We evaluated reproduction and recruitment of the Columbia spotted frog (Ran
a luteiventris Thompson) in 70 ponds used by beef cattle and in 57 ponds no
t used by beef cattle in northeastern Oregon. No significant differences we
re detected in the number of egg masses or recently metamorphosed frogs in
grazed and ungrazed sites. No pond characteristic measured could predict eg
g mass numbers, but percent aquatic vegetation and dissolved oxygen had som
e ability to predict recently metamorphosed frog numbers, Both variables ex
plained 65% of the variability in recently metamorphosed frog numbers in gr
azed ponds. At ungrazed ponds, 4 additional variables (presence of fish, el
evation, percent of rock, and conductivity) were required to achieve the sa
me level of variability in predicting recently transformed frog abundance.
The egg mass volume was larger at grazed than at ungrazed ponds suggesting
that grazed ponds may have a greater food abundance or larger (alder) indiv
iduals.