The conservation value of regenerating tropical forest for

amphibians

Olivia Hill

The Problem

• primary forest makes up around 36% of global forest cover whilst secondary/regenerating areas constitute 57%

• there is little consensus within the scientific community about the conservation value of regenerating forests

Location

• Manu Learning Centre, Madre de Dios, Peru

• 643ha

• 460-700masl

• Regenerating for 30-40 years

Methodologies

Nocturnal visual encounter surveys:

• 100m transects off the main trails

• 25 minutes

• 20 transects in each forest type (+8 in Bamboo forest)

Pitfall traps

• Two routes with 4 sites in each forest type

• 4 20L buckets and 24m plastic drift fence

Artificial Habitats

Results

• 62 confirmed amphibian species at the MLC

Osteocephalus mimeticus

Cochranella cf. nola

Scinax funereus

Pristimantis pharangobates

Ameerega sp1

Pristimantis sp1

Pristimantis sp2

Pristimantis sp3

Pristimantis sp4

Hyloscirtus cf. phyllognathus

Amphibian communities along an altitudinal gradient

• Decrease of amphibian diversity with the increase of the altitude.

• Big shifts in species composition in a small distance

• high number of species with a restricted range

• Conservation efforts need to focus in areas like the Piñi Piñi range

Comparison with local primary sites

Taxa

Primary forest sites used to determine

average richness Observed richness at the

MLC

Cocha Cashu Los Amigos Pakitza

Amphibians 78 (80%) 63 (98%) 82 (76%) 62

Data from: Whitworth et al (2014 – under review), A second chance to conserve? The potential biodiversity and conservation value of regenerating forest

A Key Indicator Group - Craugistoridae

Taxa

Observed richness at MLC

(% of those predicted) Predicted richness at MLC

Average

richness from

primary

forest sites

Observed

richness of

MLC as a %

of richness

at primary

forest sites

Total Indicators Conservation

concern Total Indicators

Conservation

concern

Amphibians 62 (84%) 16 (80%) - 74 20 - 74 84%

Data from: Whitworth et al (2014 – under review), A second chance to conserve? The potential biodiversity and conservation value of regenerating forest

Discussion

1. Regenerating forest can hold very high levels of amphibian diversity indicating that is of high conservation value.

2. These levels are not necessarily dominated by habitat generalists

but also key indicator species.

3. Many unidentified species still exist, even within human modified landscapes

4. More research on the conservation value of regenerating tropical forest is required.

5. So lets protect more areas of secondary rainforest and allow them to regenerate.

Bibliography

• Beirne et al (2013), Herpetofaunal responses to anthropogenic habitat change within a small forest reserve in eastern Ecuador, The Herpetological Journal, 23(4)

• Whitworth et al. (2014 – under review), A Second Chance to Conserve? Assessing the potential biodiversity and conservation value of regenerating forest

• Global Forest Resource Assessment (2010)

• Chazdon.R (2008), ‘Beyond Deforestation: restoring forests and ecosystem services on degraded lands’, science, 320(5882)

Thank you

• Special thanks to Andy Whitworth, Jaime Villacampa and Jenni Serrano-Rojas