National Frog Survey of Ireland 2010/11 Irish Wildlife Manuals No. 58 National Frog Survey of Ireland 2010/11 Neil Reid 1*, S. Karina Dingerkus 2, Richard E. Stone 2, Stéphane Pietravalle 3, Ruth Kelly 1, John Buckley 4, Trevor J.C. Beebee 5 and John W. Wilkinson 4 1 Quercus, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast. BT9 7BL. UK. 2 Giorria Environmental Services, Ardacarha, Bohola, Co. Mayo. Republic of Ireland. 3 Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) , Sand Hutton, York. YO41 1LZ. UK 4 Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, 655A Christchurch Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth. Dorset. BH1 4AP. UK. 5 University of Sussex, School of Life Sciences, Falmer, Brighton. BN1 9QG. UK. Citation: Reid, N., Dingerkus, S.K., Stone, R.E., Pietravalle, S., Kelly, R., Buckley, J., Beebee, T.J.C. & Wilkinson, J.W. (2013) National Frog Survey of Ireland 2010/11. Irish Wildlife Manual s, No. 58. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin, Ireland. The NPWS Project Officer for this report was Dr Ferdia Marnell: [email protected] Cover photo: © Joan O'Neill, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare. Irish Wildlife Manuals Series Editors: F. Marnell & N. Kingston © National Parks and Wildlife Service 2013 ISSN 1393 – 6670 Frog Survey of Ireland 2010/11 Contents Executive Summary..............................................................................................................................................7 Acknowledgements..............................................................................................................................................9 1. Introduction....................................................................................................................................................10 1.1 Species biology and ecology...........................................................................................................10 1.2 Amphibian declines and threats to the common frog ................................................................11 1.3 Associated habitats..........................................................................................................................13 1.4 National Conservation Assessment ..............................................................................................14 1.4.1 Current status ..............................................................................................................................15 1.4.2 Monitoring ...................................................................................................................................15 1.4.2 Estimating density and abundance ..........................................................................................16 1.6 Aims of the current study...............................................................................................................17 2. Methods...........................................................................................................................................................18 2.1 Quantifying historical pond loss ...................................................................................................18 2.2 Breeding frog surveys .....................................................................................................................19 2.2.1 Availability of suitable breeding frog habitat .........................................................................19 2.2.2 Spawn surveys ............................................................................................................................21 2.2.3 Estimating water body size .......................................................................................................21 2.2.4 Estimating frog density..............................................................................................................22 2.2.5 Future prospects (preceived pressures) ...................................................................................23 2.2.6 Aquatic and terrestrial habitats.................................................................................................23 2.3 Estimating total frog abundance....................................................................................................24 2.4 Frog distribution..............................................................................................................................25 2.5 GIS biogeographical modelling .....................................................................................................26 2.6 National conservation assessment ................................................................................................28 3. Results .............................................................................................................................................................29 3.1 Quantifying historical pond loss ...................................................................................................29 4 Frog Survey of Ireland 2010/11 3.2 Breeding frog surveys..................................................................................................................... 30 3.2.1 Aquatic & terrestrial habitats and Future prospects (preceived pressures) ....................... 33 3.3 Estimating total frog abundance ................................................................................................... 33 3.3.1 Population trends ....................................................................................................................... 37 3.4 Frog distribution.............................................................................................................................. 38 3.5 GIS biogeographical modelling..................................................................................................... 39 3.6 National conservation assessment ................................................................................................ 39 4. Discussion....................................................................................................................................................... 47 4.1 National frog survey of Ireland.................................................................................................... 47 4.2 Current conservation status.......................................................................................................... 50 4.3 Proposed monitoring protocol....................................................................................................... 51 4.3.1 Surveyors ..................................................................................................................................... 51 4.3.2 Health & Safety ........................................................................................................................... 51 4.3.3 Site access..................................................................................................................................... 51 4.3.4 Technical support ....................................................................................................................... 52 4.3.5 Training........................................................................................................................................ 52 4.3.6 Timing .......................................................................................................................................... 52 4.3.7 Survey sheets............................................................................................................................... 53 4.3.8 Quality assurance and data manipulation .............................................................................. 53 4.4 Conservation Assessments............................................................................................................. 53 4.4.1 Range............................................................................................................................................ 53 4.4.2 Population.................................................................................................................................... 53 4.4.3 Habitat.......................................................................................................................................... 55 4.4.4 Future propects (preceived pressures) .................................................................................... 55 4.4.5 Overall assessment ..................................................................................................................... 55 References............................................................................................................................................................ 56 APPENDIX I - Habitat Data Recording Form ................................................................................................ 60 APPENDIX II - Spawn Data Recording Form ................................................................................................ 61 5 Frog Survey of Ireland 2010/11 APPENDIX III - Candidate list of 500m squares for future monitoring .....................................................63 6 Frog Survey of Ireland 2010/11 Executive Summary 1) This is the first study to make a quantitative assessment of the conservation status of the EU Annex V Species 1213 Rana temporaria throughout the Republic of Ireland. 2) Numbers of farmland ponds (water