Åtgärdsprogram för långbensgroda 2013-2017 (Rana dalmatina)

The Action plan for Rana dalmatina has been established to secure the long term survival in Sweden and to mitigate the immediate threats to parts of its populations. Facts on the ecology and status of the species are presented, the most important threats are described and measures to improve the situation are suggested. This document should serve as a guide with recommendations of program actions. The agile frog Rana dalmatina has its main distribution in central Europe with a few relict populations in northern Germany, south-eastern Denmark and Sweden. In Sweden there are about 720 known breeding ponds, 316 of which in the province of Öland, 51 in Småland, 212 in Blekinge, and 139 in Skåne. The agile frog is breeding very early, in the climatically most favoured areas in some years already in January or February and the latest frogs usually finish their spawning in early April. Breeding waters are usually shallow fens or ponds with open water areas most often without any connection with streams or channels. Median size of breeding waters is 0.27 ha. Populations are found in or near larger forest areas, most often dominated by deciduous forest. Natural pastures, meadows, moist deciduous woodlands and fens are common habitats used by the frogs in the surroundings. The agile frog is very mobile, regularly travelling several kilometres on land. It has good dispersal ability but there are habitats that act as barriers, e.g. spruce plantations, clear cut deciduous woodland, cultivated fields, and urban areas. The populations fluctuate very much. The variation is explained by weather and by local events, mainly in the surrounding terrestrial environment. Local extinctions are normal but recolonization usually follows within a few years if there are many sites in the surroundings. Populations that have become isolated or located in marginal areas may remain extinct. The total population is less than 10 000 adult frogs in bottom years. A common reason for local extinction is vegetation changes following ceased grazing by cattle in forests and natural pastures. Another important reason is spruce plantation that can destroy breeding ponds by shadowing but also by affecting terrestrial feeding habitats as well as the connections between several critical habitats. A number of other threat factors have been identified at sites with agile frogs., e.g. wheel damages from harvesters in fens and moist forest, dumping of stones and waste material, introduction of fish and crayfish, creating irrigation ponds, urbanization, golf courses, pesticides, and ground water catchments. A vision for the future is an improvement of the status that allows the agile frog to leave the Swedish red list. A short-term objective is to stop the on-going reduction of distribution area and facilitate connectivity between different populations. The program is planned for the years 2013-2017. After initial census of some threatened populations, habitat improvements of breeding ponds, terrestrial environments, and corridors are carried out. Buffer zones 1 and 2 km around all breeding ponds are used as critical areas for Rana dalmatina. Local and regional authorities with responsibility for nature conservation, forestry and land use planning should have special attention to environmental changes in these zones. Also some potential corridors between populations need to be looked after. This is important in case of road planning, house building, groundwater catchment, spruce plantation, establishing golf-courses, digging irrigation reservoirs etc. In some areas with marginal or isolated populations breeding waters need to be restored or must be created. This is also the case in corridors where the frogs ability to recolonize lost areas should be facilitated. Forest livestock grazing is important for maintenance of vegetation-free patches in the shallow fens and is therefore necessary for the survival of many subpopulations. Also in some terrestrial habitats the vegetation changes due to abandonment of grazing have negative effects. Information and support to landowners in these matters are recommended. Some aspects of forestry such as clear-cutting and spruce plantation in former deciduous stands as well as deep ruts in fens and soft soil can be extremely negative and should be avoided in the critical areas. Large areas of old hazel should be protected and carefully managed. Monitoring frog populations is discussed with the purpose to assess the status in Sweden and for local follow up of habitat improvements. Laws and regulations of relevance to conservation of the species are described. The cost of actions to be funded from the SEPA's allocation for action plans is estimated at € 160 600 during the actions plans' validity period 2013-2017.