Breakout

Title: The Global Loss of Amphibians

Organizers:
Joseph Mendelson, Curator of Herpetology, Zoo Atlanta
James Collins, Professor, Arizona State University; Assistant Director, National Science Foundation - Biological Science
George Rabb, President Emeritus, Chicago Zoological Society

Additional Discussants:
Karen Lips, Associate Professor, Southern Illinois State University
Rick Relyea, Associate Professor, University of Pittsburgh
Mike Lannoo, Professor, Indiana University School of Medicine
Peter Daszak, Executive Director, Consortium for Conservation Medicine, Wildlife Trust
Kevin Zippel, Director, Amphibian Ark
Brian Gratwicke, Conservation Biologist, National Zoological Park 

Session goals:
To inform and arouse a diverse audience to help stem a worldwide tide of extinctions and severe population declines of amphibians, a major illustration of the loss of biological diversity globally.

Summary:
Amphibians are sensitive indicators of the health of terrestrial and fresh-water aquatic environments worldwide.  They have central roles in tropical and temperate forest ecosystems and are important faunal elements in other biomes.  They are being negatively affected by several factors that call for counters in immediate conservation actions and in broad policy changes for the long term.  The gravity of the situation is that about a third of the known 6000 species of amphibians are considered to be in danger of extinction, and more are likely to be so designated as data deficiencies are resolved.  Causal factors include ongoing habitat destruction and degradation, a pandemic fungal disease, a variety of pollutants and ecotoxins, uncontrolled trade, and climate change.   An Amphibian Conservation Action Plan has been developed by an international group of experts calling for much greater knowledge of the amphibians and their ecology and for quick implementation of particular conservation measures.  The latter include the beginning of a large scale emergency effort to harbor species vulnerable to spread of the fungal disease in biosecure facilities (the Amphibian Ark initiative).  Full implementation of the Plan would likely cost $100 million yearly for several years, and an Amphibian Survival Alliance of major NGO’s and other partners has been proposed to coordinate and facilitate the several parts of the Plan and to help secure the funding needed.  The conference sessions envisioned would include an informational set on the state of knowledge of amphibians in respect to several factors –  habitat destruction, disease,  ecotoxins, trade, climate change.  Following would be a set for discussions and inputs on how to go about further developing responses for the Plan, including fund-raising; capacity building for taxonomic, epidemiological, and ecological research and monitoring; improving laws and controls in regard to agrichemicals and other pollutants, trade, and land management issues; and on possible counters to climate change effects on the very limited natural geographic ranges of many species.  A concluding discussion would focus on how to better spread the word about this tragic situation for biological diversity and how to arouse substantial concern and relevant actions by decision-makers in government, industry, academia, and health professional and conservation organizations worldwide.  A special action target might be to add amphibians to the multinational species conservation funding appropriated by the U. S. Congress.  

Resources:
Confronting Amphibian Declines and Extinctions
Are we in the midst of the sixth mass extinction? A veiw from teh world of amphibians
Amphibian Conservaiton Action Plan
The Challenge of Conserving Amphibian Megadiversity in Madagascar
Comment on "Habitat Split and the Global Decline of Amphibians"