Effectiveness of wetland restoration on amphibians in a drying grassland habitat losing its breeding sites

Amphibians are one of the most threatened taxa globally, partly due to habitat loss, including the loss of suitable breeding sites. This problem is severe in the Hungarian Great Plain (Central Europe), which has lost the majority of its wetlands due to excessive draining. The remaining wetlands are further threatened by climate change, as the increasing intensity of summer droughts significantly decreases the length of the hydroperiod, threatening wetland communities. To mitigate the impacts of climate change on wetland communities, 23 wetland pools were restored at 13 sites in the „Felső-kiskunsági turjánvidék” Natura 2000 site in Central Hungary. In this study we compared amphibian occupancy in restored and near-natural wetlands and artificial ditches; tested the effects of hay and mud transfer on amphibian occupancy and assessed the habitat requirements of the different species. We surveyed amphibians at all 13 restoration sites, 6 nonrestored wetlands as controls and 8 ditches in the spring of 2024. We used multispecies occupancy models to estimate occupancy in the study sites and investigate the effects of different wetland parameters and restoration techniques on amphibian occupancy. Amphibian occupancy was higher in restored wetlands compared to nonrestored controls, with both hay and mud transfer having positive effects on amphibian occupancy. While the different species had different habitat preferences, generally water depth and the cover of aquatic vegetation had positive effects on amphibian occupancy. Our study highlights the importance of wetland restorations for amphibians in drying landscapes and provides insight into the habitat preferences of multiple amphibian species.