Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: North Carolina
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

This project is designed to help prevent listing Eleutherodactylus species that are at risk of becoming endangered under the Endangered Species List. Eleutherodactylus species are of conservation interest, and are typified by high endemism, relative low vagility, and largely stenoclimatic. This project will address two objectives that will help the decision makers in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to formulate conservation measures. First, ascertain physiological thresholds (temperature, humidity) of selected species (biological models). This critical to permit forecasting species distribution in response to environmental changes and identify potential environmental refugia. Second, develop and test translocation protocols to either enhance populations via reintroductions or translocations to locations characterized by long-term suitability (refugia). Suitable areas for long-term conservation will be identified by combining physiological threshold information, downscaled climate projections (SE Climate Science Center), and a decision support tool to conduct habitat threats and risk assessments.