Frank Lemckert
The main focus of my work is to determine the impacts that forestry activities are having on forest dwelling frog species in NSW and to develop protective measures to minimise or eliminate this impact. I am monitoring the status of frog populations at breeding sites in the timber production forests around Dorrigo and Newcastle to determine if forest dependant species are declining in areas being logged as opposed to areas which have been reserved and to assess long term population fluctuations. I am also tracking frogs to determine their habitat use patterns, their critical habitat and their home ranges and comparing their movements before and after forest disturbances. The information on habitat use is being used to assess the likely effectiveness of standard protective measures whilst the true impacts of forestry impacts are being determined. The species of most interest to date have been the giant barred frog (Mixophyes iteratus), green-thighed frog (Litoria brevipalmata) and the giant burrowing frog (Heleioporus australiacus). An additional study is looking at the relationships between frog community composition and environmental variables for frogs breeding in ponds. I would like to determine what makes a pond in a forest a good site for frogs and look at setting ponds in places to increase the number of available breeding sites for some species of conservation concern. I am undertaking collaborative work with the University of Newcastle looking at the impacts of forestry on stream breeding frogs and the conservation biology of the southern populations of the giant burrowing frog. I am also working with the University of Sydney looking at the management and conservation of two snakes in the genus Hoplocephalus.
For further information contact:
- Frank Lemckert, State Forests of NSW, Forest Research and Development
Division, PO Box 100, Beecroft, NSW, 2119, Australia.
Email: frankL@sf.nsw.gov.au
Email: frankL@sf.nsw.gov.au