A Frog’s Ecological Purpose: Plight & Rebound

Frogs are known as an “indicator” species. If you hear frogs outside at night, it means you have a balanced ecosystem. It indicates you have a healthy source of pond water nearby. Amphibian life begins in fish-free vernal (ephemeral) pools. On average, it takes 10,000 tadpoles to create one breeding adult. The first 5,000 lost tadpoles are cannibalized by the more fit ones. And the next 4,999 provide chow for the local ecosystem. They are Frog Chow. They are also a child’s first catchable wild creature. Currently, one-third of the Earth’s amphibian species are threatened with extinction. And as it turns out, “Climate Change” is not the main culprit. Neither is it the recent outbreaks of chytrid funguses. It’s “Habitat Fragmentation”. You put in a new road, and you just cut off some creature’s path back to their home breeding pond. The ecosystem’s footprint has been dissected. SymSyn’s Urban Desert Oasis is an attempt to reverse habitat fragmentation by befriending the frog.