Selection and implementation of successful management interventions for a California red-legged frog population undergoing rapid environmental change

Background/Question/Methods

A major challenge for conservation biologists is to select and implement management interventions that are most likely to benefit declining amphibian populations into the future. Historic drivers of amphibian population decline vary widely in their magnitude and presence and are often imperfect analogues for emerging novel ecosystem dynamics and species interactions. For a stream breeding population of California red-legged frogs experiencing significant reduction in the quantity and quality of aquatic habitat, we modeled population response to novel types of conservation management intervention.

Results/Conclusions

Model results indicate that the addition of a new source population within close distance to existing occupied patches can significantly reduce the risk of local extinction. Based upon model results, we created new breeding ponds near an occupied creek that had historically supported high reproductive success by California red-legged frogs. Our results showed that significant investment increases the likelihood that a local population can be sustained under climate change and other significant, anthropogenically-driven ecosystem change.