Identifying Conservation and Research Priorities in the Face of Uncertainty: A Review of the Threatened Bell Frog Complex in Eastern Australia

Abstract

While the principles and steps to be followed in the recovery of a declining species are relatively straightforward, there is often a considerable gap between the theory and practice. One example is the decline of the bell frog complex in eastern Australia, which is comprised of three species: Litoria aurea, L. castanea, and L. raniformis. There is considerable debate about the role of threatening processes in the decline and uncertainty in how best to develop conservation mitigation strategies for these species. To develop a clear picture of the research priorities necessary to enhance the conservation outcomes for the three species we conducted a literature review to focus on the critical gaps in ecological understanding that prevents consensus, and to set research priorities to address these gaps. Unresolved questions were identified and prioritized, and a set of priority research directions and management actions considered to be integral for the persistence of the species were formulated.