The bullfrog in Sologne, from fight to eradication

Abstract

The bullfrog, a species from North America, has been introduced in many countries. In Sologne, this invasive introduced species is creating imbalances in aquatic ecosystems colonized because of its diet, the disease it transmits to other amphibians and the absence of natural predators. Since its discovery in 2002, actions have been undertaken by the Beuvron Basin Maintenance Association, the Departmental Committee for the Protection of Nature and the Environment and the National Office for Hunting and Wildlife in order to eliminate the bullfrog in Sologne. After eight years of combat, we see a significant decrease in the average weight of adults and a reduction in breeding numbers per colonized site. In 2011, volunteers participated in the operations and we tested a novel method for detecting the species in the water, "environmental" DNA. This intensification of actions is part of the biodiversity conservation of the Natura 2000 Sologne site.