Effects of bank compacting on frogs: Can the density of Hyla japonica be recovered by installment of PVC pipe artificial refuges in the banks of rice fields?

Abstract

It was investigated whether the Japanese tree frog, Hyla japonica, uses PVC pipes as refuges and whether the installment of PVC pipes in the banks of rice fields increases the abundance of H. japonica. Hyla japonica used the pipe as a refuge regardless of the internal diameter of the pipes tested and the distance from the water's edge, and most frogs were concentrated near the pipe refuges. Few frogs were found on banks in which pipes were not installed. From these results, it is suggested that the loss of natural refuges by bank compacting would diminish the populations of this species in rice fields. This is the first report on the effects of bank compacting on frogs.