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Project Description

Title

Conservation assessment and sustainable conservation plans for
threatened South African frogs, with a focus on the potential impact of chytridiomycosis infection.

Project Background

Amphibians are disappearing across the planet. Currently at least one third of all known species (approximately 6300) are threatened with extinction. The causes of these declines are many and varied – from obvious threats such as habitat destruction and pollution, to the more obscure threats of climate change and emerging infectious diseases, which are resulting in extinctions even in relatively pristine habitats. Amphibians play a key role as both predator and prey in ecosystems and their disappearance could thus have far-reaching consequences. Furthermore, amphibians are important bio-indicators of the health of the environment, and the observed declines signal that something is fundamentally wrong with the global environment.

This Project

Critically endangered frog species:

Anhydrophryne ngongoniensis                 Heleophryne hewitti                                   Heleophryne rosei                                     Microbatrachella capensis

Fifteen percent (20 species) of South Africa ’s frogs are currently listed in the top Threatened categories (i.e. Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable) according to the Atlas and Red Data Book of the Frogs of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (2004). The majority of the threatened species are concentrated in the lowlands of the Western Cape (8 species) and KwaZulu-Natal (6 species). The primary threat to these species is habitat destruction and fragmentation as a result of urban expansion, agriculture and afforestation. The broad aim of this project is the review all threats facing these threatened species and to assess the extent of occurrence of the chytrid disease within populations of these species. The effect of chytridat population level has not been studied in detail in South Africaand this study will provide important baseline data of presence/absence of the disease, which can be used in environmental management plans, especially for threatened species.

The effect of additional environmental stressors on chytridiomycosis remains unclear, and may mean that South African species could potentially still face the threat of deadly outbreaks of the disease, for example as a result of climate change. The results of the study will be used toward compiling Biodiversity Management Plans for the conservation of threatened frog species, thereby highlighting the need for frog conservation.

Project Objectives

• Review threats of top twenty threatened species in South Africa.

• Assess the risk of chytrid infection on these species in conjunction with concomitant threats.

• Compile thorough review of all threats for KZN species and develop conservation action plans for each.

• Work with all relevant stakeholders (including conservation bodies) to develop conservation action plans for threatened South African species.

• Compile conservation guideline manual (WWF report).

• Improve public awareness of amphibian conservation.