Effect of pest-management operations on the abundance and size-frequency distribution of the New Zealand endemic frog Leiopelma hochstetteri

Published source details Nájero-Hilman E., King P., Alfaro A.C. & Breen B.B. (2009) Effect of pest-management operations on the abundance and size-frequency distribution of the New Zealand endemic frog Leiopelma hochstetteri. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 36, 389-400.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

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	Remove or control mammals Action Link

Remove or control mammals

A controlled study in 2002–2009 at two stream catchments within secondary forest in the Waitakere Ranges, New Zealand (Nájero-Hilman et al. 2009) found that control of invasive rats had no significant effect on the abundance of Hochstetter’s frog Leiopelma hochstetteri. In 2008–2009, abundance was 5–7/20 m in the treatment area compared to 4–6/20 m in the non-treatment area. Snout–vent lengths were also similar (treatment: 9–45 mm; non-treatment: 11–45 mm). The rat abundance index decreased from eight in 2002 to three in 2009. Abundance in the non-treatment area was 73. Poison bait was placed at 50 m intervals along lines spaced 100 m apart over the entire 200 ha treatment area. These were restocked with 125 g of brodifacoum in spring and autumn. Rats were monitored at seven locations using 60 tracking tunnels in the treatment area and three locations using 20 tunnels in the non-treatment area. Frogs were sampled on two 20 m transects along five small streams/site in summer 2008–2009.