White-bellied Frog (Geocrinia alba) Case Study

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MBZF Grant 180519150
Amphibian

Continent: Oceania

Country: Australia

Grant Amount: $3,000

Awarded Date: February 20, 2019

What drives persisting patches? Understanding why Critically Endangered frogs survive or perish on a tiny scale.

 This research aims to resolve uncertainty around the drivers of decline for Geocrinia alba by examining the species habitat and hydrological requirements through a combination of field-based observational and experimental studies.

 

The specific aims are to:

1) Investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of decline in Geocrinia alba since it's discovery in the 1980's, utilising three decades of population monitoring data.

2) Identify crucial habitat for species survival through characterising microclimate and habitat characteristics of sites where frogs occur or have disappeared, and investigate the hypothesis that population extinctions and translocation failures are linked to site hydrology.

3) Determine the mechanisms through which lower soil moisture could be impacting populations, through investigating frog dehydration and rehydration rates, the vulnerability of adult and juvenile frogs to desiccation across different microhabitats, as well as comparing breeding behavior and population demographics across drier and wetter areas of the species range.

Grant documents

MBZF Grant 180519150 - located in Australia, Oceania

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