Amphibian Population Declines

An entire class of vertebrates, the Amphibia (especially frogs, toads, and salamanders), is at risk of extinction in the next decade. Although biodiversity is decreasing all over the world because of habitat destruction and other anthropogenic factors, the crisis facing amphibians is an enigma that defies simple explanation.

Around the world, frog species have gone extinct in protected, undisturbed reserves, far from habitat destruction and point‐source pollutants. Meanwhile, other species have thrived near metropolitan areas even as their habitat has been destroyed and their environment heavily polluted. Given that amphibians are the earliest land-living vertebrates and have survived through enormous environmental changes over more than 200 milliion years, the precipitous and synchronised worldwide declines that we now witness are cause for alarm.

Twelve native species of frogs and toads, one introduced species of frog, and five species of salamanders are found in South Korea. Of these, Pelophylax nigromasculatus is classified as near threatened, P. chosenicus is classified as vulnerable, and Hynobius yangi is classified as endangered by the IUCN Red List. Very little is known about the natural history of most Korean amphibians. Yet this knowledge is key to protecting them.

Together with our colleagues in the Veterinary College, we are conducting field surveys of Korean amphibians throughout the country to determine the health and viability of their populations. Populations are threatened by habitat disturbance and anthropogenic effects including herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants. Besides these factors, we are monitoring how populations are affected by emerging infectious diseases, including the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytium dendrobatidis, that is decimating amphibian populations throughout the world. We are developing ex situ and in situ management plans for any species found to be in rapid decline.