Impact Type: Deposition of pollutant
Key Concerns:
There are three species of newt found in Britain, the crested newt (Triturus cristatus), the palmate newt (T. helveticus) and the smooth newt (T. vulgaris). T. cristatus is listed in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. The habitat requirements of newts vary between species (Brady & Griffiths 1995, Denton 1991, Joly et al. 2000): T. cristatus and T. vulgaris are mostly found in hard water areas (Griffiths & Dewijer 1994); T. helveticus appears to be more acid-tolerant. Amphibian embryos are more sensitive to low pH and are more prone to episodic reductions in pH than at other stages in their life cycle. Of the three newt species, T. cristatus is the most sensitive to acidification (Griffiths 1993, Griffiths & Dewijer 1994).
Additional Comments:
Amphibian growth and development is also affected by temperature, the effect of acidification will potentially be greater in the north due to the lower ETS.
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No estimate available |