City dwelling frogs at risk from climate change

CLIMATE change may tip the balance against Australia's dwindling populations of urban frogs.

Scientists have found that under the dual impacts of climate change and high urban growth, the chances of frogs surviving in the 'burbs fall by more than 90 per cent.

They also found development posed a bigger risk to frog survival than climate change.

Conservation biologist Joab Wilson from Melbourne's RMIT University said frogs had to keep moving to find wet areas as temperatures rose, which was difficult in fragmented city landscapes.

>snip

Researchers predicted where the best frog ponds might be by 2070, given current urban development plans.

With intermediate urban growth, the probability of sites being occupied by frogs declined by about 30 per cent but with high levels of development the probability of frogs surviving locally fell by more than 90 per cent.

"When you consider how much attention is being given to climate change while so little is being given to the impacts of urban expansion on wildlife, it could be we are ignoring the elephant in the room," Mr Wilson said.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/city-dwelling-frogs-at-risk-from-climate-change/story-fndo45r1-1226492360785