Pool Frog Reintroduction Plan for Thompson Common, Norfolk Version: 20 March 2015 Pool Frog Reintroduction Plan for Thompson Common, Norfolk Version: 20 March 2015 J.M.R. Baker & J. Foster Suggested citation: Baker, J.M.R. & Foster, J. (2015). Pool Frog Reintroduction Plan for Thompson Common, Norfolk. Version: 20 March 2015. Unpublished report. Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Bournemouth. Contents 1. SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 1 2. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ....................................................................................... 3 2.1. Project origin and governance ............................................................................................... 3 2.2. Pool frog Reintroduction Strategy and international context ................................................... 3 2.3. Reintroduction guidelines ...................................................................................................... 4 3. RATIONALE FOR A SECOND REINTRODUCTION .................................................................... 5 3.1. Summary of rationale ............................................................................................................ 5 3.2. Progress under the national biodiversity strategy................................................................... 5 3.3. Progress towards favourable conservation status .................................................................. 5 4. SITE SELECTION FOR THE SECOND REINTRODUCTION........................................................ 7 4.1. Rationale for the selection of Thompson Common ................................................................ 7 4.2. Release location ................................................................................................................... 7 4.3. Addressing extinction factors at Thompson Common ............................................................ 8 5. REINTRODUCTION METHODS................................................................................................. 10 5.1. Overview ............................................................................................................................ 10 5.2. Overview – habitat management ......................................................................................... 10 5.3. Overview – translocation ..................................................................................................... 10 5.4. Overview – monitoring ........................................................................................................ 10 6. HABITAT MANAGEMENT ......................................................................................................... 11 6.1. Pre-release habitat management measures ........................................................................ 11 6.2. Proposed short-term habitat management measures .......................................................... 11 6.3. Proposed long-term habitat management measures ............................................................ 13 7. TRANSLOCATION AND HEAD-STARTING .............................................................................. 14 7.1. Overview of head-starting ................................................................................................... 14 7.2. Collection of eggs ............................................................................................................... 14 7.3. Hatching and initial growth (indoors) ................................................................................... 14 7.4. Growth in artificial ponds (outdoors) .................................................................................... 14 7.5. Release of metamorphs ...................................................................................................... 14 7.6. Locations of artificial ponds ................................................................................................. 15 7.7. Managing disease and health risks ..................................................................................... 15 8. MONITORING ............................................................................................................................ 16 8.1. Post-release monitoring of pool frogs .................................................................................. 16 8.2. Monitoring other amphibian species .................................................................................... 16 8.3. Monitoring habitat ............................................................................................................... 17 8.4. Monitoring impacts on other SSSI features .......................................................................... 17 8.5. Indicators of success .......................................................................................................... 17 9. REGULATORY COMPLIANCE .................................................................................................. 19 9.1. Species and site legal protection ......................................................................................... 19 9.2. Head-starting and translocation of a European Protected Species ....................................... 19 9.3. Implications of impacts and potential impacts on a protected site ......................................... 19 10. IMPACT OF REINTRODUCTION ON SSSI/SAC FEATURES .................................................. 20 10.1. Consistency with Views About Management ..................................................................... 20 10.2. Operations requiring consent ............................................................................................ 20 10.3. Avoidance of designated features ..................................................................................... 21 10.4. Risk of harm to designated features .................................................................................. 22 10.5. Reintroduction site benefits ............................................................................................... 23 10.6. Habitats Regulations Assessment ..................................................................................... 30 11. COMMUNICATIONS ................................................................................................................ 31 11.1. Communications strategy under the first reintroduction ...................................................... 31 11.2. Planned communications for the second reintroduction ..................................................... 31 12. ENGAGEMENT WITH ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS ............................................................ 33 i 12.1. ‘Hybrid’ pool frogs in zoological collections ........................................................................ 33 12.2. Supply of northern pool frogs to zoological collections ....................................................... 33 12.3. Legal and contractual regulation of captive stock ............................................................... 33 13. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ 34 14. LITERATURE .......................................................................................................................... 34 APPENDIX 1. STEPS REQUIRED FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION ................................ 36 APPENDIX 2. EVALUATION AGAINST IUCN REINTRODUCTION GUIDELINES ......................... 37 Annex 3. Deciding when translocation is an acceptable option ................................................... 37 Annex 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 37 Annex 3.2 Assessing extinction causes .................................................................................. 38 Annex 3.3 Considering alternatives ........................................................................................ 40 Annex 4 Planning a translocation ............................................................................................... 41 Annex 5 Feasibility and design ................................................................................................... 42 Annex 5.1 Background biological and ecological knowledge.................................................... 42 5.2 Models, precedents for same/similar species .................................................................... 42 5.3 Habitat .............................................................................................................................. 43 5.4 Climate requirements ........................................................................................................ 45 5.5 Founders .......................................................................................................................... 46 5.6 Disease and parasite considerations ................................................................................. 47 Annex 6 Risk assessment........................................................................................................... 49 6.1 Assessing the risk landscape ........................................................................................... 49 6.2 Risks to the source population ........................................................................................