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Proceedings of the International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 2011, 1(2): 87-96
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Article

Adaptive monitoring using the endangered northern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne pengilleyi) as a case study

Francis Lemckert1,2 , Trent Penman1, Andrew Haywood1,3
1Forest Science Centre, NSW Department of Primary Industries , PO Box 100, Beecroft, NSW. 2119. Australia
2School of Biological and Earth Sciences, The University of Newcastle. University Drive, Callaghan, NSW. 2380. Australia
3Current Address: Department of Sustainability and Environment, 3/8 Nicholson St, East Melbourne, VIC. 3002. Australia

Received 11 March 2011; Accepted 18 April 2011; Published online 28 August 2011
IAEES

Abstract
Monitoring programs are most successful when they undertake regular evaluation of their data to determine if the goals of the programs are achievable and allow changes to achieve this as necessary - so called adaptive monitoring. We use data from a monitoring program for the northern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne pengilleyi), a declining species in south-eastern Australia, to determine the inter-annual variability in the counts and assess what levels of population change would be detectable using different statistical and monitoring approaches. The existing monitoring program would only successfully statistically detect a 3% annual decline (34% total decline) in population size over a ten year period. Monitoring 40 sites would allow an 80% or greater chance of detecting a 2% or greater annual increase over a ten year period (22% increase). Detecting population decreases is more difficult as monitoring 40 sites with a 2% annual decline (19% total decline) will have a less than 40% chance of being detected after 10 years. A larger monitoring program is required to detect smaller annual changes in the population of this species. These findings have implications for the likely effectiveness of other anuran monitoring programs as the northern corroboree frog appears to be far more consistent in detectable call effort compared to most species.

Keywords adaptive monitoring; Pseudophryne pengilleyi.


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