Larval and post-metamorphic consequences of aquatic stressor exposure in southern toads (Anaxyrus terrestris)

The complex life histories of amphibians make them susceptible to both aquatic and terrestrial stressors, but we are only just piecing together how exposure in one life stage may affect another. Additionally, exposure to one stressor is almost always coupled with exposure to another, whether it be anthropogenic or natural, and the effects of one on an individual can be altered by interactions. Furthermore, parental exposure to one or many stressors can carry through to offspring, affecting their ability to cope with the same or novel stressors. In Chapter 2 we showed that both parental exposure history and larval exposure to predator cue and copper stressors affect physiological performance, growth, and survival of southern toads (Anaxyrus terrestris) after metamorphosis. Our work highlights the need to incorporate the impacts of environmental stressors together, across life stages and generations.