Abstract

In 2006, 70 individual frogs from Whareorino Forest were translocated to Pukeokahu, Pureora Forest, as part of an emergency response to secure a new population of Leiopelma archeyi from declines caused by chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis). Our aims were to 1) determine whether monitoring of the Pukeokahu population addressed the objectives of this translocation, and 2) provide recommendations for future monitoring. Translocation objectives need to be quantifiable and measurable. The original objectives included ‘[to] establish a new wild population for this species’ and ‘[to obtain] high (long-term) survival rate [of the population].’ While these are worthwile and aspirational, they lacked the ability to guide adaptive management. We therefore recommend that these objectives incorporate specific details such as the target number of individuals, actual quantities for rates (i.e. what is ‘high’?), and the timeline by which these conservation goals should be reached. In addition, we question the Jolly-Seber open population model assumption of equal capture probability for individuals. We found that the snout-to-vent length of frogs captured during the breeding season (i.e. when the male is guarding eggs) was significantly larger (27.9 ± 7.3 mm; mean ± SE) than for frogs captured in non- breeding seasons (24.6 ± 8.9 mm), which implies a bias of females monitored during the former period. Such findings support the necessity to regularly include monitoring data into monitoring protocols and to review progress of conservation programmes to ensure that resources are spent wisely to reach intended goals, and so that management can be adapted if required.