Leiopelma hochstetteri

The Hochstetter’s frog (Leiopelma hochstetteri) is a nationally At Risk – Declining species, but management decisions for this species are limited by the lack of established monitoring protocols and analytical methods. We compared methods for inferring spatial and temporal patterns in abundance on Aotea (Great Barrier Island) using count data collected from fifteen 100 m stream transects in 2012, 2015 and 2021. Each transect was surveyed 2–3 times on the same day each year.

Control of introduced predators is part of the management strategy for many conservation programs. However, when such programs are designed to protect a single species, the benefits to sympatric native species are usually not assessed. We used site occupancy modelling to investigate whether predator control implemented to protect a native bird species (North Island kōkako) in the Hūnua Ranges, New Zealand also benefits the sympatric native Hochstetter’s frog population.