Status and priority conservation actions for Australian frog species

Gillespie, Graeme R.; Roberts, J. Dale; Hunter, David; Hoskin, Conrad J.; Alford, Ross A.; Heard, Geoffrey W.; Hines, Harry B.; Lemckert, Frank; Newell, David; Scheele, Benjamin C.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108543

Cited by 49 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Many management efforts have had little or no success, with no reduction in disease or a failure of reintroduced animals to establish (Garner et al ., 2016). These failures might be due to a disconnect between research and management (Canessa et al ., 2019; DiRenzo and Campbell Grant, 2019; Gillespie et al ., 2020). For managing species threatened by wildlife disease, understanding pathways of host persistence is essential for identifying effective management options (Table 1).…”

Section: Management Implications/suggestionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms underlying host persistence following amphibian disease emergence determine appropriate management strategies

et al. 2020

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Emerging infectious diseases have caused many species declines, changes in communities and even extinctions. There are also many species that persist following devastating declines due to disease. The broad mechanisms that enable host persistence following declines include evolution of resistance or tolerance, changes in immunity and behaviour, compensatory recruitment, pathogen attenuation, environmental refugia, density-dependent transmission and changes in community composition. Here we examine the case of chytridiomycosis, the most important wildlife disease of the past century. We review the full breadth of mechanisms allowing host persistence, and synthesise research on host, pathogen, environmental and community factors driving persistence following chytridiomycosis-related declines and overview the current evidence and the information required to support each mechanism. We found that for most species the mechanisms facilitating persistence have not been identified. We illustrate how the mechanisms that drive long-term host population dynamics determine the most effective conservation management strategies. Therefore, understanding mechanisms of host persistence is important because many species continue to be threatened by disease, some of which will require intervention. The conceptual framework we describe is broadly applicable to other novel disease systems.

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Section: Management Implications/suggestionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms underlying host persistence following amphibian disease emergence determine appropriate management strategies

et al. 2020

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“…actions required to fill knowledge gaps that reduce uncertainty about which management actions to implement and how to implement them) (Gillespie et al . 2020). Research actions were categorised using the IUCN Research Needed Classification Scheme (Version 2.0, IUCN 2020b).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…evidence suggests that such actions will ameliorate the impact of a threatening process or increase the number and/or size of populations) (Gillespie et al . 2020). Management actions were categorised using the IUCN Conservation Actions Classification Scheme (Version 2.0, IUCN 2020a).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Butterflies on the brink: identifying the Australian butterflies (Lepidoptera) most at risk of extinction

Geyle

Braby

Andren³

et al. 2021

Austral Entomology

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The diversity and abundance of native invertebrates is declining globally, which could have significant consequences for ecosystem functioning. Declines are likely to be at least as severe as those observed for vertebrates, although often are difficult to quantify due to a lack of historic baseline data and limited monitoring effort. The Lepidoptera are well studied in Australia compared with other invertebrates, so we know that some species are imperilled or declining. Despite this, few butterfly taxa are explicitly listed for protection by legislation. Here we aim to identify the butterfly taxa that would most benefit from listing by determining the Australian butterflies at most immediate risk of extinction. We also identify the research and management actions needed to retain them. For 26 taxa identified by experts and various conservation schedules, we used structured expert elicitation to estimate the probability of extinction within 20 years (i.e. by 2040) and to identify key threatening processes, priority research and management needs. Collation and analysis of expert opinion indicated that one taxon, the laced fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius inconstans), is particularly imperilled, and that four taxa (Jalmenus eubulus, Jalmenus aridus, Hypochrysops piceatus and Oreisplanus munionga larana) have a moderate–high (>30%) risk of extinction by 2040. Mapped distributions of the 26 butterflies revealed that most are endemic to a single state or territory, and that many occupy narrow ranges. Inappropriate fire regimes, habitat loss and fragmentation (through agricultural practices), invasive species (mostly through habitat degradation caused by weeds and rabbits) and climate change were the most prevalent threats affecting the taxa considered. Increased resourcing and management intervention will be required to prevent these extinctions. We provide specific recommendations for averting such losses.

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“…For example, the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis alone has resulted in the decline or extinction of more than 500 species in just a few decades (Scheele et al 2019), with little that can be done to combat ongoing declines in the wild (although see Clulow et al 2018a). Several Australian amphibian species are at immediate risk of extinction (Skerratt et al 2016;Gillespie et al 2020), some of which rely on ex situ conservation tools (particularly captive breeding) as a last line of defence (Skerratt et al 2016;Harley et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Amphibians account for .27% of all native species held in historic and on-going captive breeding programs in Australia, representing 11 of the 40 species held in significant captive programs between 1980 and 2018, including six on-going amphibian programs (a modest number compared with the quantum of species facing in situ declines; Harley et al 2018;Gillespie et al 2020). The modest number of programs (particularly on-going programs) can be attributed to the logistical challenges and financial costs of captive breeding (Mawson and Lambert 2017;Harley et al 2018), particularly the high average annual costs (.A$200 000) that are often required for on-going multiyear (or multidecade) programs (Harley et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating biobanking could produce significant cost benefits and minimise inbreeding for Australian amphibian captive breeding programs

Howell

Mawson

Frankham

et al. 2021

Reprod. Fertil. Dev.

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Captive breeding is an important tool for amphibian conservation despite high economic costs and deleterious genetic effects of sustained captivity and unavoidably small colony sizes. Integration of biobanking and assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) could provide solutions to these challenges, but is rarely used due to lack of recognition of the potential benefits and clear policy direction. Here we present compelling genetic and economic arguments to integrate biobanking and ARTs into captive breeding programs using modelled captive populations of two Australian threatened frogs, namely the orange-bellied frog Geocrinia vitellina and the white bellied frog Geocrinia alba. Back-crossing with frozen founder spermatozoa using ARTs every generation minimises rates of inbreeding and provides considerable reductions in colony size and program costs compared with conventional captive management. Biobanking could allow captive institutions to meet or exceed longstanding genetic retention targets (90% of source population heterozygosity over 100 years). We provide a broad policy direction that could make biobanking technology a practical reality across Australia's ex situ management of amphibians in current and future holdings. Incorporating biobanking technology widely across this network could deliver outcomes by maintaining high levels of source population genetic diversity and freeing economic resources to develop ex situ programs for a greater number of threatened amphibian species.

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Status and priority conservation actions for Australian frog species

Cited by 49 publications

References 44 publications

Mechanisms underlying host persistence following amphibian disease emergence determine appropriate management strategies

Mechanisms underlying host persistence following amphibian disease emergence determine appropriate management strategies

Butterflies on the brink: identifying the Australian butterflies (Lepidoptera) most at risk of extinction

Integrating biobanking could produce significant cost benefits and minimise inbreeding for Australian amphibian captive breeding programs

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