The Amphibian Extinction Crisis-what will it take to put the action into the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan?

Sep 24, 2026

The document examines the amphibian mass extinction crisis, emphasizing that with roughly 7,000 species amphibians rely on clean freshwater and damp habitats and face multiple threats. It highlights habitat loss, changes in water and soil quality, climate-change impacts, and a chytrid-fungus epidemic. IUCN Red List figures are cited to show around 40% of amphibians are in danger, alongside steep declines over the last 20–40 years. It traces awareness from the 1950s to 1989 and describes IUCN initiatives culminating in the 2007 Amphibian Conservation Action Plan.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background on amphibian decline

IUCN initiatives and assessments

Amphibian Conservation Action Plan and response

S.A.P.I.EN.S 5.2 (2012) Vol.5 / n°2-IUCN Commissions P. J. Bishop, A. Angulo, J. P. Lewis, R.D. Moore, G. B. Rabb and J. Garcia Moreno The Amphibian Extinction Crisis-what will it take to put the action into the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan? Warning The contents of this site is subject to the French law on intellectual property and is the exclusive property of the publisher. The works on this site can be accessed and reproduced on paper or digital media, provided that they are strictly used for personal, scientific or educational purposes excluding any commercial exploitation. Reproduction must necessarily mention the editor, the journal name, the author and the document reference. Any other reproduction is strictly forbidden without permission of the publisher, except in cases provided by legislation in force in France. [Revues.org](Revues.org) is a platform for journals in the humanites and social sciences run by the CLEO, Centre for open electronic publishing (CNRS, EHESS, UP, UAPV) . Electronic reference P. J. Bishop, A. Angulo, J. P. Lewis, R.D. Moore, G. B. Rabb and J. Garcia Moreno, « The Amphibian Extinction Crisiswhat will it take to put the action into the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan? », S.A.P.I.EN.S [Online], 5.2 | 2012, Online since 12 August 2012, Connection on 28 August 2012. URL : [http://sapiens.revues.org/1406](http://sapiens.revues.org/1406) Publisher: Institut Veolia Environnement [http://sapiens.revues.org](http://sapiens.revues.org) [http://www.revues.org](http://www.revues.org) Document available online on: [http://sapiens.revues.org/1406](http://sapiens.revues.org/1406)[ ](http://sapiens.revues.org/1406)[This document is a facsimile of the print edition.](This document is a facsimile of the print edition.) Licence Creative Commons Surveys The Amphibian Extinction Crisis-what will it take to put the action into the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan? S . .A P . I . E N . S Volume 5 issue 2 2012 Abstract P.J. Bishop1 , A. Angulo2 , J. P. Lewis3 , R. D. Moore3 , G. B. Rabb4 , and J. Garcia Moreno5. 1. Amphibian Survival Alliance, c/o Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand 2. IUCN Global Species Programme, Rue Mauverney 28, 1196 Gland, Switzerland 3. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22202 USA 4. President Emeritus, Chicago Zoological Society, 9236 Broadway, Brookfield, IL 60513, USA. 5. Amphibian Survival Alliance, c/o EAZA, P O Box 20164, 1000 HD Amsterdam, The Netherlands Correspondence to: [phil.bishop@iucn.org](phil.bishop@iucn.org) The current mass extinction episode is most apparent in the amphibians. With approximately 7,000 species, amphibians are dependent on clean fresh water and damp habitats and are considered vulnerable to habitat loss (deforestation), changes in water or soil quality and the potential impacts of climate change, and in addition many species are suffering from an epidemic caused by a chytrid fungus. Because of their sensitivity and general dependence on both terrestrial and aquatic habitats they are often regarded as indicators of the health of the environment. The latest figures from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species™ show that there are nearly as many species of amphibians categorised as Threatened as those of Threatened birds and mammals put together, with an estimated 40% of amphibian species in danger of extinction. Furthermore, although amphibians have survived multiple previous global mass extinctions, in the last 20-40 years precipitous population declines have taken place on a scale not previously seen. Although amphibian declines were first reported in the 1950s, the magnitude and global scope of the problem were only fully realised during discussions at the 1st World Congress of Herpetology in England in 1989. Shortly thereafter, the Declining Amphibian Popul

FAQs

What major factors drive amphibian declines described in the document?

The document points to habitat loss (including deforestation), changes in water and soil quality, climate-change impacts, and an epidemic caused by a chytrid fungus.

How did global awareness and research efforts evolve?

It notes that the scale of the problem became fully recognized during discussions at the 1989 1st World Congress of Herpetology, followed by establishment of the Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force (DAPTF) and later a global amphibian assessment in 2004.

What is the role of the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan (ACAP) and what gap remains?

The ACAP (published in 2007) identifies key issues and provides a framework for interventions, but the document states that the response has not progressed across all areas at a scale sufficient to halt the crisis, so species continue to decline and go extinct.

Sep 24, 2026

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