The political economy of amphibian declines

Authors

  • Ryan Gunderson Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3837-0723
  • Diana Stuart Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
  • Brian Petersen Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17161/randa.v32i1.21692

Keywords:

treadmill of production, human dimensions of biodiversity loss, economic growth, extinction, herpetology, biological conservation

Abstract

Recent conservation research stresses the importance of examining economic growth as an underlying
driver of biodiversity loss. With exceptions, herpetological research on the causes of amphibian declines, endangerments,
and extinction risks tends to focus on proximate rather than underlying drivers. This paper connects proximate
causes of amphibian declines to structural attributes of modern societies, specifically a growth-dependent economic system.
Amphibian declines caused by habitat modification, climate change, contaminants, and commercial use are all in
part driven by “the treadmill of production” — capitalism’s systemic need to constantly expand. Recognizing the negative
impacts of a growth-dependent economy on amphibians has important implications for conservation strategies.

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Published

2025-06-24

Issue

Vol. 32 No. 1 (2025): Reptiles & Amphibians

Section

Focus on Conservation

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Ryan Gunderson, Diana Stuart, Brian Petersen

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Copyright is held by the authors. Articles in R&A are made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

How to Cite

Gunderson, R., Stuart, D., & Petersen, B. (2025). The political economy of amphibian declines. Reptiles & Amphibians, 32(1), e21692. https://doi.org/10.17161/randa.v32i1.21692