Indicator: IW-32 Frogs - Abundance and distribution
Data
| Extinct | |
|---|---|
| Rheobatrachus silus | Gastric-brooding Frog |
| Rheobatrachus vitellinus | Eungella Gastric-brooding Frog |
| Taudactylus acutirostris | Sharp-snouted Day Frog, Sharp-snouted Torrent Frog |
| Taudactylus diurnus | Southern Day Frog, Mt Glorious Torrent Frog |
| Endangered | |
| Geocrinia alba | White-bellied Frog, Creek Frog |
| Litoria castanea | Yellow-spotted Tree Frog, Yellow-spotted Bell Frog |
| Litoria lorica | Armoured Mistfrog |
| Litoria nannotis | Waterfall Frog, Torrent Tree Frog |
| Litoria nyakalensis | Mountain Mistfrog |
| Litoria rheocola | Common Mistfrog |
| Litoria spenceri | Spotted Tree Frog |
| Mixophyes fleayi | Fleay's Frog |
| Mixophyes iteratus | Southern Barred Frog, Giant Barred Frog |
| Nyctimystes dayi | Lace-eyed Tree Frog, Australian Lacelid |
| Philoria frosti | Baw Baw Frog |
| Pseudophryne corroboree | Southern Corroboree Frog |
| Spicospina flammocaerulea | Sunset Frog |
| Taudactylus eungellensis | Eungella Day Frog, Mt Glorious Torrent Frog |
| Taudactylus rheophilus | Tinkling Frog |
| Vulnerable | |
| Geocrinia vitellina | Orange-bellied Frog |
| Heleioporus australiacus | Giant Burrowing Frog |
| Litoria aurea | Green and Golden Bell Frog |
| Litoria littlejohni | Littlejohn's Tree Frog, Heath Frog |
| Litoria olongburensis | Wallum Sedge Frog |
| Litoria piperata | Peppered Tree Frog |
| Litoria raniformis | Southern Bell Frog, Growling Grass Frog, Warty Bell Frog, Green and Golden Frog |
| Litoria verreauxii alpina | Alpine Tree Frog, Verreaux's Alpine Tree Frog |
| Mixophyes balbus | Stuttering Frog, Southern Barred Frog (in Victoria) |
| Pseudophryne covacevichae | Magnificent Brood Frog |
| Pseudophryne pengilleyi | Northern Corroboree Frog |
| Taudactylus pleione | Kroombit Tinker Frog, Pleione's Torrent Frog |
Source: Department of the Environment and Heritage 2004, EPBC Act List of Threatened Fauna, viewed 31 Mar 2005, http://www.deh.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=fauna
Countries with most amphibian species
Source: Conservation International and NatureServe 2004, Global Amphibian Assessment, viewed 23 Nov 2005, http://www.globalamphibians.org/patterns.htm
Countries with Highest Number of Threatened Amphibians
Source: Conservation International and NatureServe 2004, Global Amphibian Assessment, viewed 23 Nov 2005, http://www.globalamphibians.org/patterns.htm
What the data mean
Frogs are declining on a world scale. In Australia there are about 220 species and 14 percent are threatened.
Data Limitations
Up to date, verifiable frog data are difficult to obtain.
Issues for which this is an indicator and why
Inland Waters - Response of biota - Frogs
Declines in abundance and distribution are indicative of declines in the overall viability of a species.
Biodiversity - Species, habitats and ecological communities - Conservation status of species and ecological communities
The abundance and distribution of frogs over time is an important indicator of the health of aquatic ecosystems as frogs are very sensitive to changes in their environment. Frogs are affected by habitat change, pollution, disease, predation and climate change. The global populations of frogs have been in decline for a number of years and this trend is also evident among Australian frog populations.
Other indicators for this issue:
- BD-02 Conservation status of nationally significant species and ecological communities, compared with previous years
- BD-04 Listed threatened species or ecological communities for which recovery action is showing stable or increasing populations
- IW-30 Macroinvertebrate condition
- IW-31 Fish - Abundance and distribution
- IW-33 Abundance and distribution of waterbirds
- CO-01 Trends in selected groups of coastal and marine species and habitats
- CO-02 Number of marine species that are endangered or threatened and changes in population/ distribution of selected threatened species
- CO-16 Status of Australian fisheries
- LD-01 The proportion and area of native vegetation and changes over time
- AAT-08 Plankton populations
- AAT-09 Seabird populations
- AAT-10 seal populations
- AAT-11 Whale populations
- AAT-12 Changes in colonies of plants on Heard Island
Biodiversity - Species, habitats and ecological communities - Condition of freshwater biodiversity
Frogs are very sensitive indicators of declining water condition as they are very sensitive to changes in their environment. Many species have suffered dramatic population declines since the 1980s, including disappearances from pristine habitats. Declines in abundance and distribution of frogs may be indicative broader declines in freshwater biodiversity.
Other indicators for this issue:
- IW-11 Number of licences dams, weirs, regulators and levees
- IW-27 Extent of significant wetlands (incl. Ramsar)
- IW-28 Number of effective fishways
- IW-29 Blue Green Algae
- IW-30 Macroinvertebrate condition
- IW-31 Fish - Abundance and distribution
- IW-33 Abundance and distribution of waterbirds
- IW-34 Examples of deterioration of condition of wetland vegetation
Further Information
WWF - Australia's declining frogs
Western Australian museum database
Key
Links to another web site
Links to data in the DRS
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