American Bullfrog Eradication Plan. Phase one: mapping the distribution of bull frogs in the Baja California Mediterranean Region
ANNY PERALTA GARCÍA, Jorge H. Valdez Villavicencio, Andrea Navarro Tiznado, Jeff Alvarez, Jeff Wilcox
Disciplines: Conservation
Region: Baja California
Chapter: Ensenada
The Mediterranean region in northwestern Baja California, is one of 25 global biodiversity hotspots where extraordinary concentrations of endemic species are experiencing exceptional habitat loss and conservation threats. With the introduction of exotic species as the second-greatest cause of species extirpation worldwide, removal/control of exotic species is a priority in the region. The exotic American Bull Frog is one of the 100 most invasive and ecological harmful species in the world, and is considered a priority exotic species for Mexico. For these reasons our organization has established an eradication plan. In Phase One of the project we will map the distribution of bull frogs in the Baja California Mediterranean region. The goals for this phase are: a) to determine the extent of bull frogs in the region, b) build a geographic information system that will allow us to evaluate the best site to conduct a pilot bull frog eradication project (phase two), and c) produce and distribute environmental education material about bull frogs at three sites with high tourist-use in the region. Field work will be conducted at 11 sites, and data will be summarized using a GIS-based system. Bull frog removal will facilitate native species recovery, and in this way improve habitat quality for native species over the Mediterranean Region.
