Impacts on the Green & Golden Bell Frog Prof Graham H. Pyke - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

PWCS T4 project proposal: Impacts on the Green & Golden Bell Frog Prof Graham H. Pyke (UTS) Representing the NSW Frog & Tadpole Study Group

Main points • GGBF critically endangered, within NSW, within the Hunter region and at Kooragang • Single highly-significant population of GGBFs on Kooragang/ Ash islands; it needs to be managed as such • Assessing impacts of human activities on GGBF populations rests on breeding habitat • T4 project will probably lead to population extinction; ‘ death by several cuts’ • Contribution of proposed offset area to GGBF conservation is close to zero

GGBF- Heading for extinction • Up to 1995 - over 80% loss

Green & Golden Bell Frog in NSW – 1995 to 2007 • Populations 23% lost • Only about 40 populations remaining in 2007, out of thousands • More disappeared since 2007

GGBFs in Upper Hunter • 8 recorded sites • Possibly all gone • One site uncertain

GGBFs in Middle Hunter • 8 recorded sites • Probably all gone

GGBFs in Lower Hunter • Probably only Kooragang/ Ash Island still extant • Sig population

GGBFs on Kooragang/ Ash Island • Scattered records of GGBFs • Single, large population • Development areas treated as separate

GGBF population size on Kooragang/ Ash Island 1,000 800 # GGBF adults • The trend is in the 600 wrong direction! 400 200 0 1,995 2,000 2,005 2,010 2,015 YEAR

GGBF breeding and assessing human impacts NO: • Calling (by males) • Eggs • Immatures • Adults YES: • Tadpoles • Metamorphs

Impacts on GGBFs on Kooragang island • GGBF breeding habitat lost  BHPB 1.4ha => 0.7ha  NCIG 0.8ha

Impacts on GGBFs on Kooragang island • GGBF breeding habitat lost  BHPB & NCIG 1.5ha  PWCS 5.1ha  Death by three cuts

GGBFs in Ramsar wetland • Kooragang population declines => Fewer GGBFs in Ramsar wetland

No worries? – New • Success unlikely breeding habitat on & will take time  Recipe not the way worked out  Previous such attempts have mostly failed  Max success rate only ~10%  Outcome requires at least 3 years

Proposed Brundee offset area: Contribution to GGBF conservation? • Negligible  GGBF records few & restricted in location  No breeding habitat  Potential to develop breeding habitat

Impact of proposed T4 project on GGBF • Likely extinction of Kooragang/ Ash Island population • Negligible contribution to GGBF conservation from proposed offset area  T4 bad news for GGBF