New assessment of the conservation status of amphibians in Aotearoa New Zealand
Introduction
Have your say on any changes in status of amphibians in Aotearoa New Zealand. Submissions close on 29 September 2023.This is a call for advice about any changes in status of amphibians in Aotearoa New Zealand. It will inform a revision of the assessment for this group in the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS).
View the current list giving the status of eight taxa in Burns et al. 2018, Conservation status of New Zealand amphibians (PDF, 8279K).
Data can be accessed on NZTCS website.
An expert panel will meet to review the classification of amphibians in Aotearoa New Zealand including use of supplied information.
An assessment will be made based on a scientific approach using two criteria:
- the size of the population or estimated area of occupancy
- the expected trend (amount of decline or increase) for each taxon (species, subspecies, variety, etc.). This is regardless of whether it is taxonomically determinate (having a formal scientific name) or indeterminate (having an informal ‘tag name’).
How to contribute
Note that this consultation process is intended to provide information to the expert panel, not to lobby for a particular outcome.
Guidance on the criteria used to assess the status of species is available in the NZ Threat Classification Manual 2008 (PDF, 478K).
Complete the form (Word, 31K or PDF, 207K) and send to:
Rhys Burns
Fauna Advice Team
Department of Conservation
PO Box 1146
Rotorua 3010
Email: rburns@doc.govt.nz.
Separate advice should be provided for each species (or subspecies, variety, etc).
Consultation closes on 29 September 2023.
Email us at threatstatus@doc.govt.nz if you need any assistance or clarification about this consultation process.
Background information
The New Zealand Threat Classification System allows the classification of conservation status/risk of extinction of all organisms known to occur in a wild state in New Zealand. Endemics, non-endemic natives, migrants, vagrants, and introduced and naturalised species are all included, as are taxa which have not been formally described.
The NZTCS is not a priority-setting system. It is a resource to support priority setting, among other functions.
Panels of experts from New Zealand’s scientific community determine conservation statuses by assessing population size (number of breeding adults or the area of occupied habitat), forecast change in population size (over either the next three generations or 10 years, whichever is longer), whether the current state of the population is a result of human-induced effects. Groups of organisms are assessed approximately every five years.
The assessments of each group of organisms (eg birds, fungi, freshwater fishes, marine invertebrates) are published as scientific monograph series which are considered part of the formal international scientific literature.