Maintaining frog habitats: Red-crowned Toadlet pdeudophryne australis and the Giant Burrowing Frog Heleioporus australiacus

Funding: 2001: $22,292
2002: $22,292
2003: $22,292

Project Member(s): Booth, D.

Funding or Partner Organisation: Australian Research Council (ARC SPIRT (Strategic Partnerships with Industry Re)
State Forests of NSW
New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service
Transgrid (Transgrid Partner Funds)
AGL Energy Ltd (AGL Partner Funds)

Start year: 2001

Summary: The vulnerable Red-crowned Toadlet (RCT) and Giant Burrowing Frog (GBF) are predominantly ridge top inhabiting frog species, which occur in the Sydney Basin, where habitat destruction and fragmentation are major threats. This project will gather valuable ecological information on these frogs, in relation to population demographics, colonisation of artificial roadside drains, and genetic studies.The information gained will prove useful in guiding management decisions, and reducing the impacts of operating in these areas, for the industry partners.This research will provide managers with important knowledge of the impacts of industry partner activity on the populations and recruitment of these frogs, to benefit RCTs, GBFs. This will enable the industry partners to operate within the habitat of these vulnerable species, with minimum impact on their survival.

Keywords: Red-crowned Toadlet; habitat disturbance; Giant Burrowing Frog; Population demographics; population genetics; systematics

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.