amphibians are considered reliable indicators of environmental quality . in the western united states , a general decline of frog populations 
 parallels an apparent worldwide decline . 
 the factors thought to be contributing to declines in frog populations include habitat loss , introduction of exotic species , overexploitation , disease , climate change , and decreasing water quality . 
 with respect to water quality , agroecosystems use 80 - 90% of the water resources in the western united states , frequently resulting in highly eutrophic conditions . 
 recent investigations suggest that these eutrophic conditions ( elevated ph , water temperature , and un - ionized ammonia ) may be associated with frog embryo mortality or malformations . 
 however , water quality criteria for frogs and other amphibians do not currently exist . here , we briefly review data that support the need to develop water quality parameters for frogs in agroecosystems and other habitats.imagesfigure 1.figure 2.figure 3.figure 4 . 
 afigure 4 . 
 bfigure 5 .