Impacts of selective logging on frogs in a forested area of northern New South Wales Original Research Article

Counts of frogs were performed at 52 streams and 33 ponds in the Dorrigo area of northern New South Wales, Australia. Three measures of logging disturbance and seven other environmental features were recorded for each site to determine if any of these factors significantly influenced species richness (number of species) or abundance of individuals breeding at either streams or ponds. Species were also categorised into five “guilds” and the number of species of each guild compared to the same factors. Altitude and longitude were found to have the greatest influence on total species richness. The percentage of undisturbed forest was also a significant variable with species richness increasing in more disturbed areas. Increasing numbers of logging events increased the species “richness” of tree frogs and generalist species at streams and more recent disturbances appeared to increase the richness of generalists at ponds. No single habitat feature was found to consistently explain individual species abundances at ponds or streams. Logging activities appeared to favour several species, but negative effects of logging were also recorded for three species. The great barred frog Mixophyes fasciolatus decreased in numbers in more recently logged areas, the giant barred frog Mixophyes iteratus decreased in abundance in recently-logged areas and at sites where little undisturbed forest was available and the tusked frog Adelotus brevis appeared to be dependant on patches of undisturbed forest. The results indicate that selective logging has little impact on many frog species, but large forest-dependent species and terrestrial breeders are more likely to be negatively affected.