1. Introduction Why are they important? What role do they play in the ecosystem? How can a frog be useful to me?

2. Why are they important?Phyllomedusa vaillanti Natural pest control (they eat a lot of insects) Food source for many animals. Societies likeChina, France and some Amazon tribes eat frogs Amphibians that have an acuatic and terrestriallife, help move nutrients in and out of acuatic andterrestrial environments and food chains. In island ecosystems (like Haiti) frogs account forthe largest amount of vertebrate biomass They are part of our culture 3. Calls of some Haitian frog speciesMozarts frog Lap-f-lapli frog La Hotte land frog 4. What role do they play in the ecosystem?Amphibians occupy every land ecosystem 5. How can a frog be useful to me?They help public health by eatingmosquitos, that causes diseaseslike malaria and dengue feverThey help the economy by eating pestsof crops, reducing harmful insectsand eliminating the need to usepesticides 6. Threatened amphibian speciesNumber of species 1 2-3 4-6 7-10 11-14 15-18 19-22 23-26 27-30 31-37 7. De esta reunin sale un mandato paraseguir cuatro tipo de intervencionesnecesarias para garantizar la supervivenciade los anfibios y se enfatiza en que estosdeben ser iniciados inmediatamente:1) Expandir el conocimiento de las causasdel declive2) Continuar documentando la diversidad deanfibios y como esta va cambiando3) Desarrollar e implementar programas deconservacin a largo plazo; y4) Estar preparado para responder deinmediato a emergencias y crisis deconservacin (eventos de muertes masivas) 8. Causes of amphibian decline:Habitat destruction and disturbance 9. Causes of amphibian decline:Global Climate Change 10. Causes of amphibian decline:Chytrid fungus Identified in 1993 from tropical frogsfrom Australia, Costa Rica, and US zoos Infectious disease that invades theamphibian skin killing the frog Spread worldwide by introduced speciesand humans. 11. Chytridiomicosis 12. Building Local Management Capacityand Conservation Plans to Save Endangered Frogs in Haiti and the DRMacaya National ParkMacaya National Park Sierra de Bahoruco and La Visite National ParkLa Visite National ParkBahoruco Oriental 13. Habitat destruction and alteration =Habitat loss 14. Problem?Pic Macaya National Park Headquarters and Research Center 15. Total habitat degradationPic Macaya National Park Massif de La Hotte 16. Philadelphia ZooCaptive reproduction program tosave endangered frogs in Haiti Individual rooms for raisingfrogs Each frog room has up to sixtanks to reproduce frogs byspecies. One room for raising insect tofeed the frogs Additional for water filtrationand water storage tanks 17. Macaya breast-spot frogs 18. 1400 frogs from 9 species 19. Efforts to conserve amphibians and their habitat in the mountain ranges ofMassif de la Hotte and Massif de La Selle/Sierra de Bahoruco 20. LONG TERM IMPACT Help prevent the extinction of endemic frogs and theirhabitats in the forests of Haiti and the Dominican Republic Help change attitudes towards these often fearedcreaturesSHORT TERM IMPACTS 2-year species monitoring program to determine: habitat use, species assemblage, population size, structure andrecruitment, document breeding and foraging behavior Project will take place from October 2012 to September 2014. 21. WHAT WE AIM TO DO1. Create awareness of the pressing issue of amphibian extinction at the local and government levels.2. Provide amphibian management guidelines to private and government institutions.3. Test for the presence of chytrid fungus4. Understand how amphibians survive with deforestation and extreme loss of habitat in fragmented habitats.5. Incorporate our team to international amphibian conservation initiatives. 22. HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT1. Work with local NGOs and government to develop amphibian management guidelines that include in situ and ex situ conservation measures.2. Monitor amphibians populations to learn if: chytrid fungus is present Amphibians can maintain populations in degraded and fragmented landscape3. Provide our results to land managers and stakeholders in Haiti and the Dominican Republic 23. Local Management Capacity andConservation Plans Round table discussion next week with government andnon government stakeholders from Haiti Ministry of Agriculture Local Government Ministry of Environment Universit QuisqueyaAcademic Institutions Pennsylvania State University Socit Audubon Hati Conservation and Critical EcosystemResearch Partnership Fund (CEPF)Organizations The Philadelphia ZooMedia and Public Philadelphia InquirerOutreach CaribeMotion 24. Merci!Foto de Margarita Medina; cortesa del Facebook