Before breaking ground, developers must obtain a provincial permit and move amphibians and reptiles off-site, but it ends there. The study says translocation efforts often fail because of poor release-site quality, inadequate habitat connectivity or habitat to support all life stages, overcrowding, and increased competition because of the release of animals into an existing population. The physiological stress of capture and relocation can also contribute to illness or mortality, the study says. “With no legal requirement to monitor outcomes, we have limited evidence whether these
efforts work,” said Megan Winand, lead author and recent UBC master of science graduate. The authors call for habitat avoidance as the first line of protection, such as rerouting infrastructure or redesigning crossings to prevent impact. According to the study, amphibians and reptiles are important contributors to ecosystems because they control insect populations and serve as prey for birds, mammals and fish. “Translocation should be a last resort — something you do when avoidance isn’t possible,” said senior author Tara Martin, a professor and Liber
Ero Chair in UBC’s faculty of forestry and environmental stewardship, in a statement released by UBC.
UBC study, amphibians, reptiles, translocation, habitat avoidance, provincial permit, release-site quality, habitat connectivity, life stages, overcrowding, competition, physiological stress, ecosystem impact