"It's this time of year when the weather starts warming up and frogs start breeding - but they haven't been breeding," says John Wilkinson, research and monitoring officer at the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC). 

Amphibians are just one of the groups of animals that nature observers fear may have problems reproducing this year, as groundwater levels are even lower now than in the infamously dry summer of 1976, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). According to the UK's Centre for Hydrology and Ecology the average rainfall so far this winter has been the lowest since 1972. 

"If ponds dry up totally," says Mr. Wilkinson, "you could have lots of dead tadpoles." Drier and windier conditions could also make it more difficult for juvenile amphibians to survive their journeys between wet habitats. 

But Peter Brotherton, the biodiversity manager for Natural England, says that "drought is part of nature's cycle", and, at present, a lot of animals, plants and insects are still in hibernation. This means that the population picture is unclear. "However, when we get extreme events, we get animals dying," he says. "And what is worrying is that normally at this time of year we expect soil to be near saturation after winter." 

Charlie Kitchin, the RSPB's site manager of the Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire, says the 2,000-acre wetland and grassland area is now struggling following two winters with relatively little winter rain and no flooding. One species that could suffer, he says, is the black-tailed godwit . "There are only 50 breeding pairs in the country, and we have 40 of them, and everything is bone-dry," Mr Kitchin says. 

But one bad nesting season, he says, is "not the end of the world". "One of the features of flood plains is that they're _ anyway," he adds. "But if they fail to breed another year, the population is likely to dip again." QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. Who might have problems reproducing?
2. Who may possibly struggle to reproduce?
3. Who might have a hard time making babies?
Q2:
1. Which species in particular may struggle?
2. What specific species might take a hit?
3. Which is the species that may have some specific struggles?
Q3:
1. When was the last time that such little rainfall has been reported?
2. When was such a small average amount of rain last reported?
3. In what year did such a small average rainfall occur?
Q4:
1. What is saturated, normally speaking, at this point in the year?
2. What is there generally a lot of at this time of year?
3. At this point in the year, what normally crops up a lot?
Q5:
1. What does DEFRA mean?
2. What is DEFRA short for?
3. What is meant by the acronym DEFRA?
Q6:
1. What is the name of the 2000 acre wetland in Cambridgeshire?
2. How is the 2000 acre wetland in Cambridgeshire refered to?
3. What name does Cambridgeshire's 2000 acre wetland have?
Q7:
1. Who calls drougt a part of nature's cycle?
2. According to whom is drought a part of nature's cycle?
3. What is the name of the person taht says drought is normal in the cycle of nature?
Q8:
1. What is Peter Brotherton's occupation?
2. What does Peter Brotherton do for a living?
3. How is Peter Brotherton employed?
Q9:
1. What company employs Peter Brotherton as a biodiversity manager?
2. Where is Peter Brotherton employed as a biodiversity manager?
3. What company does Peter Brotherton work for as a biodiversity manager?
Q10:
1. Who employs Jon Wilkinson?
2. What is the name of Jon Wilkinson's employer?
3. Who does Jon Wilkinson work for?
