Threats and Conservation Needs. The relict leopard frog is highly dependent on spring and desert riparian systems. These habitats must have adequate water quantity and vegetation cover at an appropriate (early to intermediate) successional stage. Although periodic grazing or fire may be useful to maintain appropriate vegetation communities and seral stages, intense fire or grazing can result in decreases in water quality and habitat suitability, and increases in soil compaction which can accelerate seasonal drying. Furthermore, intense fire and grazing can cause direct hazards to individual frogs and earlier life stages. A moderate level of recreational use may help maintain open areas for these frogs, but excessive recreational use can substantially alter habitat characteristics. Recreational use has also been linked to introductions of non-native species. Invasive non-native plant species have substantially altered native riparian vegetation communities. Direct impacts to open water habitats include flow diversion, groundwater development, physical alteration of pools and channels, and dense vegetation growth, which limits habitat availability, suitability, and utility to all life stages of the frog. Non-native invasive plant species including tamarisk (Tamarix sp.) occur in occupied and historic habitats and may require specific control measures beyond those necessary to maintain suitable densities of native vegetation. Protective or restorative efforts must be implemented at occupied and nearby sites to ensure persistence of existing frog populations, maintain connectivity between these populations, and increase habitat availability and suitability. Non-native aquatic species, which negatively impact the relict leopard frog through competition, predation, and possible disease transmission, include crayfish, turtles, non-native fish, and bullfrogs. Direct control and elimination strategies, and where feasible, actions to reduce habitat suitability for invasive species, must be implemented at specific sites where relict leopard frogs co-occur with non- native species. Diseases are also a threat to the relict leopard frog. Infectious diseases, such as the fungal disease chytridiomycosis, have been linked to massive die-offs in amphibians and reduced survivorship, recruitment, and fecundity. Appropriate protocols must be utilized to prevent the introduction of pathogens to relict leopard frog populations and amphibians in nearby habitats, and adherence to those protocols is essential d...
