Almost a third of the world’s amphibian species are threatened, and nearly half are declining. Although habitat loss is the main threat, a fungal disease, called chytridiomycosis, appears to be affecting a growing number of amphibian species, and some studies suggest that climate change may be contributing to the spread of chytrid. Many species are declining for unknown reasons.

Currently there are no systematic, large-scale, long-term efforts to monitor amphibians in the tropics. If such programs had been in place twenty years ago, the possible extinction of over 130 amphibian species might have been avoided.

To address this need, TEAM is working with an international group of herpetologists to develop an amphibian monitoring protocol, that uses automated acoustic sensor arrays, and periodic, non-invasive surveys for the presence of chytrid.

In May, 2008, TEAM Technical Director, Jorge Ahumada, and Johanna Hurtado, Manager of the TEAM Volcan Barva site, set up the first pilot test of the new amphibian monitoring protocol. The protocol uses arrays of automated acoustic sensors to track the set of frog species present in an area over time. Once a call library is developed for a site, a computer algorithm can automatically determine from the recordings, the set of species that are active at a particular date and time. Although not every species present will be detected, the sensors provide a cost efficient way of monitoring a representative component of the amphibian community at a site.