The summer of 2019/20 saw an extended drought across the Yanco Creek system and much of inland NSW.
To find out how our native wetland fauna was faring, a frog refuge study was undertaken by YACTAC (Yanco Creek and Tributaries Advisory Council) in partnership with researchers at the Institute for Land, Water and Society at Charles Sturt University.
What were the aims of the research?
The study aimed to find out how and where frog populations were surviving the drought. The study addressed a few key questions:
- Were frogs persisting in our creek environments during drought?
- Were there native frogs persisting in farm dams and irrigation infrastructure?
- Could we find any threatened southern Bell frogs? If so where were they surviving during drought?
- What factors could we identify that might make a wetland or creek a good refuge habitat for frogs?
The survey looked at several sites along the Yanco, Billabong and Columbo Creeks.
What were the results?
Overall, seven species of frog were identified: Spotted Marsh frog, Barking Marsh frog and Eastern Sign-bearing froglet, Eastern Banjo frog, Giant Banjo frog, Peron’s Tree frog and the Southern Bell frog.
Spotted Marsh frog and Peron’s Tree frog were found almost everywhere, with Eastern Sign-bearing froglet and Barking Marsh frog found at a high proportion of sites.
The threatened Southern Bell frog were found at two sites last spring, with single frogs found in one farm dam and in the Yanco Creek.
By January 2020 however, there had been a rise in creek water levels thanks to environmental flows and inter-valley transfer flows. Our surveys this time found heaps of Southern Bell frogs at one site – out calling on top of freshly inundated wetland vegetation mats.
Conclusion
- Native frogs are persisting well in our Creeks, farm dams and irrigation channels during drought
- Complex vegetation including trees, shrubs, rushes and water plants was linked to high species diversity
- Increasing the habitat for frogs in our farm dams and water infrastructure will help us to protect our frog species.
Thanks to all of the landholders in our community that helped us to find and access sampling sites and to the Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists who gave their time to help with surveys.
This research was conducted by Anna Turner, Skye Wassens and Dale McNeill. This summary was written by Dale McNeill. Access the full report below.
