Species
This recovery plan is a multi-species plan for wallum-dependent frog species of coastal south-east Queensland and eastern New South Wales. The species covered by this plan are the wallum sedgefrog Litoria olongburensis, Cooloola sedgefrog L. cooloolensis, wallum rocketfrog L. freycineti and wallum froglet Crinia tinnula.
Current species status
The species in this plan are listed as ‘Rare' or ‘Vulnerable' under state legislation, the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 and the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. However, only the wallum sedgefrog is listed under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). All species in this plan are listed as ‘Vulnerable' or ‘Endangered' by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
Habitat and distribution
The species in this plan are wholly or largely restricted to lowland sand plains, dunes and sand islands of coastal south-east Queensland and New South Wales (including coastal ‘wallum'). All breed in oligotrophic (nutrient poor) acidic (pH < 6.0) coastal swamps and/or lakes.
Threats
The species in this plan have suffered significant habitat loss due to urban and resort development, the establishment of pine plantations and sand mining. Habitat loss and fragmentation due to urban development remains one of the main threats to wallum frog species, particularly in coastal south-east Queensland and northeast New South Wales. Other known and potential threats include habitat degradation, predation of eggs and larvae by introduced fish (in particular the mosquito fish Gambusia holbrooki), inappropriate fire regimes, use of biocides in weed and mosquito control, habitat disturbance and predation by pigs, chytrid fungus infection, a possible rise in sea levels as a consequence of global warming, competition with ecologically-similar species, exotic disease and vehicular traffic.