The conservation paradox of an introduced population of a threatened species: spadefoot toads in the coastal dunes of the Netherlands

Abstract Species that are threatened in their native range may actually prosper as introduced populations. To investigate how such introduced populations were established involves determining from where within the natural range the founder individuals originated. This can be accomplished through mtDNA barcoding. The common spadefoot toad ( Pelobates fuscus ) naturally occurs in the south and east of the Netherlands and has shown a rapid decline. Yet, a flourishing introduced population was recently discovered in the coastal dunes in the west of the country. We use mtDNA barcoding to determine... Mehr ...