In a rough spot: Declines in Arthroleptella rugosa calling densities are explained by invasive pine trees

Abstract

AbstractBasing conservation interventions on evidence is important for justifying their associated cost and gauging their effectiveness. For amphibians, the number of studies available to support conservation action plans is limited. Here, we sought to determine the effect of invasive pine trees on the calling densities of a Critically Endangered frog species, endemic to the Western Cape province in South Africa. The Rough Moss frog, Arthroleptella rugosa, is an anuran restricted to a small patch of fire‐driven fynbos habitat prone to invasion by Cluster Pines, Pinus pinaster. We use acoustic spatially explicit capture–recapture methods to estimate frog densities at multiple sites (n = 12) over ten years. Sites were classified as invaded or uninvaded by P. pinaster, and this information, along with the time since the last fire, were used as explanatory variables for frog density in a generalized linear mixed model. Frog densities were found to be significantly affected by P. pinaster invasion status. At invaded sites, there was a negative relationship between call densities and time since fire, while at uninvaded sites the same relationship was positive. These results confirm previous suggestions that invasive pine trees cause population declines in A. rugosa. Our findings can be used to support conservation interventions for A. rugosa, specifically the use of fire in an adaptive management context to control pine invasion across its range.