Emma M. Buckardt

Graduate Research Assistant, School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri

Focus regions: Nearctic

Emma M. Buckardt is a PhD student in Natural Resources, with an emphasis in Fisheries and Wildlife, in the Brodsky Lab at the University of Missouri. Buckardt's research interests are in understanding how anthropogenic systems impact amphibians and reptiles, to provide conservation and management actions for both common and rare species. Previous work has spanned mined-lands and agricultural systems, and current dissertation research explores amphibian communities in urban systems.

Website·ORCID

Contributions

From the journals

Anuran responses to land cover in a historically mined anthropogenic landscape

Buckardt, E. M., George, A. D., & Rega-Brodsky, C. C. · Canadian Journal of Zoology · July 2026

Amphibian populations and communities are influenced to varying degrees by anthropogenic changes to landscapes (e.g., urbanization, agriculture, surface mining), as well as the heterogeneous habitat mosaics these land uses produce. Using call surveys, we examined the influence of land cover on anuran diversity and the occupancy of priority species in southeast Kansas, USA. Anuran diversity was positively associated with developed cover and water, while Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) were more likely to occupy sites with greater forest cover and lower availability of water sources. Despite a landscape largely dominated by anthropogenic land uses and a legacy of surface mining, we observed a diverse regional species pool likely supported by landscape heterogeneity. While management and restoration may enhance habitat suitability, our findings indicate that anurans can persist within and be supported by human-altered landscapes.

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