von Bülow, B. & A. Kupfer

Monitoring population dynamics and survival of Northern Crested Newts (Triturus cristatus) for 19 years at a pond in Central Europe. pp. 97-102 plus Supplementary data.

Abstract. A population of Northern crested newts, Triturus cristatus, was studied for 19 consecutive years (1998–2016) using individual recognition allowing the quantification of population dynamics and survival rates. Starting with a relatively high estimated number of adults (251 ± 55) and a long stable phase (144 ± 25) the population dropped six-fold (39 ± 10) by the end of the study. The population failed to recruit in nine years including a reproduction failure over four consecutive years of the 19-year study period. The yearly adult survival ranged from 18 to 98% with no differences between the sexes. Likely related to relative favourable survival rates of individuals older than 4+ of age and adult longevity of more than 16 years the population persisted. More long-term studies are urgently needed to assess how population dynamics are subject to local environmental factors or demographic patterns of the population itself.

Key words. Amphibia, Urodela, newts, Triturus, monitoring, capture-recapture, recruitment, persistence.