The Arroyo Toad (Bufo cakfomicus) is an endangered species found in rivers of southern California, USA and northern Baja California, Mexico. It has experienced population declines throughout its range, as a result of urbanization, hydrologic alterations, and overall habitat loss. As part of the Recovery Plan for this species, it was determined that more research was needed to assist in management decisions. One of those research needs was to better understand the intraspecific genetic variation within the Arroyo Toad. I conducted a range wide genetic study of the Arroyo Toad to uncover lineages and genetic variation among and between all major watersheds. This information is essential to our understanding of the species by providing data to determine recovery units independent of geographic location, delimit metapopulations, identify closely related populations for the potential augmentation of declining or extinct populations, assess dispersal between watersheds, and quantify genetic diversity throughout its distribution. In the course of this project, I also identified a more precise range of the species in Baja California, Mexico, along with the issues and challenges facing its conservation in the poorly known southern portion of its range.
","abstract_html":"<p>The Arroyo Toad <em>(Bufo cakfomicus)</em> is an endangered species found in rivers of southern California, USA and northern Baja California, Mexico. It has experienced population declines throughout its range, as a result of urbanization, hydrologic alterations, and overall habitat loss. As part of the Recovery Plan for this species, it was determined that more research was needed to assist in management decisions. One of those research needs was to better understand the intraspecific genetic variation within the Arroyo Toad. I conducted a range wide genetic study of the Arroyo Toad to uncover lineages and genetic variation among and between all major watersheds. This information is essential to our understanding of the species by providing data to determine recovery units independent of geographic location, delimit metapopulations, identify closely related populations for the potential augmentation of declining or extinct populations, assess dispersal between watersheds, and quantify genetic diversity throughout its distribution. In the course of this project, I also identified a more precise range of the species in Baja California, Mexico, along with the issues and challenges facing its conservation in the poorly known southern portion of its range.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lovich, Robert Edward"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Ronald Carter","L. Lee Grismer","Penelope Duerken-Hughes","Robert Ford","William Hayes"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2009,"date_issued":"2009-03-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2009-03-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:53:08Z","subjects":["Biology","Arroyo toad -- California, Southern; Arroyo toad -- Mexico -- Baja California (Peninsula); Phylogeography; Bufo -- Phylogeny; Bufo bufo; Phylogeny; Species Specificity; Genetic Speciation; Endangered Species."],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/724","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Ronald Carter","L. 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The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/724"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The Arroyo Toad (Bufo cakfomicus) is an endangered species found in rivers of southern California, USA and northern Baja California, Mexico. It has experienced population declines throughout its range, as a result of urbanization, hydrologic alterations, and overall habitat loss. As part of the Recovery Plan for this species, it was determined that more research was needed to assist in management decisions. One of those research needs was to better understand the intraspecific genetic variation within the Arroyo Toad. I conducted a range wide genetic study of the Arroyo Toad to uncover lineages and genetic variation among and between all major watersheds. This information is essential to our understanding of the species by providing data to determine recovery units independent of geographic location, delimit metapopulations, identify closely related populations for the potential augmentation of declining or extinct populations, assess dispersal between watersheds, and quantify genetic diversity throughout its distribution. In the course of this project, I also identified a more precise range of the species in Baja California, Mexico, along with the issues and challenges facing its conservation in the poorly known southern portion of its range.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Phylogeography and Conservation of the Arroyo Toad (Bufo californicus)"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Ronald Carter","L. Lee Grismer","Penelope Duerken-Hughes","Robert Ford","William Hayes"],"dc:creator":["Lovich, Robert Edward"],"dc:description.abstract":["The Arroyo Toad (Bufo cakfomicus) is an endangered species found in rivers of southern California, USA and northern Baja California, Mexico. It has experienced population declines throughout its range, as a result of urbanization, hydrologic alterations, and overall habitat loss. As part of the Recovery Plan for this species, it was determined that more research was needed to assist in management decisions. One of those research needs was to better understand the intraspecific genetic variation within the Arroyo Toad. I conducted a range wide genetic study of the Arroyo Toad to uncover lineages and genetic variation among and between all major watersheds. This information is essential to our understanding of the species by providing data to determine recovery units independent of geographic location, delimit metapopulations, identify closely related populations for the potential augmentation of declining or extinct populations, assess dispersal between watersheds, and quantify genetic diversity throughout its distribution. In the course of this project, I also identified a more precise range of the species in Baja California, Mexico, along with the issues and challenges facing its conservation in the poorly known southern portion of its range.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/724"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Biology","Arroyo toad -- California, Southern; Arroyo toad -- Mexico -- Baja California (Peninsula); Phylogeography; Bufo -- Phylogeny; Bufo bufo; Phylogeny; Species Specificity; Genetic Speciation; Endangered Species."],"dc:title":["Phylogeography and Conservation of the Arroyo Toad (Bufo californicus)"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:53:08Z"}