Foothill yellow-legged frog conservation assessment in California

Abstract

The foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) is a stream-breeding amphibian that has experienced significant population declines over a large portion of its historical range. This frog is nearing extirpation in much of the Sierra Nevada region where existing populations are sparse. Water development and diversions are likely to be the primary cause of population declines and are currently a prominent risk factor because they result in hydrological changes that chronically affect several aspects of the species’ life history. Other primary risk factors include climate change, mining and suction-dredging, introduced species, and habitat loss. Conservation approaches could include restoration of hydrologic attributes such as flow and thermal regimes on regulated rivers, restoration of associated uplands and connecting riparian corridors, and management of flow regimes to retain or restore favorable habitat conditions.

Citation

Hayes, Marc P.; Wheeler, Clara A.; Lind, Amy J.; Green, Gregory A.; Macfarlane, Diane C., tech. coords. 2016. Foothill yellow-legged frog conservation assessment in California. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-248. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 193 p.