According to scientists, long-lost sound has returned to Yosemite National Park’s majestic mountains, and this could benefit species worldwide. Ten years ago, hearing the cry of a Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog in Yosemite National Park’s alpine lakes would have been extremely uncommon. Following years of arduous labor, the frogs are now making a spectacular resurgence, revitalizing Yosemite’s wilderness.
A forgotten sound has returned to Yosemite National Park, and this is the impact it will haveÂ
At the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), scientist Roland Knapp led a groundbreaking study that documented a 17-year endeavor to restore the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (Rana sierrae), which involved 24 reintroductions across 12 lakes in Yosemite. Their research, which was published in Nature Communications, offers a unique example of amphibian conservation success. The frogs have started to show resistance to Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a deadly chytrid fungus that decimates amphibian populations all around the world. This is a remarkable breakthrough for Yosemite National Park in the last decade.Â
Knapp, who is based at UCSB’s Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory, says it’s a reminder of what has been done to return to some of these lakes where frogs are now recuperating and simply sit and observe. As you sit on the bank, you can see adult frogs sitting on the shore and tadpoles everywhere in the water. You have snakes that eat them and birds that fly in and eat them. You have a lake that has come back to life. Nonetheless, the effects of Bd have been disastrous. Previously widespread in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog is now designated as endangered under the Endangered Species Act after disappearing from more than 90% of its historical habitat.Â
With almost 40% of species in danger of going extinct, its situation is similar to that of amphibians globally. By transferring Bd-resistant frogs to areas where the species had been exterminated, Knapp’s team was able to restore breeding populations, something that many believed was impossible. Over several years of monitoring the translocated populations, the researchers noticed the emergence of new adult frogs, which was indicative of a healthy recovery. According to viability modeling, many reintroduced populations are likely to survive for at least 50 years.
Recovering this sound for Yosemite National Park required meticulous planning
Knapp describes how exhaustive fieldwork and careful planning were necessary for this amazing return to Yosemite National Park. Predation concerns, winter severity, elevation, and other considerations have to be balanced to determine reintroduction sites. It required a lot of work to monitor the frogs, though, since researchers had to hike into isolated locations to monitor the growth and well-being of the displaced populations. According to Knapp, these findings offer a unique illustration of how reintroducing resistant individuals can enable the recovery of disease-affected species at the landscape scale. For many other species that are in danger from new diseases, it is a ray of hope in addition to amphibians.
In addition to bringing the frogs back, the reintroduction initiatives revitalized entire ecosystems. Knapp and his team verified the restoration of natural processes in these habitats by witnessing the effective recruitment of new adult frogs. The team claims that this success story demonstrates the importance of protecting protected areas and reestablishing natural balance. The recovery of the mountain yellow-legged frog is seen by environmentalists as a sign of resiliency and optimism, as well as a reminder of what is possible when science, willpower, and cooperation come together. The lakeshore from Yosemite National Park is once again alive beneath the shadow of Yosemite’s peaks, their amphibian symphony a victorious anthem of survival.
