, Landnutzung und Umwelt der Technischen Universität München, Alte Akademie 8, 85354 Freising, GermanyLandesbund für Vogelschutz in Bayern e.V. (LBV), Kreisgruppe München, Klenzestr. 37, 80469 München, GermanyLandesbund für Vogelschutz in Bayern e.V. (LBV), Kreisgruppe München, Klenzestr. 37, 80469 München, GermanyDepartment of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, AustriaMuseum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warszawa, PolandMuseum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warszawa, PolandDepartment of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, AustriaNABU—Naturschutzstation Leverkusen-Köln, Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 49, 50996 Köln, GermanyIndependent Researcher, Ebenreuth 47, 94169 Thurmansbang, GermanyLandschaftserhaltungsverband Landkreis Ravensburg e.V., Frauenstr. 4, 88212 Ravensburg, GermanyDepartment of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, AustriaBody condition is increasingly used to assess the status of populations and as a proxy for individual fitness. A common, quick and non-invasive approach is to estimate condition from the relation between body length and mass. Among the methods developed for this purpose, the Scaled Mass Index (SMI) appears best suited for comparisons among populations. We assembled data from 17 populations of European green toads (<i>Bufotes viridis</i>) with the aim of devising a standard formula applicable for monitoring this species. The mean value of the exponents describing length–mass allometry in these samples was 3.0047. Hence, we propose using 3 as a scaling coefficient for calculating the SMI in green toads. From the contrast of SMI values for both sexes within populations, estimated with either the population-specific or the standard coefficient, we conclude that applying the standard formula not only facilitates comparisons among populations but may also help to avoid misinterpretation of variation within populations.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/1/43amphibiabiometryconservationlife historypopulation ecology |
| spellingShingle | Lukas Landler Stephan Burgstaller Magdalena Spießberger Andras Horvath Zhivko Zhelev Ivelin Mollov Ulrich Sinsch Johannes Nepita Florian Schwabel Wolfgang Kuhn Christian Köbele Heinz Sedlmeier Cornelia Amon Joanna Mazgajska Tomasz D. Mazgajski Amir Sistani Rieke Schluckebier Eberhard Andrä Moritz Ott Günter Gollmann A Unified Approach to Analysis of Body Condition in Green Toads Diversity amphibia biometry conservation life history population ecology |
| title | A Unified Approach to Analysis of Body Condition in Green Toads |
| title_full | A Unified Approach to Analysis of Body Condition in Green Toads |
| title_fullStr | A Unified Approach to Analysis of Body Condition in Green Toads |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Unified Approach to Analysis of Body Condition in Green Toads |
| title_short | A Unified Approach to Analysis of Body Condition in Green Toads |
| title_sort | unified approach to analysis of body condition in green toads |
| topic | amphibia biometry conservation life history population ecology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/1/43 |
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