ISSN 1026-0269
FROGLOG
Newsletter of the Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force of the World Conservation Union's Species Survival Commission.
March 1997, Number 21.
Anonymous Donation Boosts Seed Grant Funds! An anonymous donor is generously making two contributions to our Seed Grant program. The first contribution is an outright gift of $10,000 to support investigations of the role of climate change and UVB exposure in worldwide amphibian declines. The second contribution is a challenge grant, to be matched on a dollar-fordollar basis, of up to $10,000 (for a total of $20,000). The pool of funds raised by the challenge grant will support investigations of the role of climate change and UVB exposure, chemical contaminants, or synergistic effects of these possible causes of global amphibian declines. Chemical contaminant studies, to be eligible for this pool of funds, must have regional or global implications. We encourage studies of environmental oestrogen mimics for these funds. At least half of the available funds will be dedicated to climate change and UVB exposure studies. The challenge period ends 31 July 1997. Persons interested in applying for these funds should submit a Seed Grant proposal (see guidelines in FROGLOG 20 or contact John Wilkinson). We have set up a small committee to determine whether proposals received meet the guidelines established by the anonymous donor. If the guidelines are not met, then the proposals will be considered for our non-restricted seed grant funds. Members of the DAPTF Board and I are embarking on activities to raise the $10,000 to fully meet the challenge by the anonymous donor. However, as time is short, any suggestions of possible donors would be very much appreciated. Please
bring such potential sources to my attention at my new e-mail address: heyer.ron@nmnh.si.edu. Ron Heyer, DAPTF Chair.
Hungarian Working Group Report and the Year of the Salamander From Miklรณs Puky DAPTF-Hungary Last year's conservation meeting was very successful, with 58 participants from several nations including Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Poland and the United States. We measured more than 5,000 amphibians of 9 species during a week. A good piece of news is that we managed to get the floodplain area designated as a strictly protected part of a would-be national park together with an area including amphibian summer habitat and hibernacula. As a consequence, this year we shall focus on management options and the revitalization of areas which have been destroyed. We are also running an educational campaign for local people on the advantage of living at the edge of a national park. Another brand new project we are just about to launch is the 1997 Year of the Salamander programme. We aim to generate publicity towards amphibians with a focus on the fire salamander, involve the general public in collecting data, set up a salamander day directory for schools, study circles etc. where they can find a day-long activity for different ages (from kindergarten to secondary school), compile a datailed distribution map and include a detailed study of some populations. A new element is to record the cultural associations of amphibians
(including tales, rhymes educational purposes.
etc.)
for
Conservation Meeting in Hungary Location: Parassapuszta, 78 kms north of Budapest on the Hungarian/Slovakian border. Duration: 29/3/1997 - 6/4/1997 Accomodation: in a local school Meals: participants cook for themselves Travel: by train and bus, or car Goals: This time the focus will be on middle-mountain valleys in the Bรถrzsรถny Mountains, the investigation of an important amphibian breeding site, the floodplain of the River Ipoly and possible conservation measures in the would-be national park area. The main target species are four protected amphibians (two listed under the Bern Convention as strictly protected), together with three other species not mentioned here but present in the area: Salamandra salamandra (the ratio of red and orange, spotted and striped individuals, length and weight characteristics, habitat descriptions). Pelobates fuscus, a disappearing species (sex ratio, the analysis of its disappearance, the investigation of its breeding sites). Rana dalmatina, the species which survives drought most successfully, (length-weight characteristics, sex ratio, breeding sites). Bufo bufo, once the commonest amphibian in the region (sex ratio, the