Telmatobufo bullocki tadpole.

This project will focus on the ecology and conservation of threatened amphibians and their native temperate forest habitat in the Nahuelbuta Mountain Range, in central-south Chile. Most of the original native forest in this area has been cleared and successively replaced by exotic forestry plantations, and what is left is highly fragmented and mostly secondary. Only a small portion of the remaining native forest is legally protected, leaving many threatened species vulnerable. Seventeen anuran species are present in Nahuelbuta, and all of them face several threats. In this project special focus will be given to Telmatobufo bullocki, a Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List) anuran species, which is also #5 in the amphibian EDGE List (ZSL). This project will investigate how native forest fragmentation and exotic forestry plantations are affecting amphibians at different scales, and how we can aid in their conservation.

Important aspects of the biology and ecology of T. bullocki will be studied, including its present distributional range, abundance, genetic population structure and gene flow, migratory and breeding cycle. This will aid the in-situ and ex-situ conservation of this species, and will provide management guidelines for landowners and forestry companies. For all threatened species in the area we will obtain valuable information on their present distributional range, population and individual health, habitat use, and current level of threat. This knowledge will assist in the development of a Conservation and Management Action Plan for amphibian species in the Nahuelbuta Mountain Range.

An important part of this project is the education and collaboration with main stakeholders (e.g. forestry companies, landowners, local NGO's, government), and the involvement of local community. The project will raise awareness on amphibian declines globally and locally through an educational campaign that will include a website, public talks, the design and distribution of printed material, and the production of audio-visual material to be distributed online.