New Red List for Flemish amphibians and reptiles
Red Lists assess the risk of extinction of species in a region and help to implement targeted policy for endangered species. The new list evaluates fifteen amphibian and six reptile species in Flanders. Although the tree frog evolved positively from ‘critically endangered’ to ‘endangered’, most species remain ‘vulnerable’. The main causes are habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, invasive species, disease and climate change.
Amphibians need networks of suitable breeding waters. This requires diverse management, tailored to the specific situation in each area: dredging pools during prolonged high water levels and/or deepening them during droughts. This way, a better focus is placed on varied and sufficiently large habitats to allow a population to survive dry or wet periods.
Structural variation is essential for reptiles. Large-scale grazing or mowing, however, often creates homogeneous habitats, which is harmful. The drying out of heathland is a major threat to species such as the adder, the viviparous lizard, the moor frog and the pool frog.
Breeding programmes offer hope for the most endangered species, but without sufficient habitat, their impact remains limited. Habitat suitability criteria must be guaranteed as a minimum before reintroduction is useful.
The decline in amphibian and reptile populations disrupts biodiversity and ecological processes. Their conservation is crucial for the functioning of ecosystems.
Jeroen Speybroeck, Loïc van Doorn, Sam Van de Poel, Dirk Maes
Top image: pool frog (photo Jeroen Speybroeck)
