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Brief History of Long-Term Research Efforts on
the Oriental Fire-Bellied Toad, Bombina
orientalis, in the Republic of Korea
By Robert H. Kaplan
Kaplan and colleagues have been working on the
evolution, ecology, development and life history of the
oriental fire-bellied toad, Bombina orientalis, both
in the field in South Korea and in his laboratory at Reed
College since 1985. For a brief introduction to aspects
of the work and access to a bibliography see: http://
academic.reed.edu/biology/professors/rkaplan/index.
html#RES.
Since 1985, Kaplan has established two field sites in
South Korea with the help of local environmentalists
and merchants, and governmental agencies. Both sites
are on the northeast side of the country in the Taebaek
Mountain Range. The first is above the village of Munungae
in the Province of Kangwon-do. The second is a short distance
away in a different watershed in the Jung Bong Valley. Access
to these field sites and major logistical supports have been
made possible by local environmentalists, Kim Wongi and Choi
Geumsook of the Munung Valley.
Over the past 25 years, approximately 13 expeditions with Reed
College students were conducted during the breeding season
of Bombina from the end of May until the end of June. Over
30 senior theses on the development, evolution and ecology of
Bombina have been produced by Reed College students working
in Kaplan’s lab, many of whom have gone on to obtain university
professorships.
Kaplan’s initial introduction to Bombina at numerous field
sites in Korea was made possible by Professor Suh-Yung Yang
of Inha University, now deceased but remains an influential
figure in Korean Zoology. Many of Professor Yang’s students
have continued his tradition of collaboration, including Dr. Mi-
Sook Min of Seoul
National University.
Over the past seven
years Dr. Daesik
Park of Kangwon
National University
and his students have
provided invaluable
assistance and have
partnered with Kaplan
in articles in the older
Froglog run by the
DAPTF, and Professor
Park is now a co-chair
with Kaplan of the
newly metamorphosed
ASG Korean working
group.
The oriental fire-bellied toad,
Bombina orientalis in Jung Bong
Kaplan and colleagues most recent
research on Bombina orientalis focuses
on the effects of daily thermal variation
and extreme temperature fluctuations
on early development. They are finding that
diel thermal variation results in fitness related
modifications to early larval morphology and
performance. Their work is beginning to focus on interpopulation
variation and local adaptation especially as it relates to changing
agricultural practices in Korea.
Author details: Robert H. Kaplan, Department of Biology, Reed
College, Portland, Oregon 97202, USA (taricha@reed.edu).
Literature Cited
Kaplan, R.H. 1987. Developmental plasticity and maternal effects of reproductive
characteristics in the frog, Bombina orientalis. Oecologia 71: 273-279.
Kaplan, R.H. 1992. Greater maternal investment can decrease offspring survival in
the frog Bombina orientalis. Ecology 73: 280-288.
Parichy, D.M. and
R.H. Kaplan. 1995.
Maternal investment and
developmental plasticity
- functional consequences
for locomotor performance
of hatchling frog larvae.
Functional Ecology 9: 606-
617.
Kaplan, R.H. and P.C.
Phillips. 2006. Ecological
and developmental context
of natural selection: maternal
effects and thermally
induced plasticity in the
frog Bombina orientalis.
Evolution 60: 142-156.
Arrighi, J., E. Lencer,
D. Park, P.C. Phillips, and
R.H Kaplan. In prep. Diel
temperature fluctuations
influence early development
and growth in ways not
predicted by development
in constant environments.
Manuscript in preparation.
Dr. Robert Kaplan (left) and two undergraduate students, Jessie Ellington (center), and Advait Jukar (right)
with the mesocosms used in experiments in Jung Bong
14 | FrogLog Vol. 98 | September 2011