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Demographic sensitivity and persistence of the threatened white- and orange-bellied frogs of Western Australia

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Population Ecology

Abstract

Anurans have been the subject of numerous experimental and monitoring studies, yet their autecology under natural conditions remains poorly understood. Previous work has focussed on the pre-metamorphic life stages, with data suitable for estimating demographic parameters for all life stages collected in few species. This deficiency has almost certainly confounded current views of amphibian autecology and understanding of which mechanisms of decline represent the greatest threats to the persistence of amphibian species. We used a stage-structured metapopulation model, parameterised with comprehensive field data, to explore the sensitivity of two species of myobatrachid frogs from the southwest of Australia, Geocrinia alba and G. vitellina, to changes in demographic parameters at all life stages. The simulation modelling indicated that the population dynamics of both species were consistently most sensitive to changes in juvenile survival, then to fecundity, and third to both adult survival and standard deviation of survival to about equal extent. In practical terms, this indicates that management interventions which attempt to mitigate reductions in juvenile survival are likely to be most successful in arresting anuran metapopulation declines.

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Acknowledgments

Fieldwork, analysis, and modelling support for S.D.S.C. was funded by an Australian Postgraduate Research Award and grants from Environment Australia and the Department of Zoology, The University of Western Australia. Analysis and modelling support for B.W.B. was provided by the Australian Research Council Key Centre Grants scheme. Animal Ethics approval was granted by The University of Western Australia Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee. We thank Dale Roberts and Peter Whitehead for comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, The University of Western Australia, WA 6907, Nedlands, Australia

    Simon D. S. Conroy

  2. Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu 520–2113, Japan

    Barry W. Brook

  3. Key Centre for Tropical Wildlife Management, Northern Territory University, NT 0909, Darwin, Australia

    Barry W. Brook

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  1. Simon D. S. Conroy
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  2. Barry W. Brook
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Correspondence to Barry W. Brook.

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Conroy, S.D.S., Brook, B.W. Demographic sensitivity and persistence of the threatened white- and orange-bellied frogs of Western Australia. Popul Ecol 45, 105–114 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-003-0145-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-003-0145-9

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