Some Asian frog species may become extinct before being discovered

Frogs and other amphibians are being wiped out with a dizzying speed in Asia. Therefore, some species may become extinct before being discovered - Scientists have warned at the IUCN International Conservation Conference held in Korea last week.

The impact of habitat loss, disease, pollution as well as other factors on species decline is difficult to quantify, but scientists are concerned that the consequences will be extremely serious. Amphibians are being destroyed all over the world, in part because of the spread of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, also known as chytrid, a fungus that has wiped out many amphibian populations for several years.

Worryingly, conservation efforts are currently concentrated in Europe and the Americas and are rarely implemented in the world's most populous continent while there are many undiscovered amphibians and research. assist. For example, according to one researcher, the number of undiscovered amphibians in India is three to four times the number of species listed.

Smith's litter frog - found in Assam - India (WWF - Nepal)

According to researcher Bruce Waldman, Seoul National University (SNU), some species are disappearing before people know their existence - as is the case in Sri Lanka.'They are living treasures but we do not know how much we have nor protect them.' He also said that rapid economic growth in Asia makes the amount of nitrogen pollution in the air increase (due to the use of fertilizers) combined with the decline in habitat threatening Asian amphibians.

In the world, frogs and amphibians are among the most threatened species with at least 33% even up to 40% of the amphibians are in near-extinction status, increasing the total number of species Official amphibians were identified as 'threatened', 'endangered' and 'vulnerable' to 2000 - the highest number for terrestrial animals - Jaime García-Moreno, network executive The Amphibian Survival Alliance grid said.

The danger of frogs as well as other amphibians is a major concern for scientists because they are concerned that what is happening to them may also happen to other animal groups. The physiological characteristics of amphibians make them extremely sensitive to changes in the environment, including global warming as well as water and air pollution.

This sensitivity, according to many scientists, could be the cause behind the sudden disappearance of some species, even in safe areas - as is the case with Costa Rica golden toad. According to Garcia-Moreno, the extinction of some frogs affects not only biodiversity, food chain but also human development. This conclusion may be based on research that proves that secretions on frog skin can cure some diseases, such as cancer and possibly AIDS in humans. He also added, "Amphibians play an important role in ecosystems because they are where energy and nutrition are transferred from small organisms to large organisms in the food chain."

According to Mi-Sook Min (SNU), scientists may also have many findings about chytrid fungal disease when studying amphibians in Asia. There is much evidence that this disease originates in Asia because many cases found in other continents are related to a history from Asia - where amphibians have evolved to live with this disease. However, there is also some evidence in other studies that this disease may exist in Latin America from the 1880s.

Waldman stressed: 'We don't really understand the crisis in Asia because of chytrid fungal disease, a crisis that can be even more dangerous than those where the statistics are better. We are trapped by our own indifference. "