Halting the Global Decline in Amphibians

Symposium - Potential solutions to avert this imminent biodiversity crisis.

With a large number of amphibian species facing an uncertain future, this symposium will bring together researchers and conservation practitioners working in the field and in captive collections to discuss the current threats and present potential solutions to avert this imminent biodiversity crisis.

The 2004 Global Amphibian Assessment concluded that amphibians are at far greater risk of extinction than either mammals (23%) or birds (12%), with a third of all extant and currently described species listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable and 43% of all amphibian species in decline.

The attributed reasons for this dramatic decline in amphibian populations are varied, involving habitat loss and alteration, unsustainable trade, invasive species, climate change and disease, particularly the chytridiomycosis fungus.

In many areas where chytridiomycosis has been identified as the cause of high or complete mortality in amphibian populations habitats remain pristine, indicating that more traditional conservation responses, such as protected area systems, will be ineffectual.

However, no single factor is responsible for the scale of decline and a combination of threats may be working in synergy to produce the observed losses.

This symposium will bring together researchers and conservation practitioners working both in the field and in captive collections to discuss current threats and present potential solutions to address this biodiversity crisis.

Speakers will assess the current knowledge of amphibian declines worldwide and detail the methodology being employed both in- and ex-situ to combat losses. The role of the 2008 global campaign by the world's zoos, the ‘Year of the Frog’, in catalyzing required funding and stimulating both government and public action will also be described.

Organised by Lesley Dickie (EAZA & Amphibian Ark), Kevin Zippel (Amphibian Ark) and Jenny Pramuk (WCS)

Amphibian Declines symposium abstracts of spoken presentations (281 KB)
Amphibian Declines symposium abstracts of posters presented (132 KB)
Halting the Global Decline in Amphibians symposium - flyer and registration form (379 KB)
Halting the Global Decline in Amphibians symposium - advert (102 KB)

Please note this event has already occurred.

NOTE: we are no longer accepting poster proposals Present a poster of your research or work in this area: posters relating to the symposium topic will be displayed throughout the meeting and attendees will have plenty of time to study posters during tea/coffee breaks. Posters will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis and abstracts of no more than 250 words outlining poster content should be emailed to joy.hayward@zsl.org by 27 October 2008 for consideration. Please find a word document version of the poster submission form above.

Tickets and enquiries: All tickets for attendance must be purchased in advance and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis; please complete and return all registration forms along with payment to Joy Hayward, Scientific Meetings Co-ordinator, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.
e-mail: joy.hayward@zsl.org.

Related links
ZSL Scientific Meetings
Map showing ZSL Meeting Rooms
Amphibian Ark
Wildlife Conservation Society